Sounds like a great tasting! I wish I could be there, but probably cannot.
I think that in order to give the Colheitas a fair shot you'll want them to be at least 20 years old, and 30 is probably better. I'm not personally fond of young Colheitas and don't feel like most really have the chance to shine until their 30s.
jdaw1 wrote:I have heard it said that some years are better for VP (sweet berry or plums or cherries), and others better for colheita (presumably better acidity).
A more accurate assessment seems to be that some
grapes are better for VP, and others better for Colheita. I'm not talking about varietals, but rather the outcome of a growing season. In a small vineyard, the entire product is likely to be either VP or Colheita-worthy because it will likely ripen the same. But in larger vineyards some grapes will ripen more appropriately for VP while others in different areas may ripen more appropriately for Colheita.
For a VP you not only want good fruit, but also good color and tannins. For a Colheita the color isn't as important, but the balance of acidity and sugar is arguably even more important (especially the acidity).
Finding a VP and a Colheita from the same producer in the same year isn't too hard, but it isn't terribly common. You will probably have more luck from the consistent Colheita producers like Kopke, Noval, and Niepoort, but others abound. Kopke and the other Sogevinus brands do it fairly regularly.