Croft Quinta da Roeda 2015

Both nose and the start of the palate are fresh a mix of bramble and red fruits a hint of spice. Under the freshness on the mid palate there is the richness of ripe black cherry more depth of flavour the sweetness underpinned by tannin all a bit tight and although there is a more generousoty at the back the finish is firm lacking a bit of depth. 2029-40

The 2015 Vintage Port Quinta da Roeda is a field blend aged for 18 months in French oak. It comes in with 97 grams per liter of residual sugar. This single-quinta Porto was seen as a tank sample, out of barrel and the final blend when tasted. It was set to be bottled in a couple of weeks after tasting and should be in the marketplace by the time this article appears. Not overly concentrated, it is still seductive because its fruit is fresh, flavorful and lifted. This does show some ability to flesh out in the glass and put on some weight, but it likely won't ever be remarkable because of its modest concentration. That said, its gorgeously flavorful fruit will always make it appealing. The fruit succeeds because of that lift and freshness. As it airs, the tannins become rather more assertive, too, but this will still be approachable on the younger side. These days, I typically find Croft to be rather underrated. Since Croft's acquisition by the Fladgate Partnership about 15 years back, the output has been increasingly impressive, in my book. This, however, is not likely going to be a great one. Still, the fruit here is delicious, the finish is serious and it should become a crowd-pleasing Porto in time. Even if it is approachable rather young, I would rather let it age at least another decade, which will allow it to soften the tannins and acquire some complexity. Dive in right away or wait a bit. Drink 2025 - 2055.