Want to find out how your birth-year fared? Or want to know which vintages are drinking well now? Our Port vintage guide has you covered.

We take a look at the vintages from 1960 to 2017, offering ratings for each year and advising whether the vintage is best to drink now or keep for ageing. Outstanding, widely declared vintages are highlighted, and specific weather conditions and their impact on grape quality and yields are detailed for each year. We also highlights some of the best wines for notable years.

Jump to the outstanding, widely declared vintages

2017 2016 20112007 2003  20001998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1992 19911985 1983 1982 1980 1977 19701966 1963 1960

2017

Drink/Keep

The most widely declared vintage to date, with outstanding quality and cellaring potential.

5/5

The fact that this was the first time that two vintages were consecutively widely declared is testament to the superlative quality of the 2017 crop. The growing season was extremely dry as well as, from the end of winter until harvest, very hot with various heat waves through spring and early summer. Intense, short summer storms caused further challenges. However, while yields were significantly reduced by these extreme weather conditions, quality was superb, with harvest bringing in a small but fantastic crop.

The resulting wines have vivid, deep fruit and a paired-down intensity, combining power with elegance and restraint. Sophisticated wines that will age well for decades to come.

2016

Drink/keep

Fantastic vintage, widely declared and with great ageing potential.

5/5

The rather unusual growing season started with a mild and wet winter, followed by an equally wet but oddly cold spring. A scorching, extremely dry summer ensued, with a rainy coda in September. These fluctuations challenged the vines, affecting yields. Quality, on the other hand, was superb: the grapes had concentration, complexity and aromatic nuance. The structure and robustness of the tannins, paired with their elegance and details was particularly noteworthy.

A vintage of concentrated, balanced wines, that will age beautifully.

2015

Drink/keep

An outstanding vintage, which was on the cusp of becoming legendary before being disrupted by intense heat spells.

4/5

A dry spring and early summer promised a healthy crop. However, one of the hottest Junes on record, followed by enduring scorching temperatures, placed vineyards under extreme stress and reduced yields, in some cases significantly. While Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca vines were able to cope and produce very good quality grapes, the other Douro varieties suffered and the grapes were mostly overripe and lacking balance.

While many leading houses declared the vintage, it is largely perceived as a harvest that never quite reached its full potential.

2014

Drink

The bumpy growing season, with significant disease pressure, did not yield consistently good fruit. The vintage went largely undeclared, with most of the crop used for blends and single quintas.

2/5

2013

Drink/Keep

Largely undeclared but with standout single-quinta wines.

3/5

The growing season was uneventful but a very rainy September disrupted harvest and had an impact on both yields and quality.

The vintage went largely undeclared. However, producers that harvested early were able to produce excellent single quintas with very good concentration and structure. A handful of houses released very small allocations of vintage expressions.

2012

Drink/Keep

An excellent vintage, perhaps underestimated due to outstanding quality of the preceding harvest.

5/5

Although extremely dry, the growing season was steady and cool. Yields were low – mostly due to water stress – but produced wines of great finesse, chiselled tannins, aromatic detail and defined fruit. A couple of top producers released vintage wines but most did not declare, releasing single quintas instead – a decision no doubt influenced by the 2011 declaration, rather than by lack of potential in 2012.

2011

Drink/Keep

Outstanding, universally declared vintage, combining elegance and rusticity.

5/5

A rainy winter, waa followed by a warm and dry spring, with patched mildew and hail. The mild and dry summer was disrupted by heat spikes leading to drought, which was mitigated by slime precipitation in late August and early September.

The plants that were able to respond to these many challenges yielded fruit of great quality, ultimately producing wines with elegant structure, nuanced aromas and vibrant acid. A year with a distinct personality and extraordinary balance, more rustic than 2007 and elegant than 2003.

2010

Drink

Intense rains followed by intense heat prevented the development of fruit with enough complexity to yield noteworthy wines.

2/5

2009

Drink/Keep

An excellent vintage, although not unanimously lauded. Declared by some, but not all, top producers.

4/5

Very dry growing season, which kicked off early following a warm early spring. An extremely hot summer catalysed early phenolic ripeness but water stress impacted negatively on yields.

The small crops predictably had outstanding concentration with deep, intense black fruit, silky but assertive tannins and enough acid to balance it all out. Both vintage and single-quinta releases have great cellaring potential.

2008

Drink

A good vintage, somewhat eclipsed by its landmark predecessor. Great vintage and single-quinta iterations.

5/5

A cold spring delayed budburst and flowering and cool temperatures continued throughout the growing season causing some worry among producers that grapes wouldn’t fully ripen. A timely heat spell allowed them to successfully achieve phenolic maturity while cool nights ensured an optimal retainment of acid.

The wines therefore showcase freshness, balance, vivid acid and vibrant, lifted fruit. Drink beautifully and, although some examples will be long-aged, the fine quality of this vintage suggests they will not hold as long as the 2007s.

2007

Drink/Keep

An absolutely superb vintage – the second mostly widely declared harvest to date.

5/5

The growing season started with significant disease pressure as a result of steady rains from November to February. This was somewhat mitigated by dry conditions in August and September. Mild temperatures throughout allowed grapes to ripen slowly and steadily, with the development of aromatic complexity and beautiful phenolic balance.

The wines stand out for their transparency, finesse, silky tannins and rick fruit offset by fragrant aromas. Although with great cellaring potential, many examples are already surprisingly approachable.

2006

Drink soon

Heat and hailstorms affected this inconsistent vintage with few good examples.

2/5

Tinta Barroca suffered particularly, affecting the overall balance of the blends and the character of many wines. The few noteworthy wines had deep black fruit and interesting balsamic nuances.

2005

Drink/Keep

An uneven vintage, plagued by heat and drought. Some producers declared, while others focused on characterful single-quinta wines.

4/5

More resilient vineyards were able to deliver small yields of very concentrated fruit, producing deep, intense, robustly structured wines that will cellar beautifully.

2004

Drink

Not a widely declared vintage but with great single-quinta iterations.

3/5

4/5 – Drink

The threat of rain into harvest season forced producers to make hard decisions on whether to harvest potentially underripe fruit early or lose the crop. The most fortunate decision-makers were able to work with vibrant fruit, subtly aromatic, with lovely acid and a fine tannic framework.

2003

Keep

The second widely declared vintage of the new century, not without its challenges.

5/5

Unusually high temperatures peaked in the end of July and beginning of August (45℃ during the day and 30℃ at night) and continued into harvest season. Some plants shutdown in late August but a spell of rain in early September provided relief and paved the way for an excellent harvest, with little but very concentrated grapes. These produced muscular, complex, tannic wines with great ageing potential.

Some exceptions, lacking acid and with overly ripe fruit, were unfortunate outliers.

2002

Drink soon

An underwhelming and double-faced vintage, with very different outcomes for producers, depending on crucial decisions on harvest date.

2/5

The vintage was evolving positively, with a dry winter, spring and summer, the latter with moderate heat. Early September rains provided relief and promised a good vintage. However, heavy rains followed, erasing hopes of a good crop for many producers.

Those who harvested earlier – most in Douro Superior – produced good to excellent wines.

2001

Drink

Although not widely declared (perhaps due to the previous standout crop), 2001 yielded fruit of good quality and significantly more quantity than 2000.

4/5

The wet winter created some disease pressure but was followed by a warm, dry, uneventful summer, supporting the slow and healthy development of the grapes. A long and late harvest – well into October – was disturbed by some rain towards the end.

The year therefore rewarded those who picked slightly earlier, and were able to produce the deep-coloured, structured wines this vintage is known for.

2000

Drink/Cellar

The turn of the millennium was marked by a so-called ‘legendary’ vintage, widely declared and highly sought after by collectors.

5/5

A dry and cold winter delayed budburst. It was followed by a warm February and March; April and May brought much-needed rains that created, however, the conditions for unwelcome coulure. The summer was warm and dry, allowing for the slow maturation of the grapes. Harvest started in late September, yielding small but excellent quality crops.

Overall, the wines of this vintage are superb, combining early-drinking appeal and incredible ageing potential. They stand out for the vibrancy and definition of the fruit.

The vintage summaries and ratings below were last reviewed by Richard Mayson in 2022. 

1999

Drink

Prospects of an excellent year dashed by rain. Good single-quinta wines from the Douro Superior.

2/5

1998

Drink

Small harvest. Some excellent single-quinta Ports for drinking in the medium term.

3/5

Vintage summary

A cool, wet spring and early summer slashed yields and induced mildew and oidium in many vineyards. After a period of unrelenting heat in high summer, a minute but potentially outstanding vintage appeared to be on the cards. Picking began in the Douro Superior on 14 September and by 24 September the harvest was underway. Unfortunately, the heavens opened at the same time, diluting sugar levels and turning a potentially great vintage into a curate’s egg: merely good in parts.

No major declaration, but some good, concentrated wines were produced by quintas in the Douro Superior, which picked before the rain.

1997

Drink

A widely declared vintage producing well-structured wines. Approachable now and for drinking over the next two decades.

4/5

Vintage summary

An uneven year in that an abnormally warm, dry spring led to an early burst of growth and then gave way to cool, wet weather in June and July. The heat returned in August and by mid-September grapes were showing good sugar levels and the harvest began in earnest. Apart from a localised downpour, picking continued without incident and it was clear that a good, possibly great, vintage was in prospect.

Apart from Croft and Delaforce, who opted for single-quinta Ports, all the major shippers declared in the spring of 1999. The most promising wines (combining elegance and structure) are those from well-situated quintas at lower altitudes in the Cima Corgo and these wines form the basis of the finest declared wines. A few wines are rather lean and one-dimensional but the best have solid, sinewy tannins and will age well for the long term. There is a strong similarity in style with 1983. Prices were up by around 30% on the highly acclaimed 1994s.

Best wines

• Dow’s
• Fonseca
• Graham’s
• Niepoort
• Quinta da Corte (Delaforce)
• Quinta da Roeda (Croft)
• Quinta do Noval
• Quinta do Noval Nacional

1996

Drink

A huge crop produced forward, fruit-driven single-quinta wines drinking over the medium term.

2.5/5

Vintage summary

The prolonged drought that had become quite desperate in parts of southern Portugal broke spectacularly in the winter of 1995/96. The winter deluge gave way to a mild spring and, with so much ground water, vines sprouted in all directions. Development was slow and as a result the harvest began late at the end of September and early October. Yields were vast but sugar levels remained on the low side and many of the wines tasted dilute.

The best Ports came from old, low yielding vines and a handful of quintas declared promising wines for drinking over the medium-term. Quinta do Noval Nacional (the first declaration of Nacional by the new owners) stands out as the only wine for the long term.

Best wines

• Quinta da Agua Alta (Churchill)
• Quinta Nossa Senhora do Carmo (Burmester)
• Quinta do Noval Nacional
• Quinta de la Rosa
• Quinta do Vesuvio

1995

Drink

A hot summer allowed a few producers to declare a vintage. Some good single-quinta wines.

2/5

Vintage summary

After a generally cool spring and early summer, August provided four weeks of unrelenting heat. In the Douro Superior, which is always the hottest and driest of the Douro’s three sub-regions, some growers began picking as early as mid-August. By 7 September the harvest was underway throughout much of the Douro region as grapes began to shrivel on the vine.

The extreme heat made for some rather coarse, burnt wines with roasted coffee notes, but the sheer jammy concentration of flavour justified a fully-fledged declaration for some. Barros, Burmester Krohn, Osborne, Noval Roses and Pocas declared outright, with the remainder opting for second label or single-quinta Ports. Drink over the medium-term.

Best wines

• Fonseca Guimaraens
• Quinta do Crasto
• Quinta do Noval
• Quinta de la Rosa
• Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha (Taylor’s)
• Quinta do Vesuvio

1994

Drink

The start of the modern era for vintage Port, with outstanding wines that are ripe and well structured. May be approached now but the best will continue to improve.

4.5/5

Vintage summary

A wet winter brought an end to three years of drought, and when the sun began to shine in March and April the vines began to sprout in all directions. There was some concern when heavy rain fell in May but fortunately it was not unduly warm, and the unsettled conditions merely served to check the overall size of the crop.

From then on it was plain sailing all the way through to the harvest. The threat of rain in mid-September rekindled memories of 1993 (a quagmire) and a few growers panicked and harvested too early. The majority kept their nerve and by 20 September the grapes were fully ripe and picking was well underway. Winemakers were helped by cool, clear nights which served to slow down fermentations and the lagares took plenty of work.

It was clear as soon as the wines were run from the lagares that a fine vintage was in the bag, and the shippers could hardly conceal their glee at the prospect of a major vintage declaration. By the time the wines were offered in the spring/summer of 1996, the market had recovered fully from the recession of the early 1990s with the US having become particularly receptive to vintage Port. Opening prices rose considerably and in some cases have continued to soar, perversely overtaking mature vintages like 1970. The wines were appealing from the start, with ripe fleshy fruit concealing the underlying tannic grip that will enable these wines to stand the test of time.

Best wines

• Burmester
• Croft
• Dow’s
• Fonseca
• Gould Campbell
• Graham’s
• Quarles Harris
• Quinta do Vesuvio
• Quinta da Eira Velha (Martinez)
• Taylor’s
• Warre’s

Revisiting vintage Port 1994

1992

Drink

A split declaration – a year favoured by Taylor’s and Fonseca over and above 1991. Rich, concentrated wines for drinking now and over the next 20 years

4/5

Vintage summary

The winter was unseasonably dry throughout Portugal and the drought continued until June, when a few days of rain proved to be very beneficial. Fortunately, the flowering was early and therefore not affected. The remainder of the summer was generally dry but not unduly hot, and a few short sharp showers in August helped to swell the grapes. Most growers began picking on 21 September but those who held off another week probably made better wines.

