Quinta Vale D. Maria Quinta Vale D. Maria Vintage Porto 2017 750ml

Intense, featuring an energetic core of black Mission fig, açaí berry and blackberry fruit, all entwined with strands of licorice snap, singed alder, tar and cassis bush. The finish crackles with life, as the grip is substantial but supported as much by acidity as tannins, giving this a freshness that pierces through the dark fruit profile. Best from 2035 through 2055. 498 cases made. (James Molesworth)

Richly structured, this opulent wine has powerful tannins as well as fresher black fruits. It is dense and finely perfumed with some sweetness as well as a drier core of tannins. The wine is set for long-term aging. (Roger Voss)

The 2017 Vintage Port Vale d. Maria is a field blend from various vines ranging from 30 to 80 years in age. It was aged for six months in stainless steel and 14 months in old wood. It comes in with 101 grams of sugar. This was originally seen as a tank sample just before bottling in June 2019. It starts off with an inky black color that seems to suggest that it is the pure essence of fruit — and that is exactly how it tastes. The signature here is always going to be the intense fruit flavor, but all of that sexy fruit is nicely lifted on the finish. It’s laced with blackberries and cherries, and it just tastes great. The mid-palate is on the elegant side, showing average depth. This shows finesse more than jamminess, as did the 2016. The tannins are moderate too, although there certainly are some, and this shows far more power with aeration after a soft beginning. There is eventually a lot of pop. (I won’t be surprised if this closes down.) The finish is juicy and chock-full of flavor. It is sort of accessible now, but that is not going to last. This looks much more promising (and certainly sexier) than it did when I saw it in Porto. It may yet equal the astringent 2016, or surpass it. This seems to have better fruit, but the 2016 has plenty of bragging points, including its power and precision. Of course, as I said the last time, the balance with this 2017 might just be different — with the big fruit more easily matching the tannins and making it seem a bit less rustic. This certainly continued to show well over the course of a week. (And it needed some time, as its opening was not that impressive.) It will be interesting to see what happens when the intensity of fruit flavor fades here. Still, it seems increasingly special. Whether I just underrated it on the first look (mea culpa) or it is in a better place now, or both, it deserves an uptick. It should improve in the future. There were 6,500 bottles produced, plus 150 magnums.