CROFT

2016

EN PRIMEUR

Quite a coal-black nose. Rich, round and fleshily sweet, it is not quite as distinctively individual as the very top wines, even if it is generously mouthfilling. Ripe with suave tannins and fine fruit. Should offer much enjoyment from quite a young age. Rating: 91-92 L&S (May 2018)

In Bond

75cl bottles (wood case of 6)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

This unfurls with mouthwatering licorice snap, fruitcake, apple wood and violet notes, followed by a wave of mouthfilling plum, blackberry and fig paste flavors. This is packed but well-defined, and the energy allows the fruit to ripple through the long finish. Drinking range: 2035 - 2055 Rating: 97 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Oct 2018)

The 2016 Croft Vintage Port has a taut bouquet at first that demands a good 20 or 30 minutes to get into its stride. It eventually reveals scents of blackberry, bilberry, chimney soot, clove, and just a hint of scorched earth in the background. The palate is spicy and vivacious on the entry: black fruit, clove, white pepper and curry powder (almost like a Balti!) I love the personality imbued into this Croft, a Vintage Port that seems to be wearing its heart on its sleeve. Excellent. Production is 3,050 cases. Drinking range: 2026 - 2055 Rating: 94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2018)

Blackish mid crimson. Mild, ‘agreeable’, friendly nose. Sweet and lightly spicy. Then the thread is drawn and it’s much drier on the end. Fairly early maturing compared with the greats, I would have thought. Without massive density. Drinking range: 2030 - 2050 Rating: 16.5++ Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2018)

With a little more foresty fruit and a tart finish, this is quieter wine than many with a tense thread of tannin from start to finish. This is another wine which will require a minimum of seven or eight years to soften sufficiently for it to be drunk. Rating: 17+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2018)

Based on Quinta da Roeda at Pinhão: open, rich plummy aromas with minty ripeness evident, a touch of hedgerow too; very much in the recent Croft mold, which they describe as ‘rubenesque’, i.e. soft, plump and fleshy with voluptuous fruit backed by ripe tannins that blossom on the finish. Rating: 17 Richard Mayson, www.richardmayson.com  (May 2018)

This is a classic Croft Vintage Port, wonderfully aromatic with a rich fruitiness and an exotic herbal character. However, it has the poise and sense of proportion characteristic of the 2106 vintage. A relatively small crop means that the amount of Vintage Port made was smaller than usual.Winemaker's notes (May 2018)

Extremely perfumed with dark-berry and currant aromas. Hints of earth and spices. Full-bodied, round and medium sweet. Hints of resin. Opulent yet restrained. Shows ripe and beautiful fruit with clarity. Try in 2025. Rating: 97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2018)

OFFER: All wines are offered subject to availability and final confirmation

PRICING: These offer prices are valid only for the offer period (and while stocks last), after which the prices will revert to normal for any remaining stock.

VAT: Our pre-shipment offers do not include VAT on either the In Bond OR Duty Paid prices.

TO ORDER: Please email sales@leaandsandeman.co.uk, or call your usual shop or L&S contact. Please note that we accept debit card, cheque or bank transfer only for pre-shipment offers.

DELIVERY: THIS IS A PRE-SHIPMENT OFFER and the wines will be delivered when they are shipped (which we expect to be from November 2018). Delivery is subject to our usual terms.

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