I thought that I'd dig out some notes from a Quinta de Vargellas 2005-1967 vertical conducted by Adrian Bridge, Managing Director of Taylor’s, at The Royal Opera House in London, to commemorate the release of the 2005 Quinta de Vargellas a few years ago.
Located in an extremely remote location in the eastern-most Port-producing zone of the Douro Superior, Quinta de Vargellas became accessible by road only in the early 1970s, with no electricity until 1972.
Previously part owned by the Ferreira family, Vargellas was acquired by Taylor’s in 1893, when Phylloxera was ravaging the Douro Valley. At this time, the Quinta was capable of producing just six 550-litre pipes of Port. Today, it typically yields 245 pipes (134,800 litres/179,733 bottles). The north-facing vineyard comprises 25% Touriga Nacional, 25% Touriga Francesa, and 22% Tinta Roriz, with the rest planted to Tinta Cao, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Amarela, Rufete, and other varieties.
Vargellas is cheek by jowl with the River Douro and ripens up to two weeks earlier than cooler vineyards high up in the surrounding hills. On average, Vargellas is 2 degrees warmer across the year on average than Taylor’s other vineyard at Terra Feita.
In declared years, wine from Vargellas forms a major part of Taylor’s vintage blend, but it is bottled as a Single Quinta in those years when a bona fide Taylor’s Vintage is not declared. “A classic vintage has perfect conditions, and we make a blend from our two properties to produce a more long-lived wine…In other years, when it is very good but the wine won’t be as long-lived, we make a single Quinta wine,” explained Bridge. With the launch of its Quinta de Vargellas 1958, Taylor’s was the first Port house to release a single Quinta Vintage Port.
In the winery, Vargellas is treated exactly the same as a Vintage Port, but is aged in bottle at the Quinta for several years before release.
Some years ago, the humorist Willie Rushton drew a cartoon of bowler-hatted Englishmen crammed onto the tiny railway platform at the remote Vargellas station in the Douro Valley. The caption read, “The last outpost of the British Empire.” Rushton also wrote a poem in the Quinta’s visitors’ book (which all guests must do):
I could sing out your praises, ’til ill,
Of the Rusty. I’ve had more than my fill
At Vargellas. Oh, blast!
You go downhill so fast
And the bloody walk back’s all uphill.
Taylor's report on the 1998 vintage says, "The 1998 growing season started extremely wet. The water table was replenished but this in turn caused extensive erosion problems, particularly in old terraced vineyards. A wet winter was followed by a cold spring, falling to just above freezing in mid-April. With May came a burst of warmth records, showing a 40cm shoot growth over the weekend of 8-11 May. A dry, hot summer, with temperatures exceeding 40˚C during the first two weeks of August, was followed by daily showers during the harvest, which began on 20th September. The almost perfect growing season caused great excitement in the Douro until picking began.
The rain during the harvest caused dilution of the fermenting musts and a corresponding reduction in the power of the final wines. Hopes were dampened and the overall yield turned out to be the lowest of the decade."
Deep ruby purple. A lighter, fresher, and more fruity nose, certainly compared to the 1997 Vinha Velha tasted beforehand. The difference in weight and structure between this and the Velha is quite noticeable. This is not a huge wine like the Velha 1997, but still has good concentration.
A fruity style of Vargellas, already approachable and drinkable, though the depth of fruit and tannin suggest a long life ahead of this.