2015 Quinta do Crasto Late Bottled Vintage Port 750 ml

The savviest wine lovers we know are WAY into Late Bottled Vintage Port. 

It’s easy to see why. LBVs deliver the outstanding quality of Port’s top vintages—but unlike vintage Port, which often takes decades to mature, LBV is released by the winery when it’s ready to go, perfectly balanced between the character and fruit of vintage Port and the age for which tawnies are celebrated. 

Quinta do Crasto is a superstar small producer whose Ports stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those of the better-known large houses, like Warre’s, Graham’s, Taylor Fladgate, Croft, and Fonseca.

Founded in 1615, Quinta do Crasto has been guided by proprietors Leonor and Jorge Roquette’s family since 1910. It’s situated in Cima Corgo, an hour east of the city of Porto, Quinta do Crasto’s vineyards are classified as grade “A” by the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP). On south-facing banks of the Douro River at approximately 2,000 feet elevation, 60-year-old vines are planted in schist soils on terraces supported by hand-set stone walls.

You’ll consistently find Quinta do Crasto’s red table wines fetching upwards of $160 per bottle with 95- and 96-point scores from both Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. In 2008, Wine Spectator named the 2005 Quinta do Crasto Douro Reserva Old Vines its #3 wine of the year. 

The same stellar fruit Quinta do Crasto bottles as its heralded table wines goes into crafting the decadent and beautifully structured LBV. These grapes were crushed under foot, fermented in stainless steel, and aged in 9,000-liter oak vats for four years, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. The result is a superstar bargain that speaks eloquently of an exceptional vintage and producer.