1995 Torga
Posted: 23:35 Tue 26 Jan 2021
Literary types will know Miguel Torga as a twentieth-century titan of Portuguese literature. Of arguably more relevance to a semi-literate, would-be port afficionado such is myself is the fact that Torga is, as far as I can determine, the only non-producer to have had a vintage port named after him. Whilst hardly as complex as the literary output of Dr. Torga, the 1995 vintage port which carries his name is rather good.
The 1995 Torga was produced by the then newly-established Roseira e Ricou Lda, which sourced its grapes from Quinta do Fojo and went on to offer the public Torga vintage ports in 1996, 1997 and 2000. The firm’s output in 1995 was miniscule, amounting to 3000 bottles of vintage port along with 376 half bottles. What became of the firm after the 2000 vintage port was released is a mystery; it does not appear to have produced any wines after 2000 and the firm was liquidated in 2017. One can state with more complete certainty that Torga vintage ports appear on the Portuguese auction market with some regularity; and, given that the possession of such bottles offers their owners not an iota of outward status, they can be had for a pittance.
After a five and one-half hour decant on 23 January 2021, the 1995 Torga presented agreeably in the glass, showing as it did semi-opaque, brick hues. The pleasing nose, whilst a touch understated, was dominated by stewed prune notes along with cloves and a hint of spring blossom which evinced the last vestiges of youth. On entry, strawberry jam and red cherry hit the fore-palate in an agreeable manner, with rhubarb butter crumble serving as the bridge to a mid-palate characterised by a sharpish zest along with nutmeg and green peppercorn. Dried ginger appeared at the back, along with the first indication of still-unresolved tannins. The lengthy finish was most agreeable; it opened with the rich acidity tickling the mouth, followed by the reappearance of the red fruits and the ginger.
The tannins lent a certain dry sensation to this medium-bodied port, though the wine did not strike me as imbalanced, notwithstanding the level of acidity. The state of the tannins in the 1995 Torga, which is effectively a single quinta vintage, points to a peak in five to ten years. As with my discovery of Torga the writer, this wine came as an exceedingly pleasant surprise. If you can find any, try it.
-90 points
The 1995 Torga was produced by the then newly-established Roseira e Ricou Lda, which sourced its grapes from Quinta do Fojo and went on to offer the public Torga vintage ports in 1996, 1997 and 2000. The firm’s output in 1995 was miniscule, amounting to 3000 bottles of vintage port along with 376 half bottles. What became of the firm after the 2000 vintage port was released is a mystery; it does not appear to have produced any wines after 2000 and the firm was liquidated in 2017. One can state with more complete certainty that Torga vintage ports appear on the Portuguese auction market with some regularity; and, given that the possession of such bottles offers their owners not an iota of outward status, they can be had for a pittance.
After a five and one-half hour decant on 23 January 2021, the 1995 Torga presented agreeably in the glass, showing as it did semi-opaque, brick hues. The pleasing nose, whilst a touch understated, was dominated by stewed prune notes along with cloves and a hint of spring blossom which evinced the last vestiges of youth. On entry, strawberry jam and red cherry hit the fore-palate in an agreeable manner, with rhubarb butter crumble serving as the bridge to a mid-palate characterised by a sharpish zest along with nutmeg and green peppercorn. Dried ginger appeared at the back, along with the first indication of still-unresolved tannins. The lengthy finish was most agreeable; it opened with the rich acidity tickling the mouth, followed by the reappearance of the red fruits and the ginger.
The tannins lent a certain dry sensation to this medium-bodied port, though the wine did not strike me as imbalanced, notwithstanding the level of acidity. The state of the tannins in the 1995 Torga, which is effectively a single quinta vintage, points to a peak in five to ten years. As with my discovery of Torga the writer, this wine came as an exceedingly pleasant surprise. If you can find any, try it.
-90 points