The Douro is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. There is archaeological evidence for winemaking in the region dating back to the 3rd Century AD!
The earliest known mention of 'Port Wine' dates to 1675 and in 1765, a Royal Portuguese Charter defined the production region for Port wine.
In 2001, the Douro winemaking region was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site!
Port is a Portuguese fortified wine made from grapes grown in the Douro Valley. Most bottlings are sweet and red, though Tawny and both dry and sweeter white Ports are also traditional. Traditionally the newly made wine is transported downriver to the port of Vila Nova de Gaia, part of Greater Oporto, for maturation.
Essentially Port is made by adding distilled grape spirit to partially fermenting grape must. This kills the yeast and retains about 50 percent of the natural sugars in the resulting wine.
Find below the Port available on our list - mature vintages for drinking now and younger vintages for maturation in the cellar!
For a the most up to date list, please follow this link: - Current Selection -
1960 Graham's
£1,700 per 12 x 75cl Bottle DP
1963 Taylor's
£185 per 75cl Bottle DP
1966 Niepoort
£275 per 75cl Bottle DP
1971 Taylor's Very Old Single Harvest Port
£840 per 6 x 75cl Bottles UB
1975 Taylor's
£75 per 75cl Bottle DP
1977 Dow's
£795 per 12 x 75cl Bottle DP
1977 Niepoort
£175 per 75cl Bottle DP
1985 Fonseca
£320 per 6 x 75cl Bottle UB
1996 Graham's Malvedos
£65 per 75cl Bottle DP
2004 Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha
£390 per 3 x 75cl Bottles UB
2007 Niepoort
£285 per 6 x 75cl Bottles UB
2007 Quinta do Noval
£270 per 6 x 75cl Bottles UB
2011 Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha
£625 per 3 x 75cl Bottles UB
2012 Vale Meao Quinta do Vale Meao
£170 per 1 x 1.5L Magnum DP
2015 Niepoort
£240 per 6 x 75cl Bottles UB
2016 Fonseca
£290 per 6 x 75cl Bottles UB
2016 Taylor's
£285 per 6 x 75cl Bottles UB
2016 Quinta do Vesuvio Capela
£315 per 3 x 75cl Bottles UB
2018 Fonseca Guimaraens, Halves
£120 per 12 x 37.5cl Bottles UB
Styles of Port
:The different styles of Port derive essentially from the various ways in which it can be aged. Its remarkable ageing potential and the fact that it is fortified mean that Port will continue to improve in cask, vat or bottle for much longer than most other wines. The choice of ageing period and ageing vessel will determine what the Port tastes like.
- Full bodied, fruity red Ports which age for a relatively short time in large oak vats. These include Ruby Ports, usually aged in vat for two or three years, Reserve Ports which are generally of higher quality and age for slightly longer and Late Bottled Vintage Ports which remain in vat for between four and six years. Although offering different degrees of complexity and sophistication, these wine share a deep red youthful colour and intense fruity flavours reminiscent of cherry, blackberry and blackcurrant.
- Rich and mellow tawny ports which age for longer periods in oak casks. These include the sumptuous 10, 20, 30 and 40 year old tawny Ports whose delicious nuttiness and aromas of butterscotch and fine oak wood intensify the longer they spend in wood.
- Vintage Port represents the very best produce of a single outstanding year. It remains in vat for only about two years and then ages in bottle. Although Vintage Ports can be enjoyed when young, they will improve for many decades in the cellar and are among the most long-lasting of all wines. Vintage Ports are the most structured and powerful of all Ports.
- Crusted Ports are not made from wines of a single year but, like Vintage Ports, are capable of maturing in bottle. Also like Vintage Ports, they are not filtered before bottling and will form a ‘crust’ (natural sediment) in the bottle as they age.
In The Vineyard
The Douro Valley is famed for its steep terraced vineyards which over look the river and extend up some of its tributaries. The mountainous terrain provides a great range of soils, aspects and elevations.
Around 30 different grape varieties can be used to make Port. Most more recently established or replanted parcels focus on one variety for greater viticultural control, and to match the variety to the terroir. The most common varieties are as follows:
- Touriga Nacional: probably the most prestigious variety; found in greater quantities in the Quintas owned by the big Port Houses. Low yields of small thick skinned berries produce concentrated wines
- Touriga Franca: the most heavily planted variety in the Douro. Slightly subtler, more floral wines than Touriga Nacional. Firm tannins which give most Ports their backbone
- Tinta Roriz - also known in Portugal as Aragonez, and most commonly Tempranillo: after Touriga Francesca, the second most common in new plantings. Large berries and big bunches mean higher yields here. Provides structure, aroma and elegance
- Tinta Barroca: produces lush wines with more color than tannic structure. Tends to be combined with more robust partners'
Information from WineSearcher.