Richard Mayson joined a throng of Vintage Port lovers of all generations to enjoy a varied and informative program of presentations and tastings of wines both young and old at The Symington Vintage Port Day.
The Symington family has half-a-dozen Port houses to its name (as well as a few more that are sitting in the wings). The names Cockburn’s, Dow’s, Graham’s, Warre’s, Quinta do Vesúvio, and Smith Woodhouse warrant an annual educational day for the trade devoted to Vintage Port. Led by head winemaker Charles Symington, accompanied by Harry Symington (head of Vintage Port and communications), and Anthony Symington (market manager), this is something of a roadshow that began last year in Amsterdam, came to London this year, and next year will move on to Frankfurt. The NoMad Hotel in London was full of Generation-Z sommeliers with quite a lot to learn about Vintage Port, as well as a few older hacks like me who always have something to learn when it comes to tasting, retasting, and evaluating Vintage Port. Harry Symington himself is Gen-Z and has one of the most enviable roles in the business. The event provided an opportunity for a first taste of wines from the 2022 vintage, a challenging year that was not fully declared by most houses but that still produced some very promising single-quinta wines. (There is an extensive panel tasting of single-quinta Vintage Port in the Tastings section of the latest print edition, WFW86, pp.210–17.)
The Symington Vintage Port Day: Variety show
The day began with a topical tasting and discussion on indigenous Douro grapes and sustainability. Until it was broken by rain last winter, the Douro has suffered a series of hot, extremely dry years that have inevitably raised questions about the longer-term impact of climate change in a region that is already exposed to climatic extremes. A varietal tasting included wines made exclusively from the Douro’s traditional grape varieties Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca, as well as Alicante Bouschet and Sousão, both of which have gained significant ground in recent years.
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Widely considered the finest of the Port grape varieties, Touriga Nacional is increasingly challenged by heat and drought in the Douro. The sample from 2023 displayed its natural floral opulence and showy character, backed by the tight-knit tannins inherent in these small, dark berries and the natural acidity that give Touriga Nacional-based wines their aging potential without any loss of structure or balance. Having displaced the rather finicky Tinta Roriz from the top spot, Touriga Franca is now the most widely planted Port grape variety, due to its quality and consistent yields. It generally ripens later than Nacional, favors warmer slopes that have good exposure to sunlight, and seems to be more resilient. Its thick skins help in resisting the heat. The varietal sample on show displayed its soft, fleshy qualities at an early age, with underlying gritty tannic structure. By no means as expressive as Touriga Nacional, the 2023 sample already showed great restrained elegance.
Alicante Bouschet can’t be described as indigenous to the Douro, but this hardy grape (planted widely in the Alentejo and found interplanted in old Douro vineyards) has made a comeback in recent years, championed by Charles Symington. It contributes color and structure with ample tannins but usually makes up no more than 10–15% of Vintage Port blends. Our sample was characterized by its deep, inky hue and dense, spicy tannins, combining good acidity with the slight rusticity that makes this a characterful grape for blending. Like Alicante, Sousão is prized for its color, but also for its natural acidity and astringency (often found in excess as Vinhão in the nearby Vinho Verde region). In the Douro, Sousão is a beneficiary of climate change and has become an important constituent in Vintage Ports. (Quinta do Noval’s legendary Nacional always had a portion of ungrafted Sousão.) It is characterized by its deep, inky black, heady aromas, sappy freshness, and wonderful, vibrant acidity. Charles Symington noted that, from his point of view, it adds spicy “seasoning” to a Vintage Port blend.
The three wines that followed—from 2020, 2018, and 2017 (all very hot, dry years)—were held up as Vintage Ports made with important contributions from the two latter varieties. Unusually, Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca ripened in tandem in 2020, so Graham’s 2020 Bicentenary Edition Vintage Port is a co-fermented blend of both grapes supported by some old vines, as well as Sousão and Alicante (see the tasting note, right). Co-fermenting brings more complexity to the wine but is a risky practice in most years, remarked Charles Symington. Dow’s 2018 Quinta do Bomfim and Cockburn’s 2017 both rely on around 20% Alicante and Sousão in the blend, the latter with a high proportion of Touriga Nacional, the hallmark of Cockburn’s flagship Quinta dos Canais.
