Poças Símbolo Tinto 2015

Poças Símbolo 2015 is a top-of-the-range red from the prestigious house of Poças. It's made in the Douro Demarcated Region from old vines aged between 40 and 60 years at Quinta de Santa Bárbara.

It stands out for its opulence, concentration and ageing potential, with consultancy from renowned French winemaker Hubert de Boüard.

The Wine Advocate
RP 94+

Reviewed by: Mark Squires

The Símbolo 2015 is a field blend from vines aged between 40 and 60 years. It was aged for 18 months in new French oak and comes in at 14.3% alcohol. It was bottled about a month before this review. Overall it was very satisfying, with the possible exception of the oak integration. In its youth it's quite marked by vanilla on the nose. Fortunately, that integrated quickly; in fact, after 15 minutes it was barely noticeable. On the palate, the oak was never that evident, and the mid-palate concentration is very good.
This is the ripest, densest red of the group in this issue. It has an opulent feel in the mouth. Despite the ripeness of the fruit, it keeps its balance while still seeming very closed. There are layers that need to reveal themselves. In other words, it needs ageing, which it will certainly handle. The tannins are ripe but support the quality fruit. If it evolves well, and everything suggests it will, it may even deserve a higher score. It can already be enjoyed young (it's not bad at all now), but it will show much more around 2022, though that still won't be its peak.