2017 Quinta de la Rosa Vintage Port
Special pricing available through The Vine Shop in Hopkins as supply lasts
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Hi everyone –
Our Port offer two weeks ago was a huge success, and I heard from many of you to keep ’em coming.
We were offered an unprecedented price on the Quinta de la Rosa 2017 Vintage Port, and we grabbed all of it and shipped it to The Vine Shop in Hopkins. As I type this, it has been confirmed as delivered, so it is available for pickup before Christmas! And what a gift it would be for the Port lover in your life. And, at the lowest price ever.
About Quinta de la Rosa
Quinta de la Rosa is one of those Douro estates that reminds you how much Port is still an agricultural product before it’s a luxury one. Long before labels, markets, or critics, this was simply a family quinta—grapes grown on steep schist slopes overlooking the Douro River, destined for the traditional Port trade. The Bergqvist family has been tied to the estate since 1906, when it was given as a christening gift, and that sense of inheritance—earned rather than acquired—still shapes everything they do today.
For much of the 20th century, Quinta de la Rosa followed the classic Douro path: farming exceptional fruit and selling it on to the big Port houses. It wasn’t until the late 1980s that the family made the pivotal decision to bottle under their own name. That shift—away from anonymity and toward estate identity—put them firmly in the modern Douro camp: vineyard-focused, quality-driven, and deeply respectful of tradition without being trapped by it.
Today, La Rosa is known not just for Port, but also for some of the Douro’s most compelling still wines. Yet Port remains at the heart of the estate. Their approach is refreshingly direct: foot-treading in traditional lagares, old-vine field blends, restrained fortification, and an emphasis on balance over brute force. These are Ports meant to age, yes—but also to be understood as wines, not just monuments.
About the 2017 Vintage
The 2017 Vintage Port from Quinta de la Rosa comes from one of the Douro’s most dramatic and demanding years. A hot, dry growing season produced small berries, low yields, and extraordinary concentration. Many houses declared the vintage, but the best wines share a common thread: intensity held in check by structure and freshness. La Rosa’s 2017 fits squarely in that camp.
In the glass, the wine is deeply colored—inky purple with a near-black core—but it doesn’t feel heavy or opaque. Aromatically, it opens with dark blackberry, black cherry, and plum, followed by notes of cocoa powder, violets, and warm Douro schist after a summer rain. There’s also a subtle savory edge—licorice root, dried herbs, and a hint of crushed stone—that keeps the nose from drifting into sweetness.
On the palate, this is a Port with real architecture. The fruit is dense and ripe, but the tannins are firm, finely grained, and clearly vineyard-driven rather than spirit-driven. Sweetness is present, of course, but it’s woven into the structure rather than sitting on top of it. The finish is long, focused, and quietly powerful, with dark fruit giving way to spice and mineral tension.
This is not a flashy Vintage Port. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t rely on sheer alcohol or sugar for impact. Instead, it rewards patience and attention—both now and over decades to come. It’s a wine that reminds you why great Vintage Port is less about excess and more about balance at the extreme.
Why this bottle matters
Why this bottle matters is simple: it represents Vintage Port at its most honest. Quinta de la Rosa doesn’t make Port to chase declarations, scores, or prestige—they make it because their vineyards demand it in years like 2017. This bottle captures a moment when nature pushed hard, and thoughtful farming and restraint pushed back. For collectors, it offers long-term aging potential without excess. For drinkers, it’s a reminder that Port can be powerful, nuanced, and grounded simultaneously. For anyone seeking to understand the Douro beyond the big names, this is a bottle that speaks clearly, patiently, and with conviction.
Thank you, everyone!
Jason Kallsen
Sommelier and founder/owner of Twin Cities Wine Education
Offer and special pricing are available as inventory lasts