A split declaration (with 1991); Taylor’s/Fonseca famously declared 1992 whereas the Symington-owned houses all opted for 1991. Niepoort declared both. It now seems that 1992 produced the better wines for drinking over the medium- to long-term: big, rich and complete.

Best wines

• Delaforce
• Fonseca
• Malvedos (Graham’s)
• Niepoort
• Quinta do Infantado
• Quinta do Passadouro (Niepoort)
• Quinta do Vesuvio
• Quinta da Agua Alta (Churchill)
• Taylor’s

1991

Drink soon

Soft and relatively early maturing, declared by Dow’s, Graham’s and Warre’s among others.

3.5/5

Vintage summary

Growing conditions were good: a wet winter was followed by a dry, settled spring and early summer when flowering took place under ideal conditions. High summer was hot and very dry, relieved only by some timely rain on 11 and 12 September and again just before the harvest. When picking began, ambient temperatures were still high, presenting real problems for those producers without means of controlling fermentations.

The grapes tended to be small with little juice resulting in deep, dense powerful wines for the medium-to-long-term. It was declared by the Symington-owned houses Dow’s, Graham’s, Warre’s, Smith Woodhouse, Gould Campbell and Quarles Harris in preference to 1992. Taylor’s and Fonseca declared single-quinta wines. 1991 was a watershed vintage in that, for the first time, more vintage Port was shipped to the US than the UK.

Best wines

• Croft
• Ferreira
• Graham’s
• Niepoort
• Rozès
• Taylor’s

1987

Drink soon

A handful of shippers declared good wines for the medium term.

3/5

Vintage summary

After a successful flowering, the prospects were for a large crop, but exceptionally hot, dry weather from mid-June intervened. By early September, the grapes were looking distinctly small and somewhat raisined. The weather broke during the vintage but those who picked early made intense, concentrated wines, marred in some cases only by a slightly roasted character.

A handful of shippers declared (Ferreira, Martinez, Niepoort) but the majority held off and bottled single-quinta wines. More may have taken the plunge but for the fact that the market for vintage Port was looking distinctly shaky by the time of the would-be declaration in the spring/summer of 1989.

Best Producers

• Quinta da Eira Velha (Martinez)
• Quinta da Terra Feita (Taylor’s)
• Quinta do Bomfim (Dow’s)
• Quinta do Panascal (Fonseca)

1985

Drink

Universally declared. A warm summer produced some outstandingly good wines for the long term, but some emerged with serious faults. Buyer beware! The best are lovely now and can be drunk over the next 15 years.

4/5

Vintage summary

A textbook growing season: a wet winter was followed by a cool spring and from June onwards the weather was magnificent. The grapes were gathered under perfect conditions with unbroken summer-like weather from early September until the end of the harvest. The only serious problem for the winemakers was the midday heat (up to 32C) and this may account for the variability in some of the 1985s.

A unanimous declaration, but some of the wines have not lived up to their early promise having subsequently turned volatile in bottle. However, the power and concentration that is the hallmark of the 1985 vintage continues to live on in many of the wines. These will remain impressive to drink over the medium-to-long-term.

Best wines

• Dow’s
• Fonseca
• Graham’s
• Warre’s

1983

Drink

Widely declared, although a few shippers preferred 1982. Firm, tight-knit wines that can be drunk now, and the best will keep for another 10-20 years

4/5

Vintage summary

The year began badly with a long, cold winter extending into spring. Snow fell on the Serra do Marão to the west of the Douro as late as 20 May! The vines were three weeks behind. From June to mid-August the weather was hot but unsettled and, despite a successful flowering, the vines remained backward. Picking consequently began late (end of September) but fortunately the weather remained fine into October and some outstanding wines were made despite the uneven spring and summer.

The majority of shippers chose (rightly in retrospect) to declare 1983 instead of 1982, making this something of a ‘split vintage’. Initially the 1983s were quite difficult to taste, the fruit being wrapped up in powerful, muscular tannins. With age however, the wines gained flesh and appeal but the cast iron backbone remains. The best will last forever.

Best wines

• Dow’s
• Gould Campbell
• Graham’s
• Niepoort
• Quarles Harris
• Smith Woodhouse
• Taylor’s
• Warre’s

1982

Drink soon

Forward and relatively fast-maturing, with soft, sweet character

3/5

Vintage summary

After a dry winter and warm spring, June and July were abnormally cool with high cloud and hazy conditions with some showers. Consequently, the vines were well-able to cope with the extreme heat in August and early September, with beneficial heavy rain over the last weekend in August. The grapes were uniformly healthy with high sugar readings throughout the Douro.

1982/1983 is a classic example of a so-called ‘split vintage’ (see also 1991/1992), where there was a lack of consensus among the Port shippers as to which of the two is the better year. In the end, 1983 won hands down. Although the ripe, healthy fruit is reflected in the soft, sweet raisiny character of the 1982s, they are relatively forward and early maturing. Those who decided not to opt for a fully fledged declaration bottled some successful single-quinta wines.

Best wines

• Churchill
• Niepoort
• Quinta do Noval
• Sandeman

1980

Drink

An underrated vintage that produced approachable, easygoing wines for the medium term. Dow’s, Graham’s and Warre’s are very good.

3/5

Vintage summary

An unusually early spring was followed by an extremely dry growing season and sugar readings were on the low side when picking began a week or so later than normal, at the end of September. Ambient temperatures were high during the harvest and the lagares fermented furiously fast and therefore took little work before being run off.

Perhaps deterred by a steep hike in opening prices, the 1980s were largely overlooked by the trade. The wines however are very attractive; open, fresh and fruit-driven, which has stood them in good stead for drinking over the medium-to-long-term. As a result, 1980 is something of a Cinderella vintage, delicious for drinking now and over the next ten or more years.

Best wines

• Dow’s
• Graham’s
• Niepoort
• Offley
• Smith Woodhouse
• Taylor’s
• Warre’s

1977

Drink

Highly rated at the outset – and widely declared – these wines have developed faster than expected.Drink now – 2030.

4/5

Vintage summary

A wet winter was followed by a somewhat disappointing summer with only one period of real heat. August was cool and often overcast. Sugar levels were still alarmingly low at the beginning of September but this was compensated for by very hot weather later in the month, which continued into early October. Sugar levels were still on the low side when picking began but it was clear from the colour and flavour of the musts that some fine wines were likely to emerge.

The 1977 Port vintage was hailed as a classic when it was declared in 1979 and was well received by the trade. Every shipper except Cockburn, Martinez and Noval chose to declare. Although 1977 produced some outstanding wines, overall the vintage has not quite lived up to early expectations and, 20 years on, the wines were fully mature with one or two beginning to show their age. This is a very good vintage but not up to the standards of 1963 or 1945.

Best wines

• Dow’s
• Fonseca
• Graham’s
• Smith Woodhouse
• Taylor’s
• Warre’s

1970

Drink

Classic, tight-knit wines, some outstanding, that will will last a lifetime. Drink now to 2030+.

5/5

Vintage summary

Cool weather during the flowering reduced yields and, following a dry summer, prospects at the start of picking looked good. The harvest began around 20 September in extreme heat. Due to the dry summer, sugar readings were on the low side but the heat served to raisin a portion of the crop, thereby concentrating the musts. Cooler night-time temperatures as the vintage progressed helped to slow down fermentations and produced wines with exceptional colour and body.

Early tastings tended to play down the overall quality of the 1970s and it is only several decades on that these tight-knit, beautifully balanced wines have come to be judged in their true light. Although not as fine overall as the undeniably impressive 1963s, there are wines from 1970 that deserve to be ranked among the great vintage Ports of the 20th century. This being the last vintage to be bottled both in Portugal and in the UK, there is inevitably a certain amount of variation from bottle to bottle. All subsequent vintages were bottled in Vila Nova de Gaia.

Best wines

• Cálem
• Delaforce
• Dow’s
• Fonseca
• Graham’s
• Kopke
• Niepoort
• Quinta do Noval Nacional
• Taylor’s

1967

Drink soon

Two leading shippers declared 1967, but there was little that was memorable

2/5

Vintage summary

After a cool summer (without any real heat in July or August), the grapes were still green and backward when picking began around 20 September. Both yields and sugar levels were low. Many picked too early (fearing a repeat of the rains which had marred the latter part of the previous three vintages), however warm weather continued into October and, unusually, the best grapes with higher sugar readings were picked last.

Two leading shippers (Cockburn and Martinez) declared 1967 in preference to 1966, whereas a handful – including Noval and Sandeman – declared both. At best 1967 produced gentle, middle-distance wines, but even the finest are starting to fade.

Best wines

• Cockburn
• Quinta do Noval Nacional

1966

Drink

Some outstanding wines, combining power and elegance, the best on par with 1963. No hurry to drink, some wines will last a lifetime.

5/5

Vintage summary

An exceptionally wet winter prepared the vines for a hot, dry summer. In August, temperatures of 45C were recorded twice at Pinhao in the heart of the Cima Corgo but with so much ground water, the grapes did not dry up or raisin-ise. Rain finally arrived during the harvest, but with yields well-down on average the crop came to no harm. The fermentations were helped by cool weather and musts registered higher-than-average readings with excellent colour. It was clear at the end of the harvest that a fine vintage was in prospect.

History has been rather unfair to the 1966s which, until relatively recently, were completely overshadowed by the 1963s. Although quality is not as uniformly high as 1963, 1966 hits many of the same high spots with wines combining concentration, structure and intensity. Although bottlings vary (a consequence of bottling in both Vila Nova de Gaia and in the UK) Dow and Fonseca are stupendous.

Best wines

• Cálem
• Dow’s
• Fonseca
• Graham’s
• Quinta do Noval Nacional
• Taylor’s

1963

Drink

A post-war classic. Superb wines, wonderful to drink now and many with a long life ahead. The best will last a lifetime.

5/5

Vintage summary

A textbook growing season: warm weather throughout the summer with no rain from June onwards. A little rain fell in mid-September, helping to swell the grapes just before the harvest. Yields were high. Fine weather continued through the vintage, which took place in perfect conditions with cool night-time temperatures serving to control fermentations.

The combination of a near-perfect growing season and temperate weather during the harvest (at a time when temperature control was unheard of) made for a benchmark vintage. With very few exceptions, nearly all the shippers produced supremely balanced, well-structured wines for a full-on declaration. No vintage since can claim quite so many classic wines (with the only caveat being the variation between different bottlings). Anyone born in 1963 has a wine for life.

Best wines

• Cockburn
• Croft
• Delaforce
• Dow’s
• Fonseca
• Graham’s
• Quinta do Noval Nacional
• Taylor’s
• Warre’s

1960

Drink soon

Erratic conditions reduced yields and dramatically compromised quality

2/5

Vintage summary

A hot, dry summer was relieved at the last minute by refreshing rain just before picking began on 19 September. The rain brought the intense heat to an end so that the lagares took more work and produced musts with good structure and depth of colour.

This beguiling vintage seemed to peak in the early 1980s but the better wines now appear to be sitting on a long plateau and are still drinking well. The wines are mostly middle-weight and lacking a little in backbone but are soft, sweet and attractive for drinking now.

Best wines

• Cockburn
• Dow’s
• Graham’s
• Quinta do Noval Nacional

Related articles

• Vintage Port 2000 and 2003: panel tasting results
• Port 2017: Vintage guide and what to buy

Dom Pérignon 2015 has been one of the latest major releases on a fine wine market that has largely continued to see prices under pressure. Dom Pérignon has been a major star of Champagne’s greater presence on the secondary market in recent years, and the new launch follows the release of the 2013 vintage in early 2023.

UK merchants offered Dom Pérignon 2015 for between £848 and £875 per six-bottle case in bond (ib). That’s below the release price of Dom Pérignon 2013, according to Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade, but it also said the 2013 vintage had fallen about 15% in price in the past 12 months.

On Bordeaux Index’s LiveTrade online trading platform, Dom Pérignon 2012 and 2013 were offered below £800 per six-bottle case. Liv-ex data suggested secondary market prices in general remained under pressure. The headline Liv-ex 1000 index fell 6.3% in value in six months to 30 June, and its Champagne 50 sub-index dropped 6.6%.

‘It’s a sign of the times that Dom Pérignon doesn’t sell out immediately,’ said Alex Turnbull, head of private and online sales at UK-based merchant Jeroboams. ‘We have seen stable demand [for the 2015 vintage], but go back three years and Dom Pérignon sold out within the hour.’

Turnbull also said that Dom Pérignon owner LVMH (Moët Hennessy) has ‘steadily increased the release price over the years, and so it doesn’t offer the same value on release that it used to’.

Vintage Ports command record prices at auction

Legendary vintage Ports from a UK private collection have generated strong buyer interest at a Christie’s auction in London.

Christie’s recently reported new auction price records (measured in terms of price per single bottle) for several vintage Ports in the sale. These included high-quality bottlings such as Dow’s 1924, of which a two-bottle lot sold for £6,875 including buyer’s premium (high estimate: £1,200), and Fonseca 1934. Two six-bottle lots of the Fonseca 1934 each fetched £9,375 (high estimate: £4,500 per lot).

The Ports were from Raby castle cellars in County Durham, near Darlington. ‘The exceptional cellar conditions, cool and damp, have ensured that all vintage Port bottles in this collection are in perfect condition,’ said Edwin Vos, senior director and international head of Christie’s wine and spirits department, and Noah May, Christie’s head of wine and spirits for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Provenance pulls in the bids

Auction house Sotheby’s has recently reported strong bidding on certain blue-chip Burgundy wines, but the wider market picture for the region remains mixed.

