The Quinta do Vesúvio 1995 Vintage Port was the seventh harvest for the family after their acquisition of the magnificent Douro estate in 1989. Peter Symington, Head Winemaker at the time, is particularly proud of this wine and believes it is one of the finest he made in the early years of the family’s ownership. 1995 also marks the year his son, Charles (now Head Winemaker) joined the family company. Now with 27 years of bottle age, the Vesúvio 1995 is showing beautifully with great finesse.

Following a wet winter, March and April brought fine, unseasonably hot weather, which caused early and prolific budding and vigorous early growth. This came to an end with a sharp, cold snap with some severe frosts in the higher lying vineyards. Mid-May through July was relatively mild and intense heat only began to be felt in the Douro during August,
and into early September (some days above 40°C). This heatwave caused some anxiety and a few growers panicked and began to pick very early towards the end of August. Those who waited, however, were rewarded. The weather broke on September 5 with over 25 mm of rainfalling evenly over the course of three days. The refreshed grapes swelled with the additional, welcome moisture softening the skins, and allowing for ideal flavour and colour extraction. The weather was dry, clear and sunny with cool nights from September 10 - perfect harvest conditions. The year delivered remarkably rich wines with wonderful aromas and colour.