2019 Quinta do Crasto Reserva Vinhas Velhas

The 2019 Reserva Old Vines (average age of 70 years) was aged for 16 to 18 months, depending on vineyard plots, in 65% new (85% French) oak. It comes in at 14.8% alcohol. This represents 38 of Crasto's 42 plots and/or small vineyards of old vines, with Maria Teresa and Vinha da Ponte both bottled separately this year. Dark, deep and rich, this leans to bitter chocolate this year. Like most of these 2019s from Crasto, it adds a serious backbone and demands some cellaring. I tend to put a fairly early "start" date for drinking windows, but that doesn't mean it will be at peak or fully ready. One of the more powerful Old Vines bottlings recently, this should be socked away for a few years. Come back in the middle of the decade for better results. I could say that about all of Crasto's reds in this report. It's a powerful group. There were 90,000 bottles produced, plus some half bottles and large-format bottles.

Full bottle 1,450 g. Field blend of 25–30 varieties, vines with an average age of 70 years. Fermented in tank, aged 18 months in French (85%) and American (15%) oak barrels. TA 5.2 g/l, pH 3.66. Bottled January 2022. Darkest crimson. Intense and slightly wild aromas of both red and black fruits – blackberry and cranberry and everything in between, thus both sweet and tart on first impression. Light hint of oak. On the palate, the oak is much more in evidence, not just in the flavour but in the thick, deeply textured, chewy, compact tannins. Plenty of oak spice and sweetness, offset by the tannins. Powerful and intense without being heavy. Needs time but looks promising for a long future. (JH)