Croft Vintage Port 2011 | 750 ml.
Item #: 37251
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- 750 ml.
- 084692000814
- RR2A | Bin#: 4 This is the aisle location where you can find this item at our store.
Critical Acclaim
RP92+ Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate 27th Jun 2013
"The 2011 Croft is initially taciturn on the nose, even after allowing it 20 minutes in my glass. A light swirling immediately awakens the aromatics to offer blackberry, Seville orange marmalade, blueberries and dried fig — complex and quite compelling. There is real mineralite within this bouquet that, returning after 30 minutes, offers alluring ocean spray scents rolling in off the ocean. The palate is medium-bodied with a velvety-smooth opening that belies the fine, structured tannins underneath. It clams up a little towards the finish, shuts the lid tight and consequently there is the sensation of less persistency here compared to the Taylor’s or Fonseca. But Croft has a knack of filling out with bottle age and becomes both gentle and generous with the passing years. Tasted May 2013." (92–95 pts.)
ST90+ Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/Jun 2014
"Bright medium ruby. Slightly reduced, spirity aromas of kirsch, blackberry, boysenberry, licorice pastille and mint, plus a suggestion of nutty oak. Densely packed and quite sweet, but the slightly disjointed black fruit flavors are tough going today; this struck me as more like a ruby port. Quite closed and tannic on the back end, in need of patience to display its personality. Many other critics rated this wine considerably higher than I did." (90+? pts.)
WS93 Wine & Spirits December 1, 2013
"When it purchased this historic brand in 2001, the Fladgate Partnership was reunited with the Quinta da Roêda, which John Fladgate’s daughter brought with her in marriage to Charles Wright of Croft in 1875. Sited on the north bank of the Douro adjacent to Pinhão, Roêda is the heart of Croft vintages. It has been a major focus for António Magalhaes, charged with viticulture for the Fladgate Partnership, who has been working with David Guimaraens to restore the vineyard to its former glory. Each vintage release has improved on the last until this 2011, which is a jump shift in depth and brings Croft back to its rightful place among the elite of the Douro hierarchy. It has the distance and restraint of a great young vintage, the density of the fruit and the mouthwatering tannins held tight, youthfully closed. Hinting at its future in bright scents of roses and dark tones of freshly turned earth, this is a wine of significant weight and depth. It should reach its prime around 25 years from the vintage." (93 pts.)
WE95 Wine Enthusiast 11/1/2013
"This shows very sweet fruit that’s ripe, dense and already delicious. That doesn’t mean the tannins don’t bring out the firmness at the core of this powerful wine. It is integrated, packed with black plum flavors, and full bodied. For long-term aging." (95 pts.)
SP95 Wine Spectator Oct 15, 2013
"Effusively juicy, rich and concentrated, showing plenty of snap to the crisp and well-spiced flavors of wild berry, dark currant and plum tart. Orange-infused chocolate notes linger on the exotic, mocha-filled finish. Best from 2020 through 2045. 5,000 cases made." (95 pts.)
PortugalPortugal is most famous (and justifiably so) for its Port wines, fortified wines that are typically sweet and often served with dessert. Port wines come in many styles such as Tawny, Late Bottled Vintage, etc, and are classified by how they were produced. Besides Port, however, Portugal is also one of the fastest-rising wine countries in the world (as far as quality and production) when it comes to table wines. You'll find some unbelievable values in Portuguese table wines, with grapes like Touriga Nacional at the forefront. |
SKU | 37251 |
---|---|
Product Type | Wine |
Alternate Name | Croft Vintage Port |
Country | Portugal |
Region | none |
District | none |
Product Location - Location-Appellation | Douro |
Package Size | 750 ml. |
Brand | Croft |
Bottles per Case | 12 |
Spirit/Port Style | Vintage Port |
Vintage | 2011 |
Bin Location | 4 |
Premier Pick | No |
Awards and Accolades | Wine Spectator Top 100 |
Awards Description | 13 |
Wine Spectator Top 100 Ranking | 13 |
Wine Spectator Top 100 Year | 2013 |
Organic Description | none |
Wine Type | none |
Dollar Sale (Y/N) | No |
- Quinta do Noval Vintage Porto 2011 / 750 ml.SP9797 pts. - Wine Spectator - Feb 28, 2014
Vibrant, with luscious yet elegant mineral-infused flavors of dark currant, ripe cherry, green fig and raspberry. Shows ample pepper notes, with the tannins offering plenty of muscle and grip on the long, silky finish. Complex and restrained. Best from 2022 through 2047. WE9696 pts. - Wine Enthusiast - 11/1/2013
A powerful, concentrated wine, full of dark tannins, ripe fruit and rich texture. This is a wine based on a solid structure — very firm in character while still allowing the gorgeous fruits to express themselves. It’s obviously destined for long-term aging. ST9696 pts. - Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar - May/Jun 2014
Deep, saturated ruby. Tight, high-pitched aromas of black fruits, minerals, spices, printer's ink and licorice, complicated by nutty and earthy nuances. Juicy, savory and youthfully imploded; not hugely opulent or sweet but a wine of great density and class, showing a pliant texture and no rough edges. This seemed even more intense after I swallowed it, showing a palate-drenching quality with no weightiness. Doesn’t have quite the dimension or floral complexity of the Nacional but a wine of great finesse, and built for decades of life. RP9595 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th Apr 2014
