A rich, dark Port, packed full of pure bramble fruit, very concentrated with well-integrated tannins and surprisingly good balancing acidity. A forward and approachable style for drinking soon.

Vintage 2011 was so widely declared because of the exceptional weather conditions which differed quite dramatically from the rest of Europe. A wet Autumn in 2010 left subsoils nicely damp and able to cope with the near drought conditions that ensued in the first half of 2011, then a cool summer helped to maintain freshness and avoid any overly dry, raisiny characteristics. Some welcome splashes of rain at the end of August and early September helped to ripen tannins (and bring them back in line with sugar levels) then the dry days and cool nights that followed provided perfect picking conditions. The result is a superb single Quinta Port from the excellent and early drinking 2011 vintage.

Decant, serve with well-matured farmhouse cheese and enjoy!

About the Producer

Wiese & Krohn was founded in 1865 by two Norwegians – Theodor Wiese and Dankert Krohn – shipping initially to Scandinavia and Germany. In the century and a half since its foundation, Krohn has built up an outstanding reputation. Long renowned for the quality of their sublime Colheitas (single vintage tawnies), they produce a remarkably complete range for a small house, and each wine excels in its category. Much of the secret lies in the high quality of their vineyards – the magical combination of terroir, locality, aspect, incline and low-yielding vines. Their Quinta do Retiro Novo estate in Sarzedinho, in the Rio Torto valley (where vinification takes place), is all A grade vineyard. Indeed Krohn only work with grapes from A-graded vineyards across all of their ports, and their top wines are still trodden by foot. Since 2013 Krohn has been part of the Fladgate Partnership – alongside Taylor’s, Fonseca and Croft.

Vineyard and Winery

Wiese & Krohn’s estate Quinta do Retiro Novo is located in Sarzedinho, a small village in the Rio Torto valley. Quality is determined by the grape varieties, by the age of the vines, their method of training and the density of planting. All these factors are officially converted into points, the sum of which determines the final classification of the property. Here this sum exceeds 1200 points, ensuring it belongs to a select group of “Class A” properties. During vinification, great importance is given to both modern technology balanced by traditional wine making methods. So old lagares (open granite tanks about 75 cm high) are still used to make the best Ports with traditional foot treading of the grapes without any mechanical crushing. Modern stainless steel lagares are also used where sophisticated robots simulate the human treading of the grapes.