Croft declares 2024 Vintage
Croft has announced the release of a classic Croft Vintage Port from the outstanding harvest of 2024.
Adrian Bridge, Managing Director
“I am excited to declare our release of a limited amount of classic Croft 2024 Vintage. Quinta da Roeda produced wines in 2024 that clearly stood out for their incredible depth and complexity. The Croft house style that I enjoy so much is clearly present in this wine, with its firm but well integrated tannins, berry flavours and purity of fruit. This wine will shine for many decades to come but can be enjoyed on release to experience the delicious fresh fruit flavours before they evolve in the cellar.
David Guimaraens, Head winemaker
“A year with a warm growth period, supported by good water reserves in the soil and balanced by a cooler harvest, have created phenomenal wines from our traditional granite lagares at Roeda. Co-fermentation and foot treading of the traditional 6+ grapes varietals of the Douro played an integral part in improving the complexity and expressiveness of the wines and at the same time maintaining the Croft house style in these exceptional Vintage Ports.”
Tasting Note
Deep purple black with fine magenta rim. The heady, aromatic nose displays a characteristic plentitude of rich plump fruit, ripe strawberry and the exotic notes of rockrose, spice, clove and eucalyptus, signatures of Quinta da Roêda from where the blend heralds. An avalanche of exuberant fruit then coats the palate with discreet and well poised tannins. An elegant and aromatic Vintage Port, perfectly poised with opulence and restraint.
Notes on the 2024 viticultural year and harvest
The winter of 2023/24 brought a welcome return of rainfall for the second consecutive year. Although temperatures were relatively mild, an early budburst on 5th of March set the season off to an early and promising start. Spring and early summer was cool with occasional useful light rainfalls, arriving at well-spaced intervals that supported healthy vineyard growth.
From July onwards the weather settled into a long, dry period that extended through to the end of harvest. Veraison began on 18th of July, and the mild summer conditions encouraged a steady, even ripening cycle. As temperatures rose towards the end of July, August provided warm conditions, with consistently high night-time temperatures that put the vines under some stress. Crucially, at the end of August temperatures moderated, with slightly cooler days and notably cooler nights throughout September. These conditions were ideal for the final stages of ripening, and to achieve full phenolic maturity.
The harvest began with very attractive fruit from varieties such as Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz, while Touriga Francesa and Tinta Cão benefited from a little additional time on the vine to achieve full perfection.
The combination of the field blends, co-fermentation, have produced ports which are going to be very complex and memorable. In general, the 2024 ports show very good freshness of fruit, lovely flavours, very fine tannins and great acidity.