Sotheby’s said more than a third of lots sold in its Burgundy-focused ‘Live in the Vines’ auction in Beaune, in the heart of the Côte d’Or, on 2 July achieved prices comfortably above pre-sale high estimates.

Asia-based bidders were particularly prominent in the sale, which was part of the Epicurean’s Atlas series of auctions featuring wines from noted collector Pierre Chen. Sotheby’s also reported new record auction prices on certain wines (see wines, below).

For example, it said a three-bottle lot of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC), Montrachet 2007 sold for the equivalent of more than €15,800 per bottle, including buyer’s premium – about 50% above the previous record bottle price.

George Lacey, Sotheby’s head of wine Asia, told Decanter: ‘When you offer older vintages in good condition with exceptional provenance – which are rare and not so frequently seen in the market – there’s clearly still great demand. That was really encouraging for us to see. People were really competing for those wines.’

Nick Pegna, Sotheby’s global head of wines & spirits, cautioned that the group’s focus on older wines that are ready to drink means that its results are not necessarily representative of the market in its entirety.

Lacey added: ‘People are willing to spend money on great wines. But, they are perhaps looking to replenish cellars or to buy wines that they can get immediate enjoyment from.’ In general terms, Lacey said Burgundy prices were ‘no longer sliding’, but were down versus their peak two years ago.

UK-based merchant Bordeaux Index said top-tier Burgundy prices were down by about 10% in the first half of 2024, albeit the price drift has slowed in recent months. It added that prices were still around 150% higher than a decade ago, on average.

Bordeaux Index pointed out that trading has improved this year on ‘bellwether’ producers DRC and Armand Rousseau, too. Burgundy wines now feature on the group’s recently relaunched LiveTrade online trading platform.

Data released by Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade, showed that its index for DRC wines rose slightly in value earlier this year, before dipping again in June.

Sotheby’s Live in the Vines: six blue-chip Burgundy highlights

Six examples of Burgundy lots in the Sotheby’s Live in the Vines sale on 2 July that saw a record auction price for that specific wine (records were measured in terms of price per 75cl, except for Lot 130, which is a record price per magnum of this wine):

LOT 200 Domaine Armand Rousseau, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 1990 12x75cl. Sold for €100,000 – Estimate: €40,000-€60,000

LOT 202 Domaine Armand Rousseau, Chambertin Grand Cru 2009 12x75cl. Sold for €68,750 – Estimate: €40,000-€55,000

LOT 4 Domaine Leroy, Chambertin Grand Cru 2011 3x75cl. Sold for €50,000 – Estimate: €26,000-€38,000

LOT 140 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Montrachet Grand Cru 2007 3x75cl. Sold for €47,500 – Estimate: €19,000-€24,000

LOT 130 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, La Tâche Grand Cru 2005 1x150cl. Sold for €35,000 | Estimate: €16,000-€20,000

LOT 1 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Echezeaux Grand Cru 2005 3x75cl. Sold for €30,000 – Estimate: €6,500-€9,500

Data Source: Sotheby’s. ‘Sold for’ prices include buyer’s premium.

The Bordeaux Index view

Fine wine & spirits specialist Bordeaux Index kindly sponsors this section of Decanter, and provides its view on the market here every issue. It can be found at bordeauxindex.com.

The net performance of top wines from Burgundy since 2021 remains very positive, with gains of 60% or more across 2022, especially, now having settled into more of a context of above-40% after the market having softened across H2 2023 and in 2024.

This can be summarised succinctly as a very skewed supply-demand imbalance being replaced by a much more balanced position – naturally this has seen the highest degree of correction among those blue-chip names which had particularly outperformed, but the picture overall is that most owners of top Burgundy have seen substantial gains in value in their collection.

At Bordeaux Index we have seen prices largely stabilise (albeit some auction performance is notably lacklustre) and we expect price growth to resume over the medium term; but the timing for this is unclear, given the discretionary nature of buying demand.

Our observations relate very much to blue-chip Burgundy, though – the top 20-25 names – as we see the segment(s) below, high-quality wines though they are, as being overpriced and without a firm buyer base for consumption of the wines.

Related articles

• High-profile Burgundy auction generates more than £5m
• English wine tycoon told to pay millions for misleading investors
• Shipwreck full of Champagne found in Baltic Sea

Do you want to find out which was the best recent vintage from the Douro Valley? Or maybe you’re keen to know which vintages are drinking well now? Our Port vintage guide has you covered.

2019 2018 2017 20162015 2014 2013 20122011 2010 2009 20082007 2006 2005 20042003 2002 2001 2000

Looking for older vintages? Read Decanter’s Port Vintage Guide: 1960-1999

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2021

Keep

A relatively cool growing season with very few classic declarations but some good single-quinta wines in prospect. Drink from early 2030s.

3.5/5

Vintage summary

One of the coolest growing seasons in recent years, without the extreme heat waves that have become common in the Douro. The year began with a wet winter followed by a mild spring with an early budburst and flowering. The weather in June was hot and unstable with localised hail damage but July and August were mild leading to even ripening and an early harvest. However harvest was interrupted on three occasions by heavy rain which caused the conscientious growers to stop picking (it was the wettest September since 2015). Yields were good and as a result the harvest was drawn out over six weeks, concluding in early/mid-October.

The wines are characterised by their freshness and good depth of colour. Not generally declared, but a few single-quinta and so-called ‘micro-terroir’ wines will be outstanding. Many of the leading single-quinta wines have been kept back for later release.

Best wines

• Graham’s The Stone Terraces
• Quinta do Noval
• Quinta do Noval Nacional

2020

Keep

A smattering of classic declarations and some promising single-quinta wines after a hot summer. Drink from 2038-2060, SQVPs from 2030.

4/5

Vintage summary

The year of the Covid pandemic: excellent wines produced in minute quantities. After three dry winters in a row, rain fell in 2019 and 2020. A warm spring with more rainfall ensured sufficient ground water for the rest of the growing season. Yields were already looking small when temperatures spiked in late June and July (the hottest July since 1931 when records began). August was milder and ripening was even and rapid. This led to an early harvest when all the grape varieties seemed to ripen at the same time. There was little or no foot treading due to social distancing.

2020 produced a smattering of classic declarations along with some promising single-quinta vintage Ports (SQVPs) mostly held back for later release. The best wines are aromatic, concentrated and surprisingly fresh, despite the heat. It will be interesting to see how they evolve.

Best wines

• Churchill
• Graham
• Kopke
• Quinta de Ervamoira
• Quinta do Noval
• Quinta do Noval Nacional
• Warre Vinhas Velhas

2019

Keep

Fresher wines than 2018 and 2017. Some very good single-quinta wines. Drink from 2035-2060. SQVPs from 2030.

4/5

Vintage summary

An erratic growing season which came good in the end. After a dry winter and almost no rain over the summer months, the year was saved by the complete absence of extreme heat. Light rain at the end of August, again on the equinox and finally in mid-October, helped to swell the grapes and contributed to even ripening. The late-ripening Touriga Franca grape (often not picked until well into October) performed particularly well. Picking took place over six weeks, making this one of the longest harvests in recent years – in complete contrast to 2020.

The resulting wines are fresh and exuberant in contrast to the concentration from the two previous years. A few classic declarations, as well as some very good single-quinta wines.

Best wines

• Niepoort
• Quinta do Crasto
• Quinta do Noval
• Quinta do Noval Nacional
• Quinta do Porto
• Quinta do Vesúvio
• Quinta dos Malvedos
• Quinta Senhora da Ribeira

For a more detailed report see Port 2019: Vintage guide and what to buy 

2018

Keep

Early days as yet, but a good growing season should produce some promising single-quinta wines. Drink from 2032-2060. SQVPs from 2028.

4/5

Vintage summary

The fourth good year in a row, though more patchy than 2017. After 22 months of drought, a wet spring helped to restore some soil moisture. This was followed by summer heat waves with temperatures rising to 45℃ in parts of the Douro Superior. Conditions seemed to suit wines from the Douro Superior: the late-ripening Touriga Franca grape lent wines freshness and definition.

There were classic declarations from a number of leading shippers including Taylor’s, which made an unprecedented third declaration in succession. Luis Sottomayor, winemaker for Sogrape (Ferreira, Sandeman and Offley) was effusive. ‘2018 is one of the best, if not the best vintage I have witnessed,’ he said. The best wines seem to offer ripeness, concentration and freshness in almost equal measure. There are some excellent single-quinta wines, some still to be released.

Best wines

• Fonseca Guimaraens
• Ferreira
• Quinta dos Malvedos
• Quinta do Noval
• Quinta do Vesúvio
• Sandeman
• Taylor

For a more detailed report see Port 2018: Vintage guide and what to buy 

2017

Keep

A magnificent vintage, generally declared hard on the heels of 2016. Rich, powerful wines balanced by unusual freshness and verve. Drink from 2035-2070.

5/5

Vintage summary

Following on from 2007, 1997, 1977, 1947 and 1927, it seems there is a lucky ring to the number seven… 2017 was the driest year since 1945, another outstanding year to which the shippers made a direct comparison. But it was not especially hot. The heat came early in the growing season and after a major storm in early July the weather calmed down, which produced even ripening across the region. It was an abnormally early harvest and with low yields, it was all over by the end of September – the time when picking was just about starting back in the 1970s.

Generally declared, the best wines are characterised by ripeness and concentration backed by wonderful vibrancy and freshness. 2017 has all the makings of an outstanding vintage.

Best wines

• Cockburn
• Dow
• Fonseca
• Graham
• Graham’s The Stone Terraces
• Quinta do Noval
• Quinta do Noval Nacional
• Quinta de la Rosa
• Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha
• Serikos
• Taylor
• Warre

For a more detailed report see Port 2017: Vintage guide and what to buy

2016

Keep

Generally declared. Structured, well-balanced wines. Drink from 2025-2050 and over the long term.

4/5

Vintage summary

With five years having lapsed since the last widely declared Port vintage (2011), the generally declared 2016s were well-received. The year began with a warm, wet winter. It was followed by a cold, wet spring, which reduced yields and made for concentration in the wines. The summer months were hot and dry with a heatwave in August lasting into early September. Rain in late August and again in mid-September helped to put things back on track.

This was an early harvest but some picked too early. A few wines taste both green and raisiny at the same time. 2016 was an easy vintage to taste at the time of declaration, with wonderful up-front fruit evident both on the nose and on the palate. Many wines will be good to drink relatively early but the best (those with underlying structure and solidity) will keep.

Best wines

• Capela da Quinta do Vesúvio
• Cockburn
• Dow
• Fonseca
• Graham Graham’s The Stone Terraces
• Quinta do Noval
• Quinta do Noval Nacional
• Quinta do Vesúvio
• Taylor
• Warre

For a more detailed report see Port 2016: Vintage guide and what to buy

Know your Port styles

Seasonal Ports: 15 to try this winter

Video: How to decant vintage Port

2015

Keep

A limited declaration resulting in mostly single-quinta wines. Drink from 2030-2045 plus. SQVPs from 2025.

4/5

Vintage summary

A hot year declared as a vintage by a handful of shippers, with the majority opting for single-quinta or second label wines. At Symington’s Quinta do Vesúvio in the Douro Superior it was ‘simultaneously the hottest and driest growing season for 36 years’ according to the shipper. But 2015 proved to be wonderful for the Touriga Franca grape, a variety that enjoys heat and is generally picked late. Yields were low and those who waited to harvest produced more structured wines showing ripeness and concentration.

For Dirk Niepoort 2015 was ‘as perfect as it gets’ – both Niepoort and Ramos Pinto declared in preference to 2016. Others clearly felt something was lacking. So apart from a handful of classic declarations, this is a single-quinta year with some outstanding wines, the best of which will stand the test of time.

Best wines

• Cockburn
• Fonseca Guimareans
• Graham’s The Stone Terraces
• Niepoort
• Niepoort Bioma
• Quinta de Vargellas
• Quinta do Noval
• Quinta do Vesúvio
• Quinta Senhora da Ribeira
• Ramos Pinto

For a more detailed report see Port 2015: Vintage guide and what to buy

2014

Keep

A challenging growing season. The wines have generally turned out much better than expected at the outset. Good in parts. Drink 2025-2040.

2.5/5

Vintage summary

The weakest year in a very strong decade for vintage Port. The weather remained unsettled through the early part of the summer, with some vineyards suffering localised hail damage. The rest of the summer was mild but shortly after picking began in mid-September, the weather broke and the harvest became a stop-start affair to avoid the rain.

Noval declared. The wines have generally turned out much better than expected at the outset.

Best wines

• Churchill
• Quinta do Noval

2013

Keep

A good year for single-quinta Ports. Drink 2023-2040.

3/5

Vintage summary

After a wet winter and a cool spring, the growing season was slow to start. Almost no rain fell in June, July and August but summer overall was only marginally warmer than average. The harvest began quite late and at the start some excellent wines were made, especially in the Douro Superior. However at the end of September the weather broke and it rained on and off, forcing many to pick earlier than planned.

‘We narrowly missed out on an exceptional vintage,’ said one winemaker. A good single-quinta vintage, especially in the Douro Superior which escaped the September rain. Noval and Poças declared.

Best wines

• Fonseca Guimaraens
• Quinta de Vargellas
• Quinta do Noval
• Quinta do Seixo
• Quinta do Vesúvio
• Quinta dos Canais
• Quinta Senhora da Ribeira

2012

Keep

Low yields, wines with freshness and aromatic intensity. A good single-quinta vintage. Just about ready to drink now until 2045.

3/5

Vintage summary

A challenging year helped by naturally low yields. A wet spring was followed by intense heat in June and a more moderate summer. Hail caused localised damage in July. Rain interrupted the harvest, but with yields as much as 50% below average, 2012 produced some fine, concentrated wines.

