164 Port anD the Douro
2011 *****? a challenging year; potentially outstanding wines
There were smiles on the faces of winemakers at the end of the 2011 harvest, although growers
had bitten their fingernails to the quick. The growing season was generally dry but warm,
unstable weather in May brought on an attack of oidium and mildew that some smaller
growers found hard to treat. Yields fell as a result. In June there was localised hail damage
followed by an unexpected burst of heat over the weekend of São João (25 June). With the
thermometer above 40°C, exposed berries were burnt by the power of the sun: no one in the
Douro can recall an episode quite like it. July and August were relatively cool and windy but
dry. Heavy but welcome rain fell on 21 August and again at the beginning of September,
allowing Baumés to fall and grapes to ripen evenly. A seemingly early vintage was delayed as a
result. There was not a drop of rain in the Douro for the next five weeks and harvest conditions
were perfect throughout the region. Temperatures were hotter than normal at the start of
vintage so must cooling proved to be essential. Aromas in the winery were wonderful from the
start (always the sign of a promising harvest) and good, possibly great, wines were made from
the beginning to the end of harvest. Expect a vintage declaration early in 2014.
But 2011 was a year when a dark cloud hung over the growers. In response to both over-
production and a decline in sales, the IVDP cut the Port benefício to 85,000 pipes, a 25
per cent reduction on the previous year. This, together with the huge amount of planting
that has taken place in the Douro Superior, left many independent growers without a
market for their grapes. There were protests in Régua and, at the time of writing, there is
an urgent need for the government to implement the necessary reforms to secure a viable
future for the region’s farmers.
2010 ** / *** an uneven year
The winter of 2010 brought a deluge of rain after three very dry years. At Pinhão the rainfall
total from October to March was 50 per cent above average. Despite considerable soil
erosion and costly damage to stone walls in the vineyards, the winter rainfall proved vital
as there was no rain at all for eight weeks in July and August. With a heavy yield on the
vines, grapes struggled to ripen. Temperatures in August were hot with a daily maximum
in excess of 35°C and photosynthesis was brought to a halt. Older vines with root systems
penetrating to 25 metres and more fared much better than younger vineyards. Some
welcome rain fell at the start of September and picking was generally delayed by a week or
so throughout the region. For the quality conscious, it was a stop-start harvest with an extra
wait for some varieties (especially the Tourigas) to ripen. Fortunately for those who took the
risk, the weather remained fine through to early October when some heavy rain fell on the
3rd. But the weather quickly improved and the grapes from the higher C/D grade vineyards
were picked in near perfect, disease-free condition. At Quinta do Noval, where yields were
double those of 2009, the harvest lasted from the end of August until late October. Overall,
2010 produced some good but at times unbalanced wines due to uneven ripening. The best
wines were produced by the old vines able to withstand the summer heat and drought and
these should provide the basis for some powerful single-quinta wines.