Tasting Notes
Deep ruby black with narrow purple rim. A nose of wonderfully pure, vibrant red fruit, with crisp aromas of cranberry, raspberry and cherry and lively notes of plum and apricot. Emerging in turn from behind this curtain of fresh fruit are spicy aromas of black pepper and nutmeg, warm notes of mocha and scents of cedar wood and balsamic herbs. In contrast, the palate is voluptuous, with dense, mouth filling tannins providing both body and firmness and a thick coulis of black woodland fruit that flows into the endless finish.
Producer details
Wiese & Krohn was founded in 1865 by two Norwegians - Theodor Wiese and Dankert Krohn - shipping initially to Scandinavia and Germany. In the century and a half since its foundation, Krohn has built up an outstanding reputation. Long renowned for the quality of their sublime Colheitas (single vintage tawnies), they produce a remarkably complete range for a small house, and each wine excels in its category. Much of the secret lies in the high quality of their vineyards - the magical combination of terroir, locality, aspect, incline and low-yielding vines. Their Quinta do Retiro Novo estate in Sarzedinho, in the Rio Torto valley (where vinification takes place), is all A grade vineyard. Indeed Krohn only work with grapes from A-graded vineyards across all of their ports, and their top wines are still trodden by foot. Since 2013 Krohn has been part of the Fladgate Partnership - alongside Taylor's, Fonseca and Croft.
In the vineyard
The viticultural year of 2016 in the Douro Valley began with a very wet spring. This rainfall was welcome after the very dry conditions in 2015 and helped restore ground water reserves throughout the region. On the other hand, these cool and wet spring conditions also led to late start of ripening season. After spring, summer was particularly hot and dry, which continued until late September. In spite of the heat, due to the abundant ground water reserves and the late cycle, maturation was slow and even. By the end of August, most grapes were not yet ripe but, in mid-September, a spell of rain helped accelerate and complete the ripening process. From the second half of September and well into October, the weather provided ideal harvesting conditions. Low night-time temperatures helped to extend fermentation times and allow for gradual and gentle extraction, which contributed to the great quality of the tannins and the elegance of the 2016 wines. Produced from a selection of traditional grape varieties, fermentation took place in open granite tanks (lagares), where it was interrupted by the addition of grape spirit to preserve a degree of natural sweetness. The Port was aged in traditional 'pipes' and larger casks.