Not generally declared but some very good single-quinta wines. Noval declared.

Best wines

• Fonseca Guimaraens
• Quinta da Roeda
• Quinta de Vargellas
• Quinta do Noval

2011

Keep

Universally declared, outstanding wines with poise and finesse that will keep for life. Drink 2030-2060 and over the long term.

5/5

Vintage summary

A challenging year for growers but a dream for winemakers. The winter of 2010/11 was wet, followed by an early warm, dry spring. Rain in April and May reduced yields. Then there was a spike of extreme heat at the end of June which literally scorched some exposed grapes. The summer continued dry but not unduly hot. Perfectly timed rain in late August and early September helped to swell the grapes and set the scene for a perfect harvest. No rain fell for another five weeks. The aromas coming from the lagares were magnificent from the start and good wines were made throughout the Douro from the beginning to end of harvest.

It came as no surprise when the 2011s were universally declared in early 2013. These are wines characterised by their structure, ripeness and expression of fruit, backed by broad, fine-grained tannins. This was the first year when major houses also declared tiny quantities of super-premium, site-specific wines.

Best wines

• Capaela do Vesúvio
• Cockburn
• Croft
• Dow
• Fonseca
• Graham
• Graham’s The Stone Terraces
• Niepoort
• Niepoort Bioma
• Poças
• Quinta da Romaneira
• Quinta de la Rosa
• Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha
• Quinta do Noval
• Quinta do Noval Nacional
• Ramos Pinto
• Taylor
• Warre

For a more detailed report see Port 2011: Vintage guide and what to buy

2010

Drink

An uneven year with generally high yields, in which old vines produced some powerful single-quinta wines that are drinking well now and until 2035.

2.5/5

Vintage summary

An uneven year with heavy winter rain followed by a hot, dry summer. With heavy yields, grapes struggled to ripen and the harvest was a prolonged, stop-start affair due to rain.

No declaration but there are some lovely, soft, fragrant single-quinta Ports for relatively early drinking.

Best wines

• Quinta do Bomfim
• Quinta dos Canais
• Quinta dos Malvedos

2009

Keep

A hot year producing ripe, opulent wines. Drink 2030-2050 and over the long term. SQVPs are already good to drink.

4/5

Vintage summary

A year that divided opinions: the growing season began early and stayed ahead all the way through to an early harvest. The summer was hot and dry to the start of picking, which produced grapes with huge ripeness and concentration. The resulting wines are dense and opulent, reflecting the hot year.

There was a limited declaration: Taylor’s, Fonseca and Croft declared, as well as Warre’s. Other shippers opted for a single-quinta vintage.

Best wines

• Croft
• Fonseca
• Quinta de Ervamoira
• Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha
• Quinta dos Canais
• Quinta Senhora da Ribeira
• Taylor
• Warre

2008

Drink

Small harvest produced some outstanding single-quinta wines that are ready to drink now or keep. Noval declared.

3.5/5

Vintage summary

After a dry winter, double rations of rain drenched the Douro throughout April. The damp, stormy weather encouraged mildew, while low May temperatures delayed flowering. Fruit set was low and patchy. Cool, dry weather continued throughout June and July, and the usual intense heat of August never materialised. Instead of the hot, dry winds from the Spanish plain – the usual scenario – later summer was cooled further by damp Atlantic breezes.

The unseasonal temperatures postponed ripening. Although early September rain ushered in a very warm period to kick-start sugar accumulation, by mid-month the port grapes still weren’t ready. A dreary long-range outlook had some growers panic-picking– unfortunate, since others enjoyed perfect harvest weather (23 September to mid-October) and could pick well-ripened berries more judiciously. The yield was low and harvested fruit healthy, with soft, thinnish skins as a result of the cooler temperatures. The pressings soon revealed a fine acidity and lovely aromas.

On St George’s Day the following April, as is traditional, the vintage was declared by the major port house, although uniquely for single quintas. These vary from lighter, less imposing styles – but nonetheless ripe and luxuriant – like Dow’s Quinta Senhora de Ribeira to richer, rounded and silkier offerings such as Taylor’s highly-rated Terra Feita. Good grip, finish and ripe fruit will be hallmarks. General quality will of course be quite varied: those who brought in under-ripe fruit will have struggled to make wines of sufficient power and richness.

Best wines

• Guimaraens
• Quinta da Roeda
• Quinta de Terra Feita
• Quinta de Vargellas
• Quinta do Panascal
• Quinta do Vesuvio
• Senhora de Ribeira

2007

Keep

Widely declared. A relatively cool growing season produced wines with great purity and definition for drinking over the medium- to long-term. Drink from now.

4/5

Vintage summary

Apart from a dry January, winter was wet and the water table amply replenished for the season ahead. There were few early spring frosts and bud-burst came early, at the beginning of a sunny March. Unsettled weather in May disrupted fruit set in some locations and the overall yield is down. June and July remained unsettled, delaying the onset of ripening and exacerbating anxieties over mildew. Grapes remained green right into August, though mercifully the weather was now much drier and ripening was able to pick up pace. In September the temperatures soared and ripening was continuous and consistent right up until harvesting began – around 10 days later than usual, at the end of September. Picking continued into October under clear, blue skies.

These aren’t blockbuster Ports – the vintage wasn’t hot enough for that – but are instead very elegant wines with a subtle power of their own. Fragrant too – intense violet and raspberry aromas are typical. The cooler than usual summer promoted superb acidity and also good colour extraction thanks to the grapes’ soft skins. Tannins are distinctive: fine yet sweet and rich, and the vintage should be exceptionally long-lived (15+ years). Touriga Nacional grapes in particular benefited from the vintage’s more temperate ripening conditions, while the Barocca struggled a little to reach its rich full potential.

Best wines

• Dow’s
• Fonseca
• Gould Campbell
• Graham
• Quinta de la Rosa
• Quinta do Vesuvio
• Quinto do Noval
• Quinta do Vale Meao
• Taylor

2006

Drink

Variable year. Some good single-quinta wines for the medium term, especially from the Douro Superior.

3/5

Vintage summary

Heavy winter rains replenished the drought-exhausted water table, while bud-burst began early April (later than usual). Good weather followed and flowering took place during the hottest May in 40 years. Strong winds in late May reduced fruit set in higher vineyards. Temperatures steadily increased until a severe hailstorm hit vineyards in the Pinhão and the Rio Torto valleys in the middle of June. Several vineyards lost up to 30% of the crop. A hot July followed, superseded by a cooler August and some very welcome rain indeed. More hot weather late August and early September caused some raisining and crop reduction in exposed vineyards. Picking began mid-September just ahead of an unsettled spell, though dry winds helped keep the grapes healthy.

Yields were down almost everywhere by at least 15%; in some places the Barroca yield was more than halved. The thicker-skinned Touriga Nacional and Franca varieties reacted best to the heat – the Touriga Nacional in particular had the potential to produce wonderfully complex and aromatic wines with an impressive depth of black fruit. Average quality is good to very good, but there are some very fine examples to be found.

Best wines

• Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira
• Quinta de Roriz
• Quinta do Portal
• Quinta do Vesuvio

2005

Drink

A year of severe drought. Powerful, concentrated single-quinta wines and a handful of outright declarations.

3/5

Vintage summary

With only 6mm of rain in June and none at all in July and August, the vines were showing signs of severe stress at the end of August. Vines located in high areas as well as old vines with deep roots produced the best grapes as they were able to best deal with the dry weather. Disease was not be a factor this year due to the exceptionally dry weather. Good flowering and fruit-set earlier played a key role in maintaining yields despite the drought. On 6 September the weather changed and a steady rain fell for several hours. The rain was followed by clear skies. Afterwards there was absolutely perfect weather with cool nights and some heavy dew. The harvesting weather could not have been better.

2004

Drink

A successful single-quinta year, well-balanced wines mostly ready to drink now until 2030.

3/5

Vintage summary

The growing season was extraordinary, with wet weather at the end of 2003 and an incredibly dry start to 2004. At Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim, just 147mm of rain fell during the first four months of the year – less than half the 10-year average. Flowering went well in all three Douro sub-regions but fruit-set was slightly less successful due to very rapid shoot growth encouraged by the warm, sunny conditions in May. July was hot with temperatures reaching 40℃. Vineyards remained in excellent condition but as August approached, growers became concerned as to how the vines would cope with the low water reserves in the soil.

Then rain fell on three consecutive days in early August, followed by yet more rainfall in the middle of the month, making this the wettest August in the north of Portugal for 104 years. The weather remained abnormally cool and overcast into September, slowing down the ripening process. When wet, unsettled weather returned in the first week of September, growers faced a major dilemma: start picking under-ripe grapes early before rot sets in, or hold on in the hope of better weather. Most held their nerve and, luckily, the sunshine returned. Sugar levels rose suddenly, taking many by surprise, and continued to rise as temperatures exceeded 30℃. Picking began around the middle of the month and continued through uninterrupted sunshine.

Not a drop of rain fell until 8 October by which time the harvest was all but complete. In 40 harvests, Peter Symington (winemaker for Dow, Graham and Warre) commented that he had never seen a vintage that could have swung so easily between near disaster or success.

2003

Keep/Drink

A long, hot summer produced ripe, opulent wines. Widely declared. Drink from now until 2050.

4.5/5

Vintage summary

The Douro Valley is not averse to a blast of heat and in 2003 this was balanced by plenty of rainfall at just the right time. The previous winter had been abnormally wet, with more than double the 10-year average rainfall. Spring was mild and budburst was early, but yet more rain fell in April. Flowering took place in late May in perfect conditions. Mid-June was hot, heavy rain at the end of the month and in mid-July proved to be enormously beneficial. The notorious 2003 heatwave arrived in the first two weeks of August. While the Douro is used to daytime temperatures in excess of 40℃, night-time temperatures staying above 30℃ are more unusual, and nerves were frayed. Rain fell again at the end of August. This was crucial to the quality of the fruit harvested a few days later.

Taylor’s began picking at São Xisto in the Douro Superior on 8 September, with the Cima Corgo growers downstream following a week or so later. Fine, abnormally warm weather continued until 29 September when the first autumn depression swept in from the Atlantic. By this time all the best wines had already been made. Although few shippers divulge the size of their declaration, in general the 2003 vintage amounted to about 30% less than 2000.

Best wines

• Croft
• Dow’s
• Fonseca
• Graham
• Quinta do Noval
• Taylor
• Warre

2002

Drink now

After high hopes at the outset, 2002 proved to be something of a damp squib due to a wet harvest.

2/5

Vintage summary

Winter was dry and there was very little rain during the summer, although fortunately without any of the extreme heat that can burn the grapes on the vine. Rain in early September helped to swell the berries and by the middle of the month the grapes were in near-perfect condition. However, just as picking commenced in the Cima Corgo, the weather broke and for most it became a stop-start vintage between bouts of torrential rain. The rain continued on and off well into October. Those who managed to pick before the rain (mostly in the Douro Superior) had small quantities of good, possibly outstanding wines.

2001

Drink

Mid-weight wines, mostly single-quinta. Soft and supple now.

3/5

Vintage summary

After one of the wettest winters since records began, mild and humid conditions led to an early bud-burst in March. From April onwards the weather cleared and only 110mm of rain fell until the end of August. With flowering taking place under optimum conditions and the ground-water supplies thoroughly replenished, there was a large crop. Temperatures were uneven during August but rain at the end of the month helped to swell the grapes. The weather was generally fine during picking with warm days and cold nights.

After a unanimous declaration in 2000, it would have been surprising if the main shippers had chosen to declare 2001 as well. Most declared either single-quinta Port or under their second label. The exception was Quinta do Noval, which declared Nacional – made in tiny quantities and certainly one of the best wines of the vintage.

Best wines

• Fonseca Guimaraens
• Niepoort Secundum
• Pocas
• Quinta da Terra Feit
• Quinta das Carvalhas
• Quinta dos Canais
• Quinta do Noval Nacional
• Quinta do Panascal
• Quinta do Vesuvio
• Quinta Senhora da Ribeira

2000

Keep

A small harvest produced fine, concentrated wines that were universally declared. Approach from now: the best will last a lifetime.

5/5

Vintage summary

After pleasantly wet weather during and following the 1999 harvest, the winter was cold and dry. Bud-burst occurred during this abnormally dry period and potential yields were reduced. Then, during April and May the heavens opened and half the normal annual rainfall fell in just two months. Flowering in late May coincided with heavy showers and cool weather, which caused coulure, particularly in the A-grade vineyards at lower altitudes which flower first. Yields were cut further as a result.

Warm, dry weather returned during June and July and the ripening was homogenous, occurring in mid-July. The dry weather continued through August. A few days of rain in mid-September helped to finish off ripening prior to the harvest, which began around 20 September. Yields per vine of little over half-a-kilo produced musts of extraordinary richness and concentration. As the sun continued to shine during picking, it became clear that a fine vintage was in the offing.

Overall the 2000 vintage is remarkable for the sheer depth of colour and richness that is evident in nearly all the wines. They are notable for their aromatic qualities together with their balance and harmony. The best match ripe, fleshy fruit with structure and concentration, while those that lack intensity merely show up as being sweet and rather one-dimensional.

Best wines

• Fonseca
• Graham’s
• Niepoort
• Quinta do Noval
• Quinta do Noval Nacional

Related articles

• Port vintage guide: 1960-1999
• Vintage Port 2000 and 2003: panel tasting results
• Cheese and Port matching guide

Richard Mayson, Shane Jones and Demetri Walters MW tasted 24 wines, with 7 Outstanding and 10 Highly recommended.

