Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas Vintage 2008 0.75 LT

The winter of 2008 was drier and colder than usual, with just 258mm of rain falling in Pinhão between November and March. Fortunately, April was a rainy month, which allowed sufficient replenishment of water reserves.

Flowering took place under rainy and cold weather conditions. As a result, all varieties showed imperfect fertilization, which resulted in lower yields, but grapes with a high concentration of flavor.

The 2008 growing season temperatures were remarkably similar to those of 2007, being cooler than the average temperature and with a mild August. The final maturation of the grapes was largely favored by the rains that fell between the 4th and 7th of September and by a downpour recorded just before the start of the harvest.

The harvest started on the 20th of September in Vargellas. One of the main characteristics of the entire harvest was the combination of hot days and cold nights, perfect weather conditions not only for the final maturation of the grapes, but also for fermentation rates. The sugar levels in the grapes started out low, but progressively increased as the harvest progressed.

TEST RESULTS

Black ink color with vivid purple halo. Compact and stylized nose, with intense aromas of blackcurrant and wild berries that, tightened, envelop a dark core of licorice and treacle. This dense background is covered by subtle notes of tea, rose petals, thyme and exotic wood, with an attractive freshness reminiscent of grapes emerging as the nose develops. As is often the case with Vargellas, the nose shows exceptional purity and resolution, yet is seductive in its complexity. On the palate, the tannins are beautifully integrated and are seemingly subtle, but their firm fiber is evident in the long finish, which is full of intense black berry fruit flavor.