Símbolo 2016

The 2016 Símbolo is a field blend (mostly Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca) from vines ranging from 40 to 60 years in age. It aged for 18 months in new French oak and comes in at 14.4% alcohol. Elegant, refined and fresh, this has fine mid-palate finesse to go with velvety texture and plenty of power. Intense on the finish and very focused, this is just a baby in its development. It throws off dried blue fruits and a little chocolate, but it is relatively closed. Its power and the potential for complexity mean that this should really be held for another couple of years. It will not be released until the fall of 2019, but that won't allow it to reach its potential or even settle down. This looks brilliant and I'm leaning up today, but it does need to show that complexity and more harmony eventually. It might not reach a really good place until 2025 or so. Even if relatively approachable on release, considering the price point, I'd say don't waste it and don't dive in. It has many layers and many more stories to tell if you have a bit of patience. It will be better in 2025, maybe at peak and a whole lot better in 2030.

Select parcels and rows from a 40- to 60-year-old vineyard in São João da Pesqueira produce this inky, enveloping, perfumed flagship wine. Concentrated but well-defined, spicy cedar and chocolate-edged blackberry and currant fruit is interwoven with fine, millefeuille like tannins. A confident, polished wine.