Vintage Port 2000 and 2003 panel tasting scores

24 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 7

Highly recommended 10

Recommended 4

Commended 1

Fair 1

Poor 1

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their single vintage Ports from 2000 and 2003, including single quinta bottlings but not colheita

As a rule of thumb, 21 years marks the coming of age for both an adult and for a vintage Port. So it was with great interest that we revisited two millennial vintages potentially on the cusp of adulthood and maturity.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the vintage Port 2000 and 2003 panel tasting

At the outset, 2000 and 2003 were very different years in the Douro. Cool and wet weather early in the 2000 growing season led to a low-yielding vintage, especially in the leading A-grade vineyards that are the basis for vintage Port.

The summer was hot and dry – though not unduly so – and picking took place in perfect sunshine. Yields of little more than 0.5kg per vine produced musts of great richness and concentration. For Graham’s, it was a landmark vintage as it was the first in which about a third of the wine was made in what were, at the time, new-fangled robotic lagares (large, flat open tanks equipped with mechanical ‘treaders’ for crushing the grapes).

By contrast, 2003 was marked by a very hot summer. The first blast of heat came in mid-June and the thermometer rose above 40°C on a daily basis from late July though to mid-August (even the nights remained abnormally warm). Fortunately, the wet winter that came before meant there was plenty of groundwater, and ripening, though hampered by the heat, was fairly even. Some sugar readings were extraordinarily high by mid-September. The heat continued through the early part of the 2003 harvest and fermentations needed to be very carefully managed. For Croft, having recently been acquired by Taylor Fonseca, this was the first harvest since 1963 to be foot-trodden.

These contrasting conditions were fully displayed in this tasting. The 2000s (average score 92.5pts) showed definition and poise, with the best wines only just ready to drink and promising a long life ahead. Shane Jones thought 2000 was ‘the star of the show… with concentration and freshness from more balanced acidity’. Demetri Walters MW felt that both years were ‘bold, vivid and full of personality’ but described the 2000s as ‘altogether more contained, backward, grippy, fresher in acidity and fruit character’.

All members of the panel remarked on the ripeness (verging on overripeness) of the 2003s (average score 89pts). Too many wines were ‘stewed’, ‘cooked’ or ‘soupy’, lacking the poise (at least at this stage) of the 2000s. ‘Jammy’ was my verdict on many of the 2003s. As a result, we all felt that the 2000s were the wines that were going to last the course (beyond 2050 for the best). Walters concluded: ‘In absolute quality and longevity, the 2000s have it.’

But 2003 is not in any way a year to be written off – as the scores here show. There are those (including the Port shippers themselves) who favour a hot year: ‘Harder to make and, like all hot years, take much longer to come around,’ in the words of David Guimaraens, head winemaker for The Fladgate Partnership, producer of Taylor’s, Fonseca, Croft and Krohn. That may apply to the very best of the 2003s but, as things stand, the 2000s are the wines that will give the most pleasure.

Vintage Port 2000 and 2003 panel tasting scores

The judges

Richard Mayson is the DWWA Regional Chair for Port & Madeira and series editor of the Infinite Ideas Classic Wine Library. The 4th edition of his book Port and the Douro was published in 2018 (£35) and the 5th edition is due out in 2023. Find his work at richardmayson.com.

Shane Jones is an independent wine and sake educator, certified by the WSET and Sake Sommelier Association. A DWWA judge for Port & Madeira, he is based in London but teaches around the UK, as well as in France and Germany.

Demetri Walters MW is an independent wine consultant, educator, online and TV presenter and judge. He formerly worked over 18 years in varying roles for merchant Berry Bros & Rudd, and became a Master of Wine in 2013. He publishes his own website demetriwalterswine.com.

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The 2020 vintage marks the 10th Port declaration in a row for Quinta do Noval. This emblematic and highly visible estate in the Pinhão Valley has always taken a somewhat idiosyncratic approach to vintage Port.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for a decade of Quinta do Noval releases

For example, it was one very few houses to declare the 1931 vintage at a time when there seemed to be no market for the wine. The Noval 1931 has subsequently gained legendary status. Indeed I can vouch for this, having tasted the wine last year and been taken aback by its enduring tannic grip, extraordinary length and pizazz.

Noval continued to do its own thing through the 1970s and 1980s when the quality of the wines from this magnificent property sadly fell somewhat below par. It was rescued by AXA Millésimes in 1993 when Christian Seely took charge and spent the next decade ‘putting things right’ to use his own words.

With money to invest, the vineyard was largely replanted and the winemaking thoroughly overhauled. Continuity was maintained by the technical director, António Agrellos, who retired after 24 years at the end of 2017 to be succeeded by his nephew Carlos.

Estates and terroir

Noval now extends to over 180ha and spills over from the Pinhão Valley to neighbouring Roncão, both tributaries of the Douro. Nicknamed ‘roasted Roncão’ because of the intense heat, Seely points out that these two very different terroirs now contribute to the vintage blend with Roncão having ‘harder schist’ than Pinhão (‘just in case you thought all schist was the same’).

In 2018 Noval bought up Quinta do Passadouro, a contiguous estate in the Pinhão Valley which will continue to produce its own Ports and red wines.

The altitude of the estate now extends from 100m above sea level to 500m. The diversity of grape varieties (mostly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Sousão and Tinto Cão), exposures and altitudes means that in most years picking will take place over six weeks or more, starting in late August for the white grapes.

In 2020 however the harvest was compressed into just over three weeks as all the different varieties seemed to ripen together which tested the capacity of the winery, mid-pandemic.

Quality and quantity

Looking back over the decade, the 2010s have been remarkable for Port. Shippers were spoilt for choice and some declared an unprecedented three years in a row. Noval has done it differently, declaring a wine every year from the outstanding (and universally declared) 2011 vintage onwards. When challenged, Seely says the wines speak for themselves.

‘Which of these do you think is not worthy of declaration? I wouldn’t have declared if I didn’t think the wine justified it,’ he says. He adds that ‘vintage Port is a maximum of 15% of the total production of Noval’ with quantities varying over the last decade from 6,000 9-litre cases in 2016 to just 700 in 2014. In that year the strictest selection was vital to maintain quality.

The Nacional vineyard

Literally at the heart of the estate is the 1.6ha Nacional vineyard, an extraordinary patch of ungrafted vines that has survived on its own roots, post-phylloxera. The name derives from the fact that the vines are directly rooted in ‘the soil of the nation’. The Nacional vineyard is much less vigorous than the surrounding vineyard with yields about half of that elsewhere on the estate. This makes for wines with extraordinary power and concentration, but also finesse.

The plot has been certified organic since 2013 and is worked manually and ploughed by mule. Production is usually 200-300 cases in a declared year (the 1931 Nacional is now so rare that it is unobtainable).

Noval makes a Nacional wine every year but it only sees light of day if it is truly up to scratch. For example Seeley reports that the 2015 Nacional is ‘very, very tannic and closed’ and may never be released. He calls these bottlings the ‘secret Nacionals’.

So far five Nacional wines have been released in the last decade including 2020. Seely says: ‘There are years when we know straight after treading in lagar that we will be declaring a Nacional Vintage Port – and 2020 was one of these’. He describes it as ‘outstanding from the beginning’ and looking at my note on the wine (below) it is hard to disagree. Half the production is being released now with the rest kept back for future release.

Colheitas

Seely is a convert to colheita Port, wines from a single harvest that are kept in pipe (barrel) to soften and age like a tawny Port prior to bottling. Noval has been laying down colheitas since the 1990s – ‘I wish I had laid down more’ comments Seely. There is speculation that a Nacional Colheita may be among the so-called ‘secret Nacionals’.

The most recent Noval Colheita to be released is the 2009, about a quarter of which was bottled earlier this year with the rest kept back to bottle later.

The decade of wines listed below are a fitting tribute to two generations of the Argellos family who look after the estate and the winemaking. They are also testament to the work done by Seely, who has spent nearly 20 years re-capturing the soul of Noval, steering it back to its rightful place as one of the great terroirs of the Douro. Never one to run with the herd, Quinta do Noval retains its idiosyncratic and individualistic spirit.

See tasting notes and scores for a decade of Quinta do Noval releases

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Those of us who live for a good vintage Port have never had it so good. After declarations in 2016, 2017 and 2018, 2019 represents the fourth consecutive good year for Port.

But the 2019 vintage Ports (declared earlier this year and listed below) are the result of an erratic growing season, with a little over 50% of the average winter rainfall and almost none during the summer months.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for Richard Mayson’s top Port 2019 bottles

Fortunately for the growers there was no extreme summer heat with June temperatures (a hot month in previous years) 4℃ below average.

Light rain at the end of August and again around the equinox served to swell the grapes and contributed to even ripening. Lower than average temperatures during vintage helped to preserve natural freshness and definition and allowed later ripening varieties to reach their full potential.

For those who held their nerve, the late-ripening Touriga Franca grape (often not picked until well into October) performed particularly well – often out-performing Touriga Nacional.

Yields were close to average in contrast with much smaller, more concentrated years in 2017 and 2018. The Symington family (owners of Cockburn, Dow, Graham, Warre and Quinta do Vesúvio) picked grapes over six weeks making this one of the longest harvests in recent years.

From the winemakers

The resulting wines are, in Charles Symington’s words, ‘lively and exuberant’ in contrast to the concentration from exceptionally small years in 2017 and 2018.

Christian Seely of Quinta do Noval (one of the top-scoring wines in this tasting) comments: ‘The purity, complexity and character of the 2019s reflect these ideal conditions.’ Noval also declared Quinta do Noval Nacional having bypassed 2018.

Luís Sottomayor from Ferreira and Sandeman describes 2019 as ‘a very good year with freshness and great balance’. While Márcio Nobrega, head of viticulture at Sogevinus, also highlights the freshness of the year describing the wines as ‘aromatic with assertive tannins’.

For Dirk Niepoort from the eponymous Port house, 2019 was ‘not as perfect as 2017’ – which was Niepoort’s last declaration – with 2019 ‘possibly bigger but still a very elegant year. The wines will come together, get richer and more “drinky”,’ he adds, though this is an optimistic expression to my mind.

At the launch of his 2019 Niepoort compared the wine to the successful 2000 vintage.

Single quintas

The Symingtons have bottled six single quinta vintage Ports from 2019. They have released two en primeur – Quinta do Vesúvio and Dow’s Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira – and are holding back stocks of the other wines for future release.

Having declared Taylors for an unprecedented three years in a row, the Fladgate Partnership (Croft, Fonseca and Taylor) is also withholding their wines for later release.

The 2019 wines are generally well-priced (especially the single quintas) varying from around £150 in bond for a case of six for Quinta de la Rosa, doubling to around £300 for Noval and £350 for Niepoort.

Some of the single quinta 2019s are already amazingly approachable if you like your Port young. However the more structured wines deserve to be kept for 15-20 years.

Some of the best wines have a green, leafy edge to them at this stage, which alongside the purity of fruit should serve for the long term, keeping well into the latter half of the 21st century.

See tasting notes and scores for Richard Mayson’s top Port 2019 bottles

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The buses in a West Yorkshire town used to be referred to as ‘grapes’: they were red, you waited for ages and then they came along in a bunch. There is something of the same to be said about Port vintages these days, with the last four years declared in a row.

Scroll down to see Richard Mayson’s top Vintage Port 2018 tasting notes and scores

It used to be a rule of thumb that declared vintages would number about three a decade; 1960, 1963, and 1966 being a case in point. Then there could be long gaps like that between 1985 and 1991/2.

But in recent years Port drinkers have been faced with an embarras de richesse with declarations taking place in 2015, 2016 and 2017 followed by yet another successful year in 2018.

Taylor’s who declared outright in 2016 and 2017, declared again in 2018; the first time in history that they have made three classic vintage declarations in a row.

Adrian Bridge, managing director of the Fladgate Partnership justifies this, saying: ‘Our principle is that we declare a Classic Vintage when the quality is there. This is dictated by the year, not by any other consideration. In 2018, overall conditions were excellent but in the Douro Superior they were exceptional’.

Luís Sottomayor, responsible for Ferreira, Offley and Sandeman is even more fulsome. ‘2018 is one of the best, not the best vintage I have witnessed. The special conditions experienced during the 2018 harvest came together to produce wines that combine extraordinary elegance with an unusual structure…’

Although 2018 has proved to be a good harvest across the board, not everyone is quite so effusive. Speaking for Cockburn, Dow, Graham and Warre, Harry Symington comments that they had ‘small quantities of excellent wine, but this was not consistent throughout the region, so we decided against a full declaration’.

Cockburn’s had already declared an unprecedented three years in a row with 2015, 2016 and 2017 and all the Symington Port houses declared Single Quinta Vintage Ports (SQVPs) in 2018.

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Growing conditions

From the grower’s point of view 2018 was certainly a roller coaster of a year. Ana Rosas of Ramos Pinto says: ‘It was one of the most challenging years for viticulture, however the wines produced are very pure with exceptional fruit.’

Dirk Niepoort has opted not to declare any 2018 adding: ‘Since we picked the grapes quite early, as usual, in 2018, we think that the 2018s don’t have the concentration, richness – and particularly not the complexity – for us to declare. It seems that 2018 might be “great” when picked late…’

The year was preceded by 22 months of drought, interrupted by a wet spring then followed by a summer heat wave, when temperatures rose to 45℃ in parts of the Douro Superior.

It was the groundwater that saved the year and the late-ripening Touriga Franca grape gave the wines acidity, lending them freshness and definition.

It is interesting to observe how many vintage Ports are now made up from a fairly precise varietal mix rather than from the interplanted field blend of old vines that has historically been at the core of the finest wines. There is no rule on when a vine becomes ‘old’ but it is worth remembering that some of the early varietal vineyards in the Douro are now between 30 and 40 years of age.

