2017 Port & Douro Vintage

2017 was a very dry and warm year in the Douro. Quinta do Bomfim at Pinhao recorded just 302 mm of rain in the 11 months from 1 November 2016, 50 percent below average, and Taylor's recorded a winter with 22 percent less rain than the 30-year average, though January was particularly cold. Bud break began between 8 and 10 March at Symington, a week earlier than average, and on 10 March at Taylor's. A cold spell in the last 10 days of March brought a rare snowfall and localised frost on the 23rd. March, April and May were together 2.6 C warmer than average and equally dry, and April was the driest since records began in 1931, with 2.6 mm of rain. Taylor's recorded an April average of 16.83 C and 7.2 mm of rain at Pinhao, against a 1970 to 2000 average of 14.1 C and 58.8 mm. Flowering came on 4 and 5 May, two weeks earlier than normal, at Symington, and between 3 and 11 May in Taylor's A Grade vineyards. June was the hottest since 1980, with a heatwave from 7 to 24 June and temperatures reaching 43 C in the Douro Superior. The first three weeks of June were extremely hot, and together with very low humidity they damaged many bunches, known as the "Queima de S.Joao". Veraison came at Bomfim on 22 June, two weeks ahead of average, and Taylor's first detected it in the week of 18 June, a month earlier than 2016. On the afternoon of 6 July a 30 mm downpour and some localised hail mostly ran off the vineyards, damaging some terraces. A thunderstorm that day also struck parts of the Cima Corgo. Taylor's reports no rain in August and September, while Symington recorded 4 mm at Quinta do Vesuvio and 2 mm at Bomfim when rain was forecast for 26 and 27 August. August was more moderate, with relatively cool nights. Symington started picking for white wines on 23 August and for reds on 28 August, 10 days earlier than any previous date recorded, and finished on 26 September. Taylor's began at Quinta da Roeda on 31 August and at Vargellas on 1 September. Symington had cool nights in the last three weeks of September, and Taylor's describes mild temperatures with cool nights during harvest. Some Symington vineyards produced 35 percent less than normal, and average production across its vineyards was 860 g per vine, or 2,815 kg/ha, 20 percent below the 10-year average.

• Quinta do Bomfim at Pinhao: 302 mm of rain in the 11 months from 1 November 2016, 50 percent below average
• June the hottest since 1980, up to 43 C in the Douro Superior; hail and a 30 mm downpour on 6 July
• Symington picked reds from 28 August, 10 days earlier than any previous recorded date; Taylor's began on 31 August at Quinta da Roeda

Symington Family Estates announced 2017 as a classic Vintage Port year in a statement published on 9 April 2019. It is the family's first back-to-back general declaration since Andrew James Symington arrived in Porto in 1882, and only the sixth declaration of the 21st century. The 2017 Vintage Ports are Graham's, Dow's, Warre's and Cockburn's, plus Quinta do Vesuvio, Graham's The Stone Terraces and Capela da Quinta do Vesuvio. The Stone Terraces and Capela are made only in truly exceptional years, and 2017 is just the fourth release of the two. Given the very low yields, it is the smallest Symington declaration of the 21st century, and Harpers reports en primeur volumes approximately a third less than in 2016. "The decision to declare Vintage Ports from two consecutive years was not one taken lightly," said chairman Johnny Symington. Quinta do Noval declared at the same time, with its Vintage Port 2017 and Nacional Vintage Port 2017. Managing director Christian Seely said: "2017 is clearly an exceptional year, which I believe will be remembered as one of the historic Vintage Port declarations of Quinta do Noval."

• Symington: general declaration of Graham's, Dow's, Warre's and Cockburn's, its first back-to-back since 1882
• Symington also released Quinta do Vesuvio, Graham's The Stone Terraces and Capela da Quinta do Vesuvio
• Quinta do Noval: Vintage Port 2017 and Nacional Vintage Port 2017

A year like this brought the diversity of the Douro into sharp focus. South and west facing vineyards suffered from the long hours of afternoon sun, while those above 300 metres had an altitude advantage with cooler temperatures. Younger vines with less developed roots were shedding their lower leaves by mid-August, while older vines hardly seemed to notice the drought but carried few berries. Barroca, a variety that does not like drought, yielded under 500 grams per vine on some plots, and Taylor's saw Tinta Barroca bunches dry up, as they had in 2011. Roriz performed remarkably well, as did Touriga Nacional, and Touriga Franca was exceptionally good. Symington calls Touriga Franca one of the star performers of the vintage, with yields as low as 600 g per vine in some of its quintas. There was a serious labour shortage in the Douro, partly because of the very early harvest and partly because the tourism boom in Portugal has drawn people away from agricultural work.

• Sites above 300 metres had an altitude advantage with cooler temperatures
• Barroca under 500 g per vine on some plots; Touriga Franca as low as 600 g per vine in some Symington quintas
• A serious labour shortage, blamed partly on the early harvest and partly on Portugal's tourism boom

At the end of August the average Baume at Vargellas was 3 degrees higher than in 2016 and 2 degrees higher than most of the previous 9 years, and the skins were very thick. Taylor's David Fonseca Guimaraens wrote that the concentrated grapes and high sugar levels gave Ports with very high colour intensity and dense firm tannins, and very few musts with overly ripe characters. Symington's October 2017 report found some very good Douro wines, particularly reds with gorgeous colour and concentration, and Ports with purple-black colours and intense flavours. The warm, dry conditions eliminated any threat of vine disease, and Symington's 2019 declaration statement describes wines of extraordinary intensity, concentration and structure, with stunning aromas and freshness. "The yields were extremely low, but the concentration and structure took my breath away," said head winemaker Charles Symington. Both houses look back to 1945. Symington says that year's dry growing cycle bears striking resemblance to 2017 in average temperatures, rainfall, yields and timing, and Guimaraens found in Dick Yeatman's 1945 harvest report an almost identical season, with the first lagares filled at Vargellas on 3 September.

• Vargellas Baume at the end of August 3 degrees above 2016
• Taylor's Ports: very high colour intensity and dense firm tannins
• Symington and Taylor's both compare the 2017 season with 1945