Port - 1999

This was the largest vintage since 1996 and turned out to be a useful vintage for the trade with some small quantities of outstanding single quinta wines. Not a general declaration. These wines are likely to provide excellent medium term drinking maturing well into the 2010's.The wines are characteristically aromatic and elegant in structure, probably due partly to the cool fermentations
The winter of 1999 was cold and dry. Rainfall in March, April and May was significantly above average and required preventive action to be taken in the vineyard.

Flowering took place at the end of May under favourable conditions and set the scene for an above average size year. June and July were particularly dry, temperatures being normal for this time of year however due to lack of rain, the grapes started to show signs of dehydration.

At the beginning of August, however, some very useful rain corrected this situation and was later followed by another spell of rain in early September, maturation taking place under near textbook conditions.

The vintage was set to start on the 20th September. Unfortunately, the weather broke on the 23rd September and was cool and unsettled, with almost daily showers for the next twelve days, spoiling what might have been a classic year.