Lucky ‘7’? – First Impressions of the 2017 Port Vintage (and Dow 1945)
Not since 1846 / 1847 have two generally declared Port vintages fallen back-to-back. As Adrian Bridge, Managing Director of the Fladgate Partnership, pointed out to the assembled wine trade and wine writers at the recent launch of the widely declared 2017 Port vintage in London, seven has a habit of being a lucky number for the Port trade. There is some truth in this. Going back exactly a decade, 2007 was generally declared, as was 1997. The 1987 vintage was good but only declared by a few shippers (a long story), then 1977 was declared by all except Cockburn.