If you collect Vintage Port, your cellar may already be full of the region's last two great vintages, 1997 and 1994. Nevertheless, you should make some room for the 2000 Ports, which are about to hit the market as prearrivals.
In 2000, the best wines are fantastic, with all the power and richness you could hope for, and they have the added appeal of being from the first vintage of the millennium.
I tasted 47 barrel samples in blind tastings in London, as well as in tastings during a visit to the Douro Valley in late April, and I was impressed with the flamboyant aromatic qualities of many of the Ports, as well as their big, brawny, fruity and sweet structure. They seem to be a compromise between the 1997s and the 1994s, with the fabulous aromas of the 1997s and the glorious richness and
ripeness of the 1994s. My tentative rating for the 2000 vintage is 95 to 100 points, or classic, on Wine Spectator's 100-point scale.
I still have a preference for 1994. The best from that vintage are still showing mind-boggling freshness and richness. However, 2000 is clearly better than 1997, which I rated 96 points. With all the advances in viticulture in the top growing areas of the Douro Valley, as well as the improvements in winemaking, the best 2000 Vintage Ports set a new standard for the category as a whole. I would put
my money on three names for 2000 Vintage Port—Graham, Quinta do Noval and Taylor Fladgate. All made powerful and full-bodied blackstrap Ports that are destined to be classics.
Most of the top wines will be offered this summer as prearrivals. Expect to pay about $45 to $90 a bottle. The 2000 Vintage Ports should begin to be available in bottle in the marketplace in late autumn.—James Suckling
Churchill
Vintage Port 2000
95–100 points | $NA | 500 cases imported
Fantastic young Port from Churchill. Best ever.
Fascinating aromas of crushed berries and bark, with
hints of wet earth. Full-bodied and medium-sweet,
with a solid concentration of polished, round tannins
and a medium to long finish. Very well-crafted.—J.S.
Smith Woodhouse
Vintage Port 2000
95–100 points | $52 | 4,000 cases made
Blackstrap wine. Wow. Greatest young vintage of SW
I have ever tasted. Intense aromas of blackberries,
minerals, black licorice and wet earth. Full-bodied,
medium-sweet, with mouthpuckering tannins, yet
refined and very long. A beauty.—J.S.
Quinta do Vesuvio
Vintage Port 2000
95–100 points | $70
Muscular, with loads of wet earth, berry and prune
character and hints of cassis bush. Full-bodied and
medium-sweet, with a powerful structure that builds
on your palate. Very long. Masses of grip.—J.S.
Broadbent
Vintage Port 2000
92–94 points | $60
Serious for a small, bespoke Vintage Port. Refined
and elegant aromas of crushed berries, perfume and
flowers. Full-bodied and medium-sweet, with a polished
and firm tannin structure that builds on your
palate. Made by Niepoort.—J.S.
Churchill
Vintage Port Quinta da Gricha 2000
92–94 points | $NA | 100 cases imported
Churchill's single-quinta Port is excellent. Loads of
crushed plum and berry character, with a touch of
minerals. Full-bodied and chewy, with masses of
round tannins. Medium-sweet. Long finish.—J.S.
Cockburn
Vintage Port 2000
92–94 points | $65 | 8,400 cases imported
Balanced and round young Port. Gorgeous aromas
of crushed berries and plums. Full-bodied, with
plummy, sweet fruit and a long finish. Super quality.
Best from Cockburn in years.—J.S.
Dow
Vintage Port 2000
92–94 points | $70 | 9,000 cases made
A sweet and tannic wine, with mineral, berry and
black cherry character and hints of green tobacco.
Full-bodied, with fine tannins. Long finish. Tight
and racy.—J.S.
Fonseca
Vintage Port 2000
92–94 points | $89 | 4,500 cases imported
Tightly wound, with lots of plum and raisin character.
Full-bodied, medium-sweet and very, very velvety,
with lots of fruit and round tannins. Good grip. Very
harmonious for Fonseca.—J.S.
Gould Campbell
Vintage Port 2000
92–94 points | $52 | 4,000 cases made
Gorgeous aromas of blackberries, flowers and red
licorice. Full-bodied, sweet and very round, with
loads of chewy tannins and a finish that goes on
and on. Wonderful young Port.—J.S.
Martinez
Vintage Port 2000
92–94 points | $NA
A big and broad-shouldered young Port. Very
impressive. Fascinating aromas of minerals, spices
and berries. Full-bodied, with fine, chewy tannins
and a long, sweet fruit finish.—J.S.
Martinez
Vintage Port Quinta Eira Velha 2000
92–94 points | $NA
Impressive grapey, rich and aromatic nose. Full-bodied,
very clean and focused, with lots of berry fruit, medium-
firm tannins and a long finish. Well done.—J.S.
Niepoort
Vintage Port 2000
92–94 points | $NA
Harmonious, young and powerful. Dark black to purple
color, with aromas of currants, berries and minerals
and a hint of green tobacco. Full-bodied and
medium-sweet. Gripping tannins, yet polished and
refined. Almost 95-plus points.—J.S.
Quinta do Noval
Vintage Port Silval 2000
92–94 points | $33
Textbook young Vintage Port. Beautiful aromas of
crushed blackberries, mulberries and flowers. Fullbodied,
medium-sweet, with loads of grip. Super tannin
backbone.—J.S.