The vintage Port market

Due to the pandemic, the market for vintage Port has been rather skewed this year. A few wines were offered en primeur in the early summer of 2020, including Quinta do Noval, Quinta do Vesúvio and Dow’s Senhora da Ribeira.

The other wines from the Symingtons have been kept back for later release. Taylor’s will only be released for sale early in 2021. Opening prices for the top wines were around £280/six bottles in bond but, as this is not a fully declared year, expect some well-priced SQVPs for drinking over the medium- to long-term.

The wines below were tasted over the summer of 2020. They form an impressive line-up, the best characterised by ripeness, freshness and thereby wonderful balance. One or two show the heat of the vintage.

I will give the last word on 2018 to Adrian Bridge: ‘We have to follow the wine, not the economy… We want to make these wines when they come along and we don’t know when the next one is coming along.’ Just like those buses…

Port 2018: top recommendations

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The 2018 Port vintage is being widely heralded, as the leading Port houses start to make their annual declarations. Taylor’s Port has taken the decision to declare a classic vintage for a highly unusual third consecutive year, following its declaration of the 2016 and 2017 vintages.

‘Although a Classic declaration normally only happens about three times a decade, the exceptional run of years has meant that Taylor’s is able to make a third in a row,’ said Taylor’s managing director Adrian Bridge.

‘This is very unusual but our principle is that we only declare a Classic Vintage when the quality is there and this is dictated by the year, not by any other consideration.’ Bridge added that in light of the current global situation the house would bottle in July as usual, but not offer the wines for sale until early 2021.

Fonseca and Croft, which like Taylor’s are owned by The Fladgate Partnership, will also be releasing 2018 bottlings. Commenting on the general quality of the vintage, head winemaker David Guimaraens said: ‘The 2018 harvest has produced outstanding vintage Ports, although the year was not without its challenges. These included the severe hailstorm which devastated many Pinhão Valley vineyards on 28 May.’ He noted that 2018 Ports have ‘the highest colour intensity of recent vintages, always a sign of good extraction and longevity’.

Guimaraens highlighted ‘exceptional’ growing conditions in the Douro Superior in particular. ‘The Douro Superior enjoyed the combination of abundant ground water and hot summer weather which often produces great vintage Port. It has given us the excellent phenolic maturity typical of a hot ripening season but the fine multi-layered fruit, fresh acidity we normally see in cooler years.’

Fonseca will release a 2018 Guimaraens vintage Port; the first bottling under the Guimaraens label since 2015. ‘The Guimaraens concept is unique; a wine with the same make up and character as the classic Fonseca Vintages but made in a more approachable, early-drinking style,’ explained Bridge.

Single-quinta 2018 Ports

Croft will be releasing a single-quinta 2018 vintage from its Quinta da Roêda estate. It joins releases from six of the principal quintas owned by Symington Family Estates. Two of the company’s Douro Superior estates – Quinta do Vesuvio and Dow’s Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira – will be released en primeur this year.

Symington, like Taylor, made its first back-to-back general declaration last year. Charles Symington, fourth generation winemaker, explained that for 2018 the decision was taken to focus instead on single estates, which he described as ‘the ultimate expression of Douro terroir’.

As well as the 965 cases of Quinta do Vesuvio and 510 cases of Dow’s Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira released this year, Symington has selected four other 2018 vintage Ports – Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos, Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim, Warre’s Quinta da Cavadinha and Cockburn’s Quinta dos Canais – which will age in the company’s cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia for future release.

Available now, in limited quantities, Ramos Pinto has also declared its Quinta do Bom Retiro 2018 vintage Port. Jorge Rosas, CEO of Ramos Pinto, described the 2018 as ‘the definition of elegance’.

Quinta do Noval

Quinta do Noval has also been declared, with 1,600 cases set for release. Managing director Christian Seely commented: ‘It will perhaps come as no surprise that we are declaring the Quinta do Noval 2018 Vintage Port. Like 2017, 2018 was a year of low yields, but for different reasons. 2017 was a year of extreme drought, while 2018 was marked in the first part of the year by heavy rainfall. This meant that potential yields were naturally much reduced by the difficulties of the flowering period. Subsequently however, a long hot dry summer ensued.’

Seely added that this ‘excellent ripening period’ produced a ‘magnificently ripe, profound and expressive’ Quinta do Noval 2018 blend, derived from a strict selection of the quinta’s top lots.

‘Both Touriga Nacional and Touriga Francesa flourished in 2018, in particular the Francesa which benefited from the ideal ripening conditions, and this vintage Port blend is dominated by these two varietals,’ he noted.

Earlier declarations

These latest announcements follow on from news earlier in April, when Sogrape announced the declaration for its estates Sandeman, Offley and Ferreira. ‘2018 is one of the best, if not the best, vintage years I have witnessed,’ stated Sogrape’s winemaker Luís Sottomayor.

‘The special conditions experienced during the 2018 harvest came together to produce wines that combine extraordinary elegance with an unusual structure, thus achieving excellent complexity and balance, with great ageing potential,’ he added.

See Richard's top six picks below, plus his detailed vintage guide back to 1960.

When it comes to vintage Port, we’ve never had it so good – an unprecedented run of fine vintages in 2017, 2016 and 2015 were all worthy of an outright declaration, with 2018 and 2019 looking promising too.

But to drink these wines now would be infanticide, so it begs the question: what Port to drink now while these wonderful recent vintages slowly mature?

Fortunately, some of the rather good years in the 2000s and 1990s are now becoming approachable. They divide between so-called ‘classic’ declarations and single-quinta vintage Ports (SQVPs). The main difference is that SQVP is generally ready to drink after 10 years rather than 20, and priced at £25-£45 a bottle, these wines are less than half the price of a bottle from a fully declared vintage.

The most recent single-quinta year that is becoming approachable is 2010. From a large crop, those estates with old vines at their core produced some lovely, balanced, fruit-driven wines that are just being released. With a backbone of fragrant Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca, Cockburn’s Quinta dos Canais looks like a good wine for the medium term.

In complete contrast, 2008 was a low-yielding year with a lot of single-quinta Ports, many yet to be released. In general, the wines are aromatic but still show restraint and are characterised by their freshness and purity of fruit backed by structured tannins. Taylor’s Quinta de Terra Feita and Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos both look very promising.

A run of three good years in the mid-2000s produced SQVPs, all of which are now fully ready to drink. 2006 and 2005 made big, ripe-flavoured wines. A few shippers, notably Niepoort, thought 2005 was good enough to declare outright. Both vintages made wines that can be enjoyed now and will last into the 2030s and beyond.

By contrast, 2004 was a near-disaster due to untimely rain, but swung to success with a fine harvest that produced balanced, well-structured wines perfect for drinking now. Warre’s Quinta da Cavadinha 2004 is well defined with plum and black cherry fruit supported by firm tannins.

See Richard Mayson’s Port vintage guide here

Raring to go

When it comes to fully declared years, 2011, 2009, 2007, 2003 and 2000 are, on the whole, not yet ready to drink. The opulent 2003s will be ready first with Cockburn’s, Croft and Ramos Pinto just on the cusp.

For Port to drink now, go back a decade to two contrasting years: 1997 and 1994. The latter year proved to be a watershed after some patchy declarations in the 1980s and early 1990s: Croft, Ramos Pinto and Taylor’s performed well in a recent comparative tasting, showing the characteristic eloquence of the 1994 vintage. The 1997s were more demure at the outset and perhaps a little more forward now. Fonseca and Taylor’s already show purity of fruit and have the structure to continue to drink well for the next 20 years or so.

Going back to the 1980s, there is a caveat emptor on some of the 1985s, though Fonseca is faultless and in my opinion the leading wine of the vintage. Dow’s, Graham’s and Warre’s all performed well in 1983, as well as three years earlier in 1980. These wines would be my selection for drinking this Christmas, unless of course you have access to the 1977s and 1970s.

From 1977, Fonseca is a tower of strength with Dow’s and Graham’s 1970 both worthy of being ranked alongside the 20th-century greats.

How to serve

All vintage Port, be it single-quinta or a classic declaration, is treated in the same way, with the minimum of intervention before bottling. All throw a crust (sediment) in bottle as they age and require decanting.

Leave the bottle upright for an hour or two then slowly pour the wine into a decanter against a good light (a candle if you want to be romantic). Nothing needs to be wasted: decant the wine before dinner and the sediment makes a good addition to a casserole or gravy.

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Port 2017

A magnificent vintage, hard on the heels of 2016. Rich, intense, powerful fruit-driven wines balanced by unusual freshness and verve.

5/5

When I broached the selection of early-released 2017 Port, I fully expected to see all the hallmarks of a hot vintage. This was, after all, the earliest harvest in living memory, with picking taking place at the end of August.

By the time the harvest normally begins (the closest Monday to 21 September is my rule of thumb), all the best grapes were in and it seemed as that yet another exceptional year was on the cards.I emphasise ‘another’, because the widely declared 2017 vintage followed hard on the heels of the general declaration of 2016 and, for some shippers, a declaration in 2015 as well.

Scroll down to see Richard’s Port 2017 tasting notes & scores

It’s rare to get back-to-back vintage declarations – for some houses you have to go back to 1934/35 (Fonseca for example) but for others, not since 1846/47 have two generally-declared Port vintages come one after the other.

For Cockburn, who benefitted from a successful harvest in 2015, this is an unprecedented third declared vintage in a row.

A succession of years like this leads one’s thoughts towards climate change and global warming. There may of course be something in this, as there hasn’t been a dreary vintage in the Douro since 2002 and no really poor year since 1993.

More often than not, excess heat is the problem but this wasn’t an overriding factor in 2017. After a wet end to 2016, the growing season started about a week earlier than usual, with budburst taking place around 10 March.

The spring was exceptionally warm and dry, with a blast of heat in late June. After a major storm on 5 July the weather calmed down, which helped to even out the ripening. By mid-August, growers were being called back from their holidays and by 25 August picking was well underway, nearly a month earlier than normal.

Drought

The weather conditions in 2017 were the driest since 1945, a legendary Port vintage with which the shippers are already making a direct comparison.

Thankfully, the Douro’s grape varieties are particularly drought resistant, and deep-rooted old vines produced tiny yields of super-ripe grapes in 2017, 30% down on a normal year – the Symingtons reported yields averaging just 860 grams per vine (compared to the 1.08kg 10-year average).

But even the more recently planted Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca vineyards performed exceptionally well, the latter resisting the drought on sun-drenched south-facing slopes.

Not many of us have memories of the 1945 vintage though, so what of the back-to-back vintages of 2016/17?

Declarations

All the leading shippers declared both years with the exception of Sandeman and Ferreira, who passed on 2017 (‘too hot’ said the two brands’ winemaker, Luís Sottomayor), and Niepoort and Ramos Pinto who both favoured 2015 over 2016. The shippers are clear that 2017 is at least equal in stature to its immediate predecessor but very different in style.

In a joint statement at the launch of their wines, Adrian Bridge (Taylor, Fonseca, Croft), Johnny Symington (Cockburn, Dow, Graham, Warre, Quinta do Vesúvio) and Christian Seely (Quinta do Noval) said that whereas ‘the hallmarks of the 2016s were elegance and finesse, the 2017s are classic “old school” vintage Ports, deep and intense, with rich, dark multi-layered fruit and powerful, compact tannins’.

I would add to this by saying that there is nothing ‘hot’, ‘baked’ or ‘stewed’ about the wines from 2017. The impression these wines give at this stage is of ripeness and concentration backed by wonderful freshness. It’s not often that I use the word ‘acidity’ in association with Port but it is implicit in my notes, such is the fresh and mouthwatering character of many of these wines.

Johnny Graham (Churchill) sums this up when he talks about ‘a raw vibrancy….combining a purity of fruit with a vein of natural acidity’, while Dirk Niepoort – who compares his eponymous 2017 to 1945, 1955 and 1970 – sums it up in one word: ‘balance’.

Lucky number?

As Adrian Bridge pointed out to the assembled wine trade and wine writers at the recent launch of the 2017 Port vintage in London, seven has a habit of being a lucky number for the Port trade.

There’s 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.

1967 proved to be a good year, declared by some in preference to 1966 (notably Cockburn), then you go back another 20 years to 1947, an outstanding year declared hard on the heels of 1945 at a time when there was really no market for vintage Port.

Then there’s 1927, perhaps the finest vintage of the 20th century. Perhaps 2017 is already shaping up to be one of the finest years of the 21st century but there’s already stiff competition from 2000, the universally declared 2011s, and 2016. This gives plenty of scope for fascinating comparisons around dinner tables in about 25 years time or more – I have put some of the drink dates up to 2060, but I’m sure that these wines will last beyond this.

Port 2017: Richard’s top recommendations

The following wines are my own selection of the best and most representative Ports of the 2017 vintage. Over the months of May and June I tasted over 40 vintage Ports, mostly on two or three occasions before finally rating the wines. Where possible I have given background details on each of the wines as well as tasting notes.

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Revisiting vintage Port 1994: From the archive

Tasting Quinta do Noval Port: A look back in time

It's the time of year when many of us wine lovers begin to consider our Port selection ahead of the festive celebrations. Below, you can find Richard Mayson's full report on a re-tasting of the 'landmark' 1994 Port vintage, including the top wines.

Originally published in Decanter magazine's January 2015 issue and now available to Premium subscribers for the first time.

In 1998, 11 tasters representing the great and the good of the UK and Oporto wine trade assembled at Decanter to taste the recently declared 1994 Port vintage.

It was the first unanimous declaration since 1985 and, with the Americans buying up vintage Port, there was lots of excitement in the air.

Scroll down to see Richard’s tasting notes & scores

As one of the tasters, I remember that we had a lively debate about the wines. The 1994 vintage Ports were characterised at the start by their forward fruit, and many thought this marked a fundamental change in the winemaking.