The 2011 Quinta do Noval Vintage has a very intense, very refined bouquet with quite broody black fruit, briary, smoke and mineral. This is very fresh, similar to the barrel sample last April. The palate is silky smooth on the entry with well-judged acidity. This is utterly harmonious and refined, effortless even, with a pure blackberry and lightly spiced finish that lingers long in the mouth. This is an outstanding Noval that is only surpassed by the 2000, a Noval that does not deserve to be over-shadowed by its Nacional sibling. Drink 2018–2040. Tasted January 2014. WS9191 pts. - Wine & Spirits - December 1, 2013
Christian Seely and António Agrellos worked together on renovating the Noval vineyard, after AXA Millésime purchased the historic property in 1993. They’ve since replanted 250 acres of vines, including the tall, whitewashed terraces that rise up to the quinta in the Vale de Mendiz. The touriga nacional planted on those terraces contributed to this seductively sweet 2011, its freshness layered in complex blue, purple and black fruit flavors. A bright herbal note and sour cherry tartness firm up the balance, enhancing the tannic structure while the round textures typical of Noval work seamlessly into the vintage character. This wine should be lovely at 20 years of age.Compare at $125.00 $79.99 - Fonseca Vintage Porto 2016 / 750 ml.JS9898 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Lots of ripe fruit here with raisins and wet earth that turn to violets and hot stones. Full-bodied, tannic and powerful with fantastic grip and intensity. Grabs you. Impressive. Drink in 2025. WE9797 pts. - Wine Enthusiast - 12/1/2018
This bottling brings together a fine structure with great fruit to give a luscious wine that is also destined for long-term aging. With its ripe berry flavors sustained by some acidity, this is already balanced. Drink from 2028. SP9797 pts. - Wine Spectator - Dec 31, 2018
This leads in with bramble, spearmint and blueberry notes, with the energy extending through the core of dark plum, blackberry and fig fruit. The finish features a strong graphite spine, allowing this to draw deep water, but this remains stylish in feel overall. The definition of suave. Best from 2030 through 2055. 4,900 cases made. RP96+96–98 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 19th Jul 2018
The 2016 Vintage Port is a field blend that was not quite bottled when seen (set for a week later), but it was the final blend. It was aged for 20 months in wood and comes in with 99 grams of residual sugar. This Fonseca is remarkably expressive, lifted and gloriously fresh. It has good concentration but some years have had more and seemed sexier. However, the most notable feature is the structure. It is very impressive in structure, that classic Port power and firmness coming to the fore and overshadowing the rest at the moment. This is very tight and very unevolved. Don’t even think of buying it if you aren’t prepared to cellar it. The 2030 start date that I have will not be even close to late enough if you want harmony and complexity. To me, this is the best of the three 2016s from the Fladgate Group this issue (Croft and Taylor being the other two), thanks to its pure intensity, but time will tell if it becomes as sexy as I’m sure Taylor’s will be. In the meanwhile, Fonseca looks like one of the greats of this vintage. VN9696 pts. - Vinous - Jun 2018
The 2016 Fonseca Vintage Port began to be picked on 21 September at their Panascal vineyard, their Quinta do Cruzeira vineyard not picked until 6 October. It is deep, almost inky in colour. The bouquet is very intense with luscious black fruit laced with embers, clove and hints of bay leaf. There is wonderful purity here and a broodiness that suggests you’d better be patient. The palate is sweet and lively on the entry with some gorgeous ginger and curry leaf notes littered over the compact black fruit. There is wonderful density to this Fonseca. It is like a coiled spring with so much energy towards the finish that you just know this will be a long-term prospect. Superb. Production is 4,900 cases.Compare at $125.00 $99.99 - Graham's Vintage Porto 2016 / 750 ml.SP9898 pts. - Wine Spectator - Dec 31, 2018
This offers a distilled plum and boysenberry essence, with a racy feel, as spearmint and graphite notes drive through. As the finish kicks in, this turns toward the dark side, with ganache, charcoal and tar elements. Has the showy ripeness of the vintage but is backed by a decidedly dry feel on the finish, imparting a sense of precision despite the heft. Best from 2030 through 2055. 6,325 cases made. WE9797 pts. - Wine Enthusiast - 12/1/2018
This finely structured wine is powered by fine tannins and rich fruits. A touch of acidity comes through the rich berry flavors and the concentration of the dark tannins. This wine will certainly age, don’t drink before 2028. RP9595 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 19th Jul 2018
The 2016 Vintage Port is a blend of 37% Touriga Nacional, 42% Touriga Franca and various others. It comes in with 115 grams of residual sugar. A bit bigger than Dow’s this year, this is more intense as well. The better wine of these two benchmarks seems to be this Graham’s. Tight on the finish, aromatic and very flavorful, this actually opens rather well and shows off its lovely fruit. The Dow’s will be approachable a bit earlier, perhaps, and this may reward aging even more. As always, Graham’s is wonderfully delicious. That’s one hallmark of the house. I’m not sure this is a truly great Graham’s, but at the moment, it is enticing, with plenty of potential for improvement. There were 6,325 cases produced, plus some bottles in other formats.Compare at $125.00 $100.00