Offley
Vintage Port 2000
92–94 points | $NA | 500 cases imported
This is the best modern vintage of Offley I have ever
tasted. It is a wonderfully perfumed Port, with floral,
raspberry and dried-cherry character. Full-bodied and
medium-sweet, with a good core of chewy tannins
and a long finish.—J.S.
Quarles Harris
Vintage Port 2000
92–94 points | $52 | 4,000 cases made
Super little wine. Lead pencil and berry, with hints
of cherries. Full- to medium-bodied, with extremely
polished tannins and a long, long finish. All in
finesse.—J.S.
Quinta de Roriz
Vintage Port 2000
92–94 points | $54
Glorious aromas of perfumes, roses, berries and flowers.
Full-bodied, concentrated and chewy, yet silky,
with fine tannins and a berry aftertaste. Pretty, young
single-quinta Port.—J.S.
Quinta do Vale Meà£o
Vintage Port 2000
92–94 points | $44 | 750 cases made
A new single-quinta Port that used to go into the
Ferriera blends. Glorious aromas of crushed berries,
raspberries and cherries. Full-bodied, sweet and very
round, with good tannins and a long, sweet and
fruity finish. Lingers on. A beauty.—J.S.
Warre
Vintage Port 2000
92–94 points | $65 | 9,000 cases made
A solid and powerful young wine, with mineral and
currant character. Full-bodied, with well-integrated
tannins and a long finish. Outstanding Warre. May
move up a notch after bottling.—J.S.
Cockburn
Vintage Port Quinta dos Canais 2000
89–91 points | $55 | 4,800 cases imported
Well-structured. Intense aromas of wet earth, minerals
and crushed fruit. Medium- to full-bodied, with fine
tannins and a racy, refined finish. Medium-sweet.—J.S.
Croft
Vintage Port 2000
89–91 points | $75 | 2,400 cases imported
A round and soft Port, with lots of sweet berry and
plummy fruit, verging on jam. Full-bodied and
round, with a long, sweet finish. Yummy.—J.S.
Niepoort
Vintage Port Secundum 2000
89–91 points | $NA
Plenty of plum, berry and light floral aromas in this
one. Full-bodied, lightly sweet, with a solid core of
chewy tannins. Medium finish.—J.S.
Porto Poças
Vintage Port 2000
89–91 points | $NA | 300 cases imported
Black-colored and very concentrated on the nose,
with crushed fruit, smoky and earthy character. Fullbodied
and mouth-puckering, with loads of fruit and
tannins. Good grip. Very well-done for Poças.—J.S.
Quinta de la Rosa
Vintage Port 2000
89–91 points | $60 | 350 cases imported
As good quality as the 1997 from this small estate.
Plenty of grapey and floral character on the nose.
Medium- to full-bodied, with medium-chewy tannins
and a medium-sweet finish.—J.S.
Rozès
Vintage Port 2000
89–91 points | $NA | 1,300 cases imported
Extremely well-done for Rozès. Black color, with
intense aromas of black licorice, coffee and plums.
Hints of raisins. Full-bodied and chewy, with loads of
fruit and mouth-gripping tannins, yet balanced.—J.S.
Sandeman
Vintage Port 2000
89–91 points | $NA | 2,385 cases imported
Outstanding Sandeman. Wonderful aromas of crushed
raspberries and currants. Full-bodied and mediumsweet,
with masses of fruit and a long, silky finish.
Very well-done.—J.S.
Quinta do Vale Dona Maria
Vintage Port 2000
89–91 points | $NA | 250 cases imported
A tight, firm Port, with plum and berry character and
hints of minerals. Medium- to full-bodied, with firm
tannins and a medium finish. From one of the former
owners of Noval, Cristiano van Zeller.—J.S.
Graham
Vintage Port 2000
95–100 points | $80 | 9,000 cases made
Great young vintage of Graham, even better than
1997 and 1994 and will rival or even better the
legendary 1948 (95 points when I last tasted it).
Certainly one of the wines of the vintage, and
already close to 100 points. Concentrated,
intense crushed-berry aromas, with hints of
blackberries and cherries. Full-bodied, round and
sweet, with velvety tannins and a long, sweet
fruit finish. Goes on and on.
The Symington family, who own Graham,
recently installed robotic, stainless steel lagares,
the open-topped fermentation tanks historically
used to make Port. The 2000 vintage was the first
time they used them.—J.S.
Quinta do Noval
Vintage Port 2000
95–100 points | $65 | 1,500 cases made
This young Vintage Port shows wonderful focus,
with laser-guided aromas of violets, berries and
anise. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a
long, long finish. Very, very fine. Noval does it
again.—J.S.
Quinta do Noval
Vintage Port Nacional 2000
95–100 points | $NA | 250 cases made
The super-rare Nacional from ungrafted vines is
like liquid gold. The concentration is incredible in
this wine. Very grapey, with lots of pepper and
crushed fruit. Full-bodied, very, very thick and viscous,
with a medium sweetness, loads of fruit and
sugarcoated tannins. Serve this on toast. It's the
best jam in the world. Nearing 100 points.—J.S.
Taylor Fladgate
Vintage Port 2000
95–100 points | $89 | 4,500 cases imported
Impressive, although doesn't appear to be at the
same level at this stage as the stupendous 100-
point 1994. Nevertheless, you never can tell with a
young, burly vintage Port. An elegant yet powerful
and fruity style of young Taylor. Wonderfully floral
in the nose, with loads of violets and crushed
fruit. Full-bodied and very balanced. Mediumsweet,
with firm and polished tannins and a long,
fruity finish. Very tight and compacted.—J.S.
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