The Americans had taken to drinking vintage Port in its first bloom of youth: had the 1994s been made with this in mind?

Peter Cobb, then managing director of Cockburn’s, summed up the views of the majority when he said: ‘A generation ago, if we were tasting a wine with two years in bottle, we would be remarking on the enormous tannins and staying power, together with the acidity and fruit… only the last of these qualities was immediately obvious here.’ A few tasters went so far as to say that the wines were no better than a good ruby or LBV!

Hindsight

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Looking back, it’s clear that 1994 was a landmark vintage.

Not only was it the first general declaration for nine years, it was also a chance to show that the shippers had put their houses in order after some very variable wines in the early ’80s (especially 1985).

It helped that 1994 was a good vintage. After a washout in 1993, growers were understandably nervous; some panicked and harvested too early when a little light rain fell in mid-September.

But on the whole the harvest took place in perfect conditions. Many producers were still without temperature control at the time and long, slow fermentations gave rise to prolonged skin contact and good extraction from small, well-ripened grapes.

The shippers were confident and when the wines were declared in 1996, opening prices were up by as much as 40% on 1985.

So what of all that forward fruit? My opinion was that it was just puppy fat, covering up the ripe, underlying tannins, and that the wines had the longevity of traditional vintage Port.

Nothing had been changed deliberately, said Bill Warre of Warre’s and Adrian Bridge, managing director of Taylor and Fonseca, defending the Port trade. For saying this, a few of us were branded ‘traditionalists’.

But the doubters remained adamant. One UK buyer asserted that ‘if I bought these wines for a christening present, I’d be thinking in 18 years’ time “what on earth is vintage Port all about?”’

The tasting

Those 18 years are up and the babies who were given 1994 vintage Port for a christening present might now be thinking about drinking them.

With these debates in mind, I have retasted (blind) 23 of the 33 wines we assessed back in 1998, and present the 18 highest scorers here.

Most of the wines are ready to drink. Fonseca, Taylor’s, Graham’s, Sandeman and perhaps surprisingly Calém are still a bit sullen and would benefit from another few years in bottle to allow them to open up.

There was one badly volatile wine (shades of 1985) and one or two that were already falling apart. But there is no shortage of depth or structure in the best 1994s, which safely have another two or three decades of life ahead of them.

The wonderful ripe fruit that we found at the outset is still there, and so are the tannins that some thought were missing all those years ago. The best wines are fine and focused – not massive, but broad, dense and ripe.

In the original tasting referenced above, three wines received Decanter wards, equivalent to 95 points or above: Fonseca, Quarles Harris and Martinez Quinta da Eira Velha. With the latter shipper no longer in business, I was unable to retaste this wine.

In the re-run, six of the 23 wines got 95 points and seven more were 90 or above. So, I declare that the ‘traditionalists’ have won the argument. 1994 is shaping up into an excellent vintage and will give drinking pleasure for many years to come.

Richard’s pick of vintage Port 1994:

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‘We have been spoilt for choice.’ These were the words of Johnny Symington at the launch of the 2016 Port vintage in May this year. He was reflecting on the past three harvests in the Douro Valley, which have put the Port shippers in something of a quandary.

The 2015, 2016 and 2017 vintages have all been remarkable in their own way, and it is a function of the manner in which vintage Port is ‘declared’ that the shippers are allowed some foresight and hindsight before making their final decision.

Scroll down for Mayson’s top 25 Vintage Port 2016

It is worth emphasising that Port vintages do not have the regularity of vintages in, say, Bordeaux or Burgundy, which, almost by definition, happen every year. In the Douro, the Port houses only declare years (ie, attach the name of their house to a vintage) when they believe that they have something truly outstanding. As a rule of thumb, these years come about roughly three or four times a decade. In the whole of the 20th century there were only 20 or so fully declared years. So it is quite something when three years, all with vintage potential, come back to back.

As declarations take place in the second spring after the harvest, this gives Port shippers the opportunity to take a look at the preceding as well as the following year. Even with the knowledge that 2016 was looking very good, a handful of leading shippers declared 2015 outright.

For Dirk Niepoort, 2015 was ‘about as good as it gets’. Ramos Pinto, much of whose crop was destroyed by hail in 2016, opted for the 2015. Cockburn, a house with deep roots in the Douro Superior where 2015 was outstanding, decided to declare both years, as did single estate Quinta do Noval. But the majority held back from declaring a so-called ‘classic’ vintage and chose to declare either single-quinta wines or a vintage under a second label (see Port 2015: A buyer’s guide).

Weather report

When it comes to marking out 2016 as a classic vintage, the weather conditions during the growing season are key. The year began with a warm, wet winter. At budburst in March everything looked very advanced, but growth was then curtailed by a cold, wet spring. A poor flowering reduced yields and ultimately made for greater concentration in the wines. The summer months were hot and dry, with a heatwave in August lasting into early September. The hottest day of the year in Pinhão was 6 September, when a temperature of 43˚C was recorded with just 9% humidity.

Sugar readings in mid- to late-August were low due to photosynthesis having been slowed by the heat and drought, but rain on 25 and 26 August helped to put things back on track, especially in the more arid Douro Superior. More welcome rain came on 12 and 13 September and this proved to be the saving grace.

Rich pickings

Anyone who picked too hastily was unlikely to get the balance and freshness that came from harvesting evenly ripened grapes. There are a few wines from 2016 that have achieved the near-impossible feat of being both green and raisiny at the same time. Growers who delayed picking to allow the rain to soak in and the grapes to swell took a risk as the September equinox often brings more bad weather. But when picking resumed around 22 September the sun was shining and continued to shine into October. Crucially the nights were cool. Rain only returned on 13 October, by which time nearly all the grapes had been harvested.

According to Symington, whose family firm declared Cockburn, Dow, Graham and Warre as well as Smith Woodhouse and Quinta do Vesuvio: ‘This was a year when it was vitally important to know your vineyards, which varieties to pick and when.’ It was also the first Port vintage in history when the ‘pick and mix’ from old, inter-planted vineyards has largely been supplanted by varietal picking and often varietal fermentations.

The new planting that took place in the 1980s and 1990s is paying huge dividends and, 30 years on, many of these vineyards are in peak production. Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional are, in that order, the leading grapes to the almost total exclusion of Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), which is being demoted by many growers. The 2016 vintage was also the first year when Sousão and Alicante Bouschet have made a small but significant contribution – two varieties that fall outside the so-called ‘top cinco’ (top five grapes) but are being revived by some of the leading Port shippers.

Plot by plot

So at the launch of these wines earlier this year no one was really comparing 2016 with previous years. Carlos Alves, winemaker for Barros, Burmester, Cálem and Kopke, echoes Symington when he says: ‘We had to make profound use of the knowledge of our grapes, as each variety and each plot of vineyard developed at a different pace. The 2016s are brimming with colour and full of structure, with a profile that’s more concentrated, robust and intense when compared to the 2015s.’

Luís Sottomayor, of Sandeman, Ferreira and Offley, adds: ‘The degrees of complexity, colour and structure make the 2016 wines absolutely exceptional.’ David Guimaraens, winemaker for Taylor, Fonseca and Croft, sums it up when he says: ‘Balance is one of the keynotes of the vintage. The wines are solidly structured with firm, well-integrated tannins and display very fine fruit quality.’

Some wines are alarmingly attractive already, but have the poise and presence to last. I will hazard more than a guess to say that many 2016s will be good to drink relatively early (perhaps from the mid-2020s) but the best have the balance to keep for decades. Quantities are small – in some cases half that declared in 2011 – and sterling prices were up by about 20% to 25% on 2011 (which includes a 15% devaluation over the interim).

So what of 2017? This was the earliest harvest in living memory, with picking all over by the last week of September, the same date that the harvest used to begin back in the 1970s. Yields are tiny but there is no doubt that some wines are exceptional: concentrated, very individual and with good colour. The shippers are always coy at this stage about the prospects of a vintage declaration, but watch this space for news of a more limited declaration early next year.

Richard Mayson is DWWA Chair for Port and Madeira, author of Port and the Douro (fourth edition published by Infinites Ideas) and writes about Port on www.richardmayson.com.

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What makes this Port a legend?

Wine Legend: Sandeman Vintage Port 1945, Douro Valley, Portugal

Bottles produced N/A

Composition A field blend of Touriga Nacional and other indigenous varieties

Alcohol 20%

Release price £1 approx

Price today: £895 per bottle at Lea & Sandeman in the UK / $798 at The Wine House in California, US 

A legend because…

With its brilliantly memorable logo of a don in a wide-brimmed hat and cape, Sandeman has long been one of the drinks industry’s most recognised brands. Quality has not always matched the dashing image, yet there were some magnificent wines produced in the first half of the 20th century. Sandeman certainly triumphed in 1945. Well-stored bottles remain vibrant and drinkable to this day.

Looking back

Shipping its wines to Britain since 1790, Sandeman was family-owned until 1980 when it was acquired by Seagram, and since 2001 it has been owned by Portugal’s Sogrape. The 1960s to 1980s were a tricky period, probably because of excessive production and a loss of contracts with some exceptional quintas.

However, in the 1940s and as recently as 1963 some exceptional wines were produced. Recent vintages such as 2011 and 2016 show a welcome return to form. Earlier this year George Sandeman recalled: ‘The 1945 vintage has a special place in my heart. It was the vintage my father contributed to the Factory House when he joined.’

The vintage

The growing season was outstanding, and although the second half of August was cool and wet, hot weather returned in time for harvest, which Sandeman began on 10 September. The grapes were small and thick-skinned. The second week of September was torrid, and Sandeman recorded slow fermentations, delivering deeply coloured and rich wines of very high quality and immense concentration.

The terroir

As with most vintage Ports, the grapes are sourced from company-owned vineyards as well as other quintas with which the firm has long-term contracts. Sandeman generally acquires fruit from vineyards around Pinhão and in the Rio Torto area.

The wine

The just-picked bunches were foot-trodden in traditional lagares (shallow stone troughs), ensuring a thorough and relatively swift extraction of colour, tannin and flavour. The fermenting must was run off the skins and fortified with grape spirit, to arrest the fermentation. The wine then rested for a month or so before being racked into storage tanks and subsequently transported to Oporto for ageing in casks, known as pipes, for

up to two years – vintage Port is intended to be aged in bottle. As was common at that time, some of the wines were bottled in Oporto, while others were shipped in cask to British importers to be bottled in their cellars. There is usually no significant difference in quality between the two sources.

The reaction

In 2000, Michael Broadbent commented on an Oporto-bottled example: ‘Protruding cork and level into neck: fairly pale but lovely colour; sweet and equally lovely bouquet and flavour.’

In 2002, Serena Sutcliffe wrote: ‘A real smell of smoky roses. Amazing power and punch on the middle palate and finish, great fruit and impact. So frank and foursquare. The greatest Sandeman with the heavenly 1912.’

Richard Mayson described the wine in 2011 as: ‘Ripe yet restrained and gentle on the nose, touch of dark chocolate; rich, ripe, tight-knit, bitter-sweet fruit, very fine, firm and still very fresh with lovely length and depth.’

And Austrian wine critic Peter Moser tasted the wine in 2014: ‘Very restrained in aroma and still needs a lot of time to reveal itself. Subtle red-berry nuances… immense sweetness on the palate, which has liquorice and spice notes and hints of dried orange-peel. Fine and well-handled length.’

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Read more articles from our November 2018 magazine issue

Much of 2015 had the makings of a classic vintage in Port, but not all houses declared. Richard Mayson investigates the ups and downs and picks out some of his favourite wines from the sporadic declarations...

When an exceptional viticultural year comes to an end in the Douro valley, there is every prospect of a vintage declaration. As Paul Symington, chairman and joint managing director of the Symington Family Estates, wrote just as the last grapes were being picked, 2015 was such a year. His cousin and winemaker Charles added for good measure that 2015 ‘produced the best Touriga Franca grapes in memory’. But it turns out that ‘exceptional’ and the ‘best’ of the Douro’s most widely planted grape variety is not quite enough. Declared outright by a handful of shippers, 2015 has turned out to be one of those knife-edge, oh-so-nearly-but-not-quite years that punctuate more than two centuries of Port vintages.

So what happened in 2015 that prevented a more widespread declaration, and how good are those wines that have been declared?

For Dirk Niepoort, whose family firm declared both a classic and single quinta vintage port (SQVP) , 2015 was ‘as perfect as it gets’. The Symingtons, who declared Cockburn’s outright, were apparently ‘a whisker away from declaring across the board’. But David Guimaraens, head winemaker of The Fladgate Partnership (which includes Croft, Taylor’s and Fonseca) said: ‘To begin with we were on the fence when it came to a classic declaration of 2015, but we came to the conclusion that the wines just don’t have the dimension of a classic vintage.’

‘In 2015, it seems that whether to declare outright or not is largely a matter of house style’

Blowing hot, then cool

The 2014/15 growing season was an unusual one. Rainfall was 40% below average and if it hadn’t been for the heavy rain that fell in November 2014 and the cold winter that followed, 2015 wouldn’t have amounted to very much. Spring, when it came, was the warmest and driest for 36 years.

Fortunately there was a little rain in May, falling mostly in the Douro Superior which, being the most arid sub-region of the Douro, is just where it was needed most. June was the hottest for half a century. The hot, dry weather continued into July, but August was relatively cool, with low night-time temperatures helping to conserve the natural acidity in the grapes. In a region where dry farming is the norm, dehydration and consequent raisinisation of the grapes was just held off.

