Capela do Vesúvio is a micro-terroir Vintage Port whose extraordinary complexity and powerful structure is created by three small plots of vineyard at the property - the 100-year-old mixed vines in the Vinha da Capela, the shaded vines in the Escola vineyard, and the half-a-century old plantings of Touriga Franca in the Vale da Teja. This is the very pinnacle of what the estate produces.

Aromas of schist dust with notes of lavender and rockrose (Cistus), which are especially evocative of Vesúvio’s main valley, site of one of Capela’s contributing vineyards, the ‘Escola’. Compact and voluminous with grainy tannins carrying peppery spice and underwriting the powerful structure that is simultaneously lean and taut — a Capela hallmark. Intense and fresh on the palate, laced with black fruit and hints of dark chocolate, the long aftertaste reveals tea and tobacco.

The three months leading up to the vintage were among the hottest and driest ever recorded in the Douro, with a succession of heatwaves, unprecedented in their scope and duration. We had — until the end of August — 66% less rainfall than the 30-year average and the soils were visibly parched. While the impact on the vines was significant and the bunches and berries were smaller than usual, our viticulture and winery teams worked flat out through one of the most challenging Douro harvests to make some very promising wines. The deep roots of the Vinha da Capela plot and the Vale da Teja vineyard allowed them to find humidity deep in the subsoil to ripen the grapes. Sometimes it appeared the drought had passed them by. It is incredible that the Douro has come through such trying conditions, delivering wines at a level of quality that many would not have believed possible at the start of the vintage.

Quinta do Vesúvio is the last major property in the region to produce its port wines exclusively using the traditional method of treading grapes by foot in granite lagares. Apart from two years during the pandemic, this iconic tradition has been uninterrupted since the cellar was built in 1827.

A flourish of signature Vesúvio floral aromas of lavender and rockrose is followed by exquisitely fresh, ripe red fruit extracts with cherry predominating. Minerality and acidity take turns in delivering vitality and freshness on the palate. Flavours of succulent, ripe red and black fruit balance with fine-grained tannins to provide flawless elegance and poise, true to the great Vintages of Vesúvio. Long, seductive finish.

We knew from the start that we faced unprecedented conditions in the Douro, with the three months before the vintage being among the hottest and driest ever recorded. During the growing cycle, Vesúvio 66% less rainfall than the 30-year average. The dryness of the soils was compounded by higher-than-average temperatures through the summer months, including the hottest July recorded since 1931. While the impact on the vines was significant and the bunches and berries were smaller than usual, our viticulture and winery teams worked flat out through one of the most challenging Douro harvests to make some very promising wines. The turning point came in the first week of September when average daytime temperatures thankfully dropped to between 22°C and 25°C allowing maturations to progress evenly and gradually. At this time we began to pick our prime plots of Touriga Nacional, which delivered very fine, deep-coloured wines and are a major component of this Quinta do Vesúvio 2022 blend.