Intense, featuring a rather dark persona, with baker's chocolate, Turkish coffee and steeped black currant notes taking the lead, backed by bitter plum and fig reduction flavors. A long tarry streak and a singed juniper accent show on the finish, ending with a pleasantly woodsy tug. A backward, grippy Port. Best from 2035 through 2060. 25 cases imported.
The 2017 Serikos Quinta da Roeda Vintage Port is a field blend of typical grapes, like Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca, among others. It was aged for approximately 20 months in used French oak and comes in with 96 grams of residual sugar. This has only been seen as tank sample in the past. The fruit for this is sourced from vineyards planted in the late 19th century to the 1930s. Much tighter than the regular Croft, even after decanting, this is precise and focused with superb finesse. The expressive fruit, though, is even better than the fine structure. This is a winner on all fronts, but be a bit patient. It has plenty of upside potential in the cellar.
Extremely floral with blackberries and blueberries on the nose that follow through to a full body, very sweet yet tannic palate that shows structure and power. Chewy and grippy at the finish. Give it at least four to five years to soften. Try after 2024.
The maiden 2017 Serikos from Croft comes from the oldest vines located in Quinta da Roêda. The name refers to the quinta's involvement in silk production and the texture of the wine. It was picked from August 31 and was notable for the density of its musts from the thick-skinned grapes.
Almost opaque in colour, it has a spellbinding bouquet of intense blackcurrant, crushed violet petals and later, star anis and camphor. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannin, a silver bead of acidity that slices through the multi-layered, intense black fruit laced with white pepper and sage. This is endowed with unerring symmetry, predictably a silky texture and outstanding crispiness towards the never-ending finish. Regal. Total production is 2,425 bottles.
Serikos means ‘silky’ in Greek, and this is Croft’s first super-premium vintage from the oldest vines at Quinta da Roêda, planted between 1889 and 1900 in the wake of phylloxera. It's deep in hue with ripe but gentle minty fruit, a touch herbal too, with a hint of rose petal. The palate is so sweet and succulent that the tannins are almost hidden but they are most certainly there, fine-grained with lovely minty, herbal freshness mid-palate and on to the mouthwateringly fresh finish. It's not particularly big but is supremely elegant.
A beautifully juicy wine, packed with firm tannins and with great black fruits already in balance. The wine has style, never hinting too much at power, instead going for complexity. Drink from 2030. (Cellar Selection)
Winery Notes
Tasting Notes: Inky black centre in a slender ring of deep purple. The nose opens with a dazzling peacock’s tail of scents and aromas. The rich, ripe fruit, which is a consistent feature of the wines of Quinta da Roêda, has developed a kaleidoscopic complexity, crisp red berry aromas blending with ripe, succulent black fruits and a fresh grapiness. The signature Roêda eucalyptus and rock rose scents merge with hints of crushed mint, fresh citrus notes and a pot-pourri of savoury herbs and dried rose petal. The wine opens a treasure chest of surprising nuances as it develops in the glass. On the palate the wine is thick, dense and silky, packed with opulent fruit and supported by a mesh of tightly-woven tannins. This magnificent expression of the oldest vineyard plots at Quinta da Roêda showcases the old vines’ remarkable qualities and their ability to open doors on unexpected new dimensions of aroma.