At the start of September, just before vintage, the crop looked to be in fine condition and on 8 September the pickers made a start. However, in Paul Symington’s view: ‘Some producers can be confused by the complex ripening pattern resulting from dry conditions such as 2015. Early picking before the grapes are fully ripe for the making of great Port is not a good option.’ Then on 15 and 16 September a substantial amount of rain fell, followed by a strong wind that helped to dry the grapes. After 10 weeks with no rain the vines lapped up the water, swelling the berries and helping the ripening process. For Dirk Niepoort this rain was ‘most beneficial. Although we temporarily halted the harvest, it allowed grape maturity to go through to completion’. For the remainder of the harvest, the weather was fine and mostly dry.

Mixed reception

The Port shippers give themselves 18 months or so to assess the wines as they rest in wood to see if the best lotes (batches) have the makings of a great vintage. By rule of thumb, classic vintage declarations tend to occur three times a decade, with the last universal Port declaration being 2011. On the other hand, SQVP declarations happen nearly every year. ‘The reason for the great rarity of a [classic] declared vintage Port,’ says Paul Symington, ‘is that for the greatest producers, all their vineyards must produce superb wines in order to have a declared year. These lucky circumstances happened in 2011 and in 2007, as well as previous declared years. In 2015 we had excellent conditions in most of our vineyards, but unusually the shortfall in rain was more severe in the Cima Corgo than in the Douro Superior, making the latter sub-region a standout in 2015.’

Carlos Alves, winemaker for the Sogevinus group that includes Barros, Burmester, Cálem and Kopke, agrees: ‘We declared a classic Cálem because the wine made in 2015 had an excellent structure and concentration… and the grapes for Cálem come from the Douro Superior. In the Cima Corgo, where Kopke’s Quinta de S Luíz is located, the year was not so good. We had irregular maturations that produced more slender wines with less intensity, which are the two essential parameters for a classic Kopke vintage.’

In 2015, it seems that whether to declare outright or not is largely a matter of house style. Cockburn’s has a long history of sourcing grapes from the Douro Superior, and in 2015 (when the firm happened to be celebrating its bicentenary), the grapes come from three Douro Superior vineyards, Quinta dos Canais and two much smaller quintas. ‘Hence a lovely Cockburn’s 2015 in the traditional house style,’ asserts Paul Symington.

For Guimaraens, whose family firm Fonseca also celebrated its bicentenary in 2015, a classic declaration is not just about quality. ‘There is no doubt 2015 is wonderful in terms of quality, but we need quality, depth and longevity for a classic vintage. For us 2015 just doesn’t have the dimension or structure of a classic vintage,’ he explained. Fonseca declared 2015 under its second label Fonseca Guimaraens, with SQVPs from Taylor’s Vargellas and Croft’s Roeda.

Famous split vintage declarations

1991/1992

In 1991, after six years without a vintage, the shippers were anxious for a declaration. The growing conditions were auspicious with a settled dry, spring and a long, hot summer. Most of the major shippers declared the 1991 outright and the North American market lapped up the wines at the time. However, Taylor’s and Fonseca (alongside Delaforce and Smith Woodhouse) famously held out, favouring 1992 with a declaration instead. At a Decanter panel tasting in 2003 we concluded that the wines from 1992 had more structure and longevity, which put paid to the rather far-fetched story circulating at the time that Taylor’s only declared 1992 because it coincided with its 300th anniversary!

1982/1983

I spent the summer of 1982 traversing the Douro for my undergraduate dissertation on the vineyard microclimates, so I vividly recall the fierce July and August heat. This is reflected in the rather soft, sweet, raisiny character of the wines from those that chose to declare (Croft, Delaforce, Churchill’s, Ferreira, Sandeman, Niepoort and Noval). Most 1982s need drinking up. The majority of shippers declared 1983, a year which produced much firmer, more structured wines, the best of which are standing the test of time. Niepoort declared both years.

1966/1967

A very hot, dry summer in 1966 and a harvest interrupted by welcome rain produced some stupendous Ports, the best of which will last a lifetime. Most shippers declared, with Cálem, Croft, Graham’s, Noval Nacional, Taylor’s and Sandeman all producing excellent wines. Dow’s and Fonseca are among my all-time favourites. However, Cockburn’s and Martinez (both under the same ownership and sharing a rather idiosyncratic approach to vintage declarations at the time) overlooked 1966 in favour of 1967, producing some excellent if slightly earlier maturing wines. Sandeman declared both years. With the weight behind them, both in style and the number of declarations, 1966 goes down as the better year. 

Split vintage incoming?

It so happens that 2016 is also looking rather promising. In another unusual year, when the hottest day of the summer was recorded just before harvest in early September, Paul Symington summed up the growing season – somewhat enigmatically – as ‘a year with a special rhythm’. It was certainly a challenging year with cool, wet weather in April and May, which can encourage the spread of disease. But in his report at the end of harvest Symington wrote: ‘It is only necessary to see the lagares [treading tanks] of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and old mixed Douro wines to see what an exceptional result awaited those who did the essential work and had the necessary patience.’

So could it be that 2015/2016 turn out to be split vintages – back-to-back years where one shipper favours one vintage with a classic declaration, only for another house to favour the other year ?

The Port shippers are notorious for keeping their cards very close to their chest until the second spring after the harvest. But Guimaraens describes 2016 as ‘a perfect year, producing wines with lots of quality – the question at this stage is how these wines will develop’. Guimaraens and his tasting team will make their final assessment in January 2018 with a view to a declaration (or not) on the following St George’s Day (23 April). The market seems healthy enough to support another classic declaration, so look to Decanter.com in April 2018 to keep up to date.

In the meantime, 2015 has produced some lovely wines for the medium to long term, many of which are available at a lower price than if the year had been fully declared.

Ripeness and tannic structure characterise Port in 2011 which, despite difficult weather conditions, could rank as a legendary vintage in a new era of better winemaking and improved spirit quality. Richard Mayson offers his assessment.

One of the first questions to be asked when a new Port vintage comes along is, how does it compare with previous years? It is a heavily loaded question, far more so than for any other wine region. Port vintages are relatively few and far between, with declarations occurring roughly three times a decade. The recently declared 2011 vintage is only the third mainstream declaration since 2000 (the other two being 2003 and 2007), and the 26th since 1900. The question being asked, even at this early stage, is: could this be another 1908, 1927, 1945 or 1963?

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There are no easy answers, partly because so much has changed over the past 50 years. Port shippers are at pains to point out that the vintage Port tradition hasn’t altered, but the wine has – and for the better. A great vintage is not nearly so much in the lap of the gods as it was in the past, when perfectly good grapes were sometimes ruined at the last minute, when things didn’t go according to plan in the adega (winery). But with the introduction of temperature control from the mid-1980s onwards it has been possible to produce Port of potential vintage quality nearly every year, hence the proliferation of single-quinta (estate) vintages over the past two decades.

Another change that has taken place quietly but steadily since the early 1990s is a marked improvement in the quality of the spirit used to fortify Port. Until 1991, the Port shippers had to use what they were given by the government. This was frequently fairly poor-quality grape spirit and, given that it makes up around a fifth of the finished wine, it clearly has an impact. The word ‘spirity’ is a common tasting term when it comes to vintage Port, and in some of the more attenuated wines from the 1970s and 1980s, the spirit really shows through.

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Over the past 20 years, the leading Port shippers have been working in tandem with distillers in France to produce a more neutral, vinous spirit that interferes far less with the fruit in a young vintage Port. This manifested itself particularly in 2007, the last major vintage to be declared, when we were all wowed by the beauty and purity of the fruit. Admittedly, this was a relatively cool year, whereas the growing season in 2011 was far warmer and marked by prolonged drought. In fact, had it not been for heavy rain in the last three months of 2010, 2011 might have been a non-starter.

What the producers say:

‘The 2011s stand out for the purity of fruit and quality of the tannins, which are silky and well integrated but provide plenty of structure’ David Guimaraens, The Fladgate Partnership

‘The wines are voluptuous and structured, more four-square than in 2007… they have already been exceptionally well received, from Taiwan to Latvia’ Johnny Symington, Symington Family Estates

‘I have never witnessed Ports with such depth of colour, complexity of flavour and power’ Luis Sotomayor, winemaker for Sandeman

Challenging weather conditions

It was a challenging year in the vineyard. The spring started with good water reserves deep in the Douro sub-soil and the vines – especially the old vines – weathered the summer drought of 2011 relatively well. But there was unstable weather during flowering that caused an outbreak of fungal disease and reduced yields by around 15%.

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This was followed by unusual heat towards the end of June, when some vineyards were scorched. The thin-skinned Tinta Barroca grape fared badly, whereas the heat-resistant Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca did much better. Some well-timed rain on 21 August and again at the start of September was a lifesaver, helping to swell and ripen the grapes. Thereafter, the sun shone non-stop for five weeks and harvest conditions were perfect throughout the region. Temperatures at the start of the vintage were hotter than usual, so cooling the musts proved to be essential. Aromas in the adega were wonderful from the start, and by early October it was already clear that a good, possibly great Port vintage was in the bag.

As António Agrellos, the technical director of Noval, says: ‘We knew at once that we were potentially in the presence of a great year.’

So where does this put the now declared 2011 in the vintage Port hall of fame?

Ripeness with structure

Having tasted most of the wines now at least three times, their hallmark is ripeness combined with structure. The ripeness of the fruit extends to the tannins, which, in the best wines, are broad as well as fine grained. Some wines are four-square – much more so than the 2007s, but not aggressive, even at this early stage. And then here is that wonderful purity of fruit. I found myself using the word ‘minerality’ in my tasting notes for the first time for Port, not because it is fashionable but because the schistous terroir of the Douro really is there to see.

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João Nicolau de Almeida, of Ramos Pinto, supports this view, commenting that ‘the better aguardente (grape spirit) brings minerality to the wine.’ Adrian Bridge, managing director of the Fladgate Partnership, adds that ‘the better-quality spirit allows the fruit to express itself better’.

Purity, definition and ripeness

Given these noticeable 21st-century improvements, should we be going back to the great vintages of the last century for a comparison? Some regard it is as another 1963; others mention 1994. But I concur with Dirk Niepoort, who likens 2011 to a blend of 2007 and 2009, the purity and definition of the former with the ripeness of the latter – a year also declared by a few shippers.

Now universally declared by all shippers, I have broken down my notes on the 2011s into three categories. There are the ‘classic’ declarations, bottled under the name of the shipper and usually blends of wines from several leading estates in different parts of the Douro. Then there are the single estates (quintas), some of which produce a vintage Port nearly every year. Finally, there is a growing category of site-specific wines, produced from a parcel or parcels of highly prized old vines within an estate. These command a premium price; however, the pricing of the mainstream 2011s at £350 to £500 per dozen in bond looks very fair when it is set against the best of Burgundy and Bordeaux.

What the UK merchants say:

‘We have had the most successful campaign ever… it seems that one has to go back to 1994 for wines of such poise and elegance, bypassing several fine vintages

en route’ Simon Field MW, Berry Bros & Rudd

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‘The 2011 Ports show great promise with a fresh purity of fruit and tannins that are robust

and ripe. We will offer them in September… this is a vintage offering not to be missed for

the Port aficionado’ Mark Buckenham, The Wine Society

*Richard Mayson is the DWWA Regional Chair for Port & Madeira and author of Port and the Douro

2015 Decanter fine wine price watch - Port

With the strongest trading period for Port across the wine trade upon us, Cellar Watch updates Decanter on the main Port houses and how their back vintages are being traded in the EU market. These prices are calculated from the lowest prices advertised by leading stockholders in the EU and is shown as an equivalent of a 12x75cl case.

• Unsure which Port? See Richard Mayson’s top 20 Port’s for Christmas

Cockburn’s Vintage Port

• 1977 £816
• 1983 £360
• 1985 £450
• 1991 £282
• 1994 £492
• 1997 £395
• 2000 £295
• 2003 £340
• 2007 £342
• 2011 £420

Croft Vintage Port

• 1977 £540
• 1983 £240
• 1985 £480
• 1991 £604
• 1994 £450
• 1997 £270
• 2000 £295
• 2003 £340
• 2007 £330
• 2009 £340
• 2011 £360

Dow’s Vintage Port

• 1977 £600
• 1983 £480
• 1985 £420
• 1991 £350
• 1994 £495
• 1997 £320
• 2000 £360
• 2003 £530
• 2007 £800
• 2011 £600

Fonseca Vintage Port

• See Fonseca – Six of the Best
• 1977 £1,250
• 1983 £450
• 1985 £560 – 96 Points Review
• 1994 £900 – 98 Points Review
• 1997 £540
• 2000 £400
• 2003 £420
• 2007 £600
• 2009 £360
• 2011 £740

Graham’s Vintage Port

• 1977 £680
• 1983 £480
• 1985 £550
• 1991 £480
• 1994 £450
• 1997 £400
• 2000 £400
• 2003 £460
• 2007 £480
• 2011 £820

Quinta Noval Vintage Port

• 1985 £390
• 1991 £330
• 1994 £900
• 1997 £1,950
• 2000 £700
• 2003 £600
• 2007 £417
• 2009 £119
• 2011 £870

Sandeman Vintage Port

• 1977 £540
• 1985 £395
• 1994 £425
• 1997 £172
• 2000 £310
• 2003 £444
• 2007 £330
• 2011 £398

Taylor’s Vintage Port

• 1977 £840
• 1983 £540
• 1985 £550
• 1994 £1,182 – 96 Points Review
• 1997 £550
• 2000 £495
• 2003 £550
• 2007 £500
• 2009 £400
• 2011 £590

Warre’s Vintage Port

• 1977 £504
• 1983 £450
• 1985 £415
• 1991 £392
• 1994 £460
• 1997 £340
• 2000 £340
• 2003 £475
• 2007 £295
• 2009 £420
• 2011 £480 – 96 Points Review

Pricing by Cellar Watch (www.cellar-watch.com)

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