Description
Kopke Late Bottle Vintage Port 2018 is produced from a blend of indigenous grape varieties grown in old vineyards with schist-sandstone and granite soils in the Douro wine region. The grape varieties included are Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz ( also known as Tempranillo) and Sousão and they are handpicked. Late Bottled Vintage port or LBV port is vintage port aged between 4 and 6 years in large oak vats before bottling in order to soften the tannins making it more approachable upon release than straight vintage port. The aim in late bottle vintage port is also to retain the rich fruit flavours. The port is bottled unfiltered and laid down in bottle to finish its maturation.
Kopke Late Bottle Vintage Port 2018 manages to combine youthful fruitiness – cherries, plums, and strawberries – with dark chocolate and rich sweet spices. The port is is full-bodied and intense with a long finish. It is ready for drinking now and will continue to improve for a few more years gaining in complexity like a young vintage port. For a nuttier style of port, try Kopke Tawny Port.
Kopke has long experience in port production; with its origins in 1638 as a wine shipper, the first vineyard was purchased in 1781. Ever since Kopke has been at the forefront of the port industry.