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Single quintas and micro-terroir
The growing season in 2022 was one of the hottest and driest ever recorded, with nine days over 104°F (40°C) and the temperature peaking at 117°F (47°C) in Pinhão in mid-July. Small bunches and berries delivered concentrated wines with surprising purity of fruit that is clear even at this early stage. The heady super-ripeness of the year is evident in a magnificent wine from Quinta do Vesúvio, while Dow’s Quinta Senhora da Ribeira and Graham’s Quinta da Tua Vinhas Velhas combine richness with restraint. The latter is made exclusively from a field blend of west-facing 50-year-old vines and has a wonderfully compact and, dare I say, old-fashioned character. It illustrates just how well deep-rooted old vines can perform under extreme conditions.
Capela da Quinta do Vesúvio is a recent expression of “micro-terroir” from within the huge Vesúvio estate. First produced in 2007, it is a co-fermentation in lagar of grapes from three named plots: the centenarian Vinha da Capela, Escola, and younger Touriga Franca from Vale da Teja. The 2022 released earlier this year (and included in our panel tasting) was followed by a fascinating vertical tasting of Capela from 2017, 2016, 2011, and 2007. The 2017 is already scented and singing from the glass, whereas the earlier years are all showing more restraint. The 2011 (see tasting note) displays all the qualities of this outstanding, universally declared year, the first vintage when Alicante Bouschet came to enter the final vintage lote, or blend.
DNA through the classics
The third part of the Vintage Port Day was all about reaching back into the past and discovering the DNA of three Symington houses—Dow’s, Graham’s, and Warre’s—through a tasting of three classic declared vintages: 2003, 1985, and 1963. This was a unique opportunity to monitor the character and evolution of three generations of vintages, as well as to identify and differentiate the individual house styles. Cockburn’s, an underperformer under multinational ownership in 2003 and 1985, was represented solely by a magnificent 1963.
The 2003 vintage produced wines with huge body and depth that also still present the heat of the growing season, particularly on the nose. Dow’s is the best of the three, which is often the case in really ripe years, since it is made in a drier and more muscular style than the more opulent Graham’s and restrained Warre’s. Even the latter, usually based on higher vineyards, displayed the heat of the vintage in 2003, with broad tannins and an overtone of roasted coffee. I have some 2003s in my cellar, and after this tasting, I resolved to keep them another decade or so to allow for further integration. Another similarly hot year, 1970 took its time to come around.
Warre’s expressed itself beautifully in 1985, a model year in the vineyards that nonetheless threw up a few challenges in the winery. A decade after the revolution, and with the social transformation of rural Portugal under way, the Douro was in transition, with tradition giving way to technology. Graham’s showed its characteristic breadth and richness but was let down for me on the nose; and Dow’s, still deep in hue, was tight-knit and focused, structured but without much elegance as yet. Perhaps both these wines are still in an awkward phase, even after 40 years!
There is nothing awkward about 1963, a monumental vintage that shows its consistency and magnificence across the board. Warre’s was the deepest and most youthful looking of the four wines in the tasting, with Dow’s the most delicate, and Graham’s still showing its fleshy, textural richness. I awarded my joint highest mark of the day to Cockburn’s, a house acquired by the Symingtons in 2010. Shortly after taking on the brand, they held a tasting to (re-)discover this shipper’s remarkable DNA, with 20th-century classics from 1947, 1927, 1912, and 1908. The 1963 is one of these classics, with tantalizing richness and finesse after more than 60 years. If ever there were a single wine to justify a Vintage Port Day, this is surely it!
Tasting
Warre’s 1985
Still youthful in hue, though not as deep in color as the other ’85s. Wonderfully aromatic, with dark-chocolate concentration and wild-mint fragrance and ripeness on the nose. Still firm and foursquare after nearly 40 years, with very pure, well-defined berry fruit underlying. Structured yet supremely elegant, just as a mature Vintage Port should be. Drink now and over the next 30 years. | 96
Warre’s 1963
This was my preference from the trio of ’63s, all of which showed the munificence of the vintage. Still deep and youthful, with gentle yet supremely fresh floral-berry fruit on the nose, reflected on the palate with its sweet, minty ripeness, good grip, and perfect definition, retaining depth and elegance in equal measure. A wow of a wine—hard to think of one more perfect. | 99
Cockburn’s 1963
Mid-deep and rather more developed in color than the Warre’s, with a brick-red and rosy-pink hue. Lifted and floral on the nose; so pretty. Soft, delicate in some ways, yet surprisingly sweet, with tropical fruit and marmalade richness mid-palate, backed by soft yet broad tannins that just grip on a finish that shows this wine’s power and supreme finesse. Magnificent. | 99
