As with preceding Capela releases, this Vintage Port is inspired by the incredibly low-yielding 90-year-old vines from the Vinha da Capela vineyard, which yielded just 330g/vine and brings an extraordinary complexity and character to the wine.
The Vinha da Escola vineyard, which is named after the old estate schoolhouse, still standing at the edge of the vineyard, also makes an important contribution to the Capela Vintage Port with its Sousão and Alicante Bouschet grape varieties. The comparatively level Escola vineyards are grouped around a low-lying location at the bottom of the main valley at Vesuvio, a natural collection point for rainwater. On their westerly side, they are flanked by terraced slopes which shield them during the height of summer from the intensity of the afternoon sun. The good soil water reserves created by the generous 2016 winter and spring rainfall and the sheltered location, combined to counterbalance the very hot and dry summer, one of the hottest and driest of the last four decades. The west-facing Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional vines in the Vale da Teja vineyard, planted in the 1970s, have deep roots which are helpful during the hot and dry growing and ripening seasons. Grapes from these vines complemented the structure provided by Vinha da Escola and the complexity from Vinha da Capela.
This was a very late vintage; the Vinha da Escola was picked from the 22nd September and the Vale da Teja from October 4th. The rain of the 13th was perfectly timed and gave the vines a lifeline to ripen the berries fully and evenly which is mirrored in the wine’s supreme refinement and balance.
Reviews
Showy and vibrant, with stunning, pure waves of açaí berry, blackberry, blueberry and boysenberry confiture flavors spilling forth, barely harnessed by a mouthwatering anise note and a long briary spine. Just as this nearly teeters from its fruit, it's reined in by terrific drive and cut through the extremely long finish, thanks to a wellspring of acidity. –JM
Not quite as lush and sexy, it is tighter, better textured and more intense than the Vintage Vesuvio. Bursting with flavor of rich chocolate-cherry nuances and a long, long finish. It seems like a superstar in the vintage.
CELLAR SELECTION - The wine is dense, packed with great fruits and tannins, dark and concentrated, and full of perfumed black fruits. It is a wine that makes a great statement of ripe fruits and tannins for long-term aging.
More sullen and brooding on the nose than the straight Vesuvio wine and it’s deliberately drier in style, although there is a similar underlying ripeness. As well as rich, fleshy cherry and plum fruit notes with dark chocolate intensity, backed by powerful, ripe, broad tannins.
It feels sculpted out of blue and purple fruit, with tart red cherry notes adding youthful tension. As polished as it is, the wine still has a direct connection to schist through its tannins, equally fresh and powerful as they lead the wine into a lasting, precisely detailed finish.
This a tiny-production vintage Port from old vines planted in a particular parcel near the winery that are at least 60 years old. Full-bodied, tight and linear with beautiful dark fruits and intense tannins. Very focused and beautiful. The splendid tannins show through here.