Top 10 iconic Port vintages of the last century

Alongside good claret, some of the more reliable Burgundies and Champagne, vintage Port is one of the staples of any self-respecting cellar.

Like most fortified wines, its high levels of alcohol, sugar and acidity make it fantastically long-lived and also relatively hardy, a 60 year-old Port is no shrinking violet.

Henry Shotton, vintage manager and winemaker at Symington Family Estates, explains: “Regarding drinkability, vintage Port has incredible longevity if it has been correctly stored.

“Last year I had the good fortune to drink a wine from 1935 and although it was delicate it was still fresh and very much alive. Therefore if correctly stored even the oldest Port on the list should be in good condition for drinking.”

The very nature of vintage Ports, like Champagne declared only in the very best years (but usually more infrequently than most Champagne houses of late), means that whittling down a list of just 10 Ports is very tricky indeed.

Naturally there will be those that disagree with some of the Ports listed here. The majority though, Symington Family Estates and The Fladgate Partnership agree, are considered to be the greatest of the past century.

There are cases to be made for a number of “great” Port vintages that have not made this list, including 1935, 1955, 1966, 1977 and 1992 but it wasn’t to be.

The list spans 100 years for convenience’s sake but of course the most recent Port vintage was the, slightly controversial, 2009. Whether 2012 will be declared a vintage to match its illustrious forbears remains to be seen.

Some of these Ports are still available but they are rare now and for some of the really old vintages probably near impossible to find unless they appear at auction.

As Shotton adds: “In terms of availability I would say that all Vintages from 1970 back are now getting very rare. For example we recently released the very last of our Graham 1970 Vintage stock held in Vila Nova de Gaia in our ‘Private Cellar’ release.”

Anthony Barne MW, Bonhams’ head of wine, adds that although Ports from 1955 onwards appear quite regularly at auction, anything older than that remains very rare.

Value too is hard to pin down. Barne reports quite regular “shifts” but notes that there “definitely seems to be more interest in old Ports now than there was 18 months ago.”

Part of the reason for this is that Port, even the very old stuff, is exceptionally well priced for what it is. At a recent sale Barne says that two “extremely rare” magnums of Quinta do Noval 1927 were sold for £900 apiece – that price would barely buy you a sniff of a first growth Bordeaux of the same age even though it’s probably not in as good a condition.

1912

Fittingly enough, the first Port on this list, now in its centenary year, makes the grade as one of “the” best vintages of the last 100 years.

Nearly all of the major houses declared this a vintage and it was generous in both quality and quantity.

Fladgate Partnership CEO Adrian Bridge, provided a comment on the vintage describing it as: “A full-bodied year with harmonious concentration of fruit and tannins. The harvest, which started on 23 September, was rather wet, but hot weather in early September had helped ripening.”

His tasting note describes it as still being “in very fine shape” with some aromas of resin, crème brulée, spice, dark fruits and “a smooth, long, spicy aftertaste”.

Other vintages of note: 1900, 1904

1927

Vineyards at Quinta de Vargellas

It is very hard and perhaps unfair to hold up one vintage and declare it the best of all but 1927 seems to come close.

“One of the best vintages of the century,” thinks the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP).

It was, by all accounts, an extremely large harvest and also one that began quite late, October and in exceptionally hot weather.

Bridge describes it as “lively and gorgeous”, with: “Aromas of dried dark fruit, sultanas and raisin with just a hint of dried flowers. Full-bodied, very rich and raisiny on the palate, with dark chocolate and candied toffee, very sweet finish.”

As its release in 1929 coincided with the Great Depression, it didn’t actually sell that well and quite a large amount was blended with rather more standard Ports as a result.

Other vintages of note: 1920, 1924

1931

A very venerable bottle indeed

Not in fact universally hailed or even declared and arguably 1935 should be listed here instead but 1931 for one house stands out as “an exceptional novelty”, according to the IVDP vintage chart.

With the on-going financial crisis of the 1920s/30s, many houses chose to stick with the largely unsold 1927 rather than declare another vintage and fail to sell it – nor was the year particularly auspicious, with a dry winter and cold summer only alleviated by a late burst of heat in September.

Quinta do Noval, however, produced a Port from its famous “Nacional” site and it has been a collector’s item ever since.

Produced from a 2.5 hectare plot near the estate, the vines are pre-phylloxera and is considered something of a Portuguese national treasure.

“Although we do not declare it every year the Quinta do Noval Nacional is always extraordinary,” says Christian Seely, managing director of AXA Millèsimes.

“The remarkable thing about the wine is that although we vinify it in exactly the same way as the other wines from Quinta do Noval it is always very different from any of the other lots of wine from the estate. The Nacional is as it is, purely because of the unique character of the two hectares of land at the heart of Noval’s vineyard where ungrafted vines thrive to produce the Nacional grapes.

“It marches to quite a different drum than the rest of the vineyard: sometimes it can produce a vintage Port that is among the greatest wines of the world when the rest of the vineyard is having an LBV quality year (as in 1996); at others it is not even of Vintage quality when the rest of the vineyard is making great vintage Port (as in 1995), but it is always different to the rest of Noval. The Nacional is a supreme example of the importance of terroir.”

In 1999 The Wine Spectator named it as one of the 12 best wines in the world from the 20^th century.

It broke two records for port sales in 1988 when The Graycliff Restaurant in the Bahamas sold a bottle for US$5,900 and later that year Christie’s sold another bottle in London for US$1,100 – a record for a Port sold at auction.

Other vintages of note: 1934, 1935

1945

A great year for Europe and a great year for European wine and Port was no exception – although it was a year marked by drought.

Writing in September 1945, Ronald Symington described it thus: “The vintage started on 6 September. The weather throughout was exceptionally hot. In spite of the heat it was only during two days that high temperatures were registered in the lagares, and the precautions had to be taken. The mostos (musts) seem quite good and the colour fairly good.”

This was actually one of the first Port vintages bottled in Portugal rather than the UK due to restrictions still in place because of the war.

Despite the heat and low volume it was a declared year for all of the major houses.

Bridge’s tasting notes again point to a wine that is “still incredibly youthful”. The nose and palate still contain a “huge diversity of aromas” from plum pudding to floral scents but which all “combine harmoniously”.

As further proof of this wine’s lifespan, it received rave reviews when it was served at Paul Symington’s Decanter “Man of the Year” dinner earlier this year.

Other vintages of note: 1942, 1947

1948

It’s a shame not to present a stand-out Port from each decade of the last 100 years – theoretically it is possible.

the Symington family reckon the 1955 is “one of the most underrated vintages of the 20^th century” and producing “the best wines since 1948” but there’s the rub and 1948 does seem to loom large in most reminiscences.

The year was very warm and Bridge relates that a total of 30,000 pipes were made but in the end only half were bought – leading to a situation similar to 1927 with houses holding on to a lot of stock. However, according to the Symingtons, they are “unfortunately rather hard to find now”.

Nevertheless, Bridge describes it as “tremendous”, a wine that is “serious, focused an confident and very, very long. At its peak?”

Wine writer James Suckling once described it as “one of those magic wines” that could last for 100 years. At 74 it is still some way off that so perhaps there’s life in the old dame yet.

Other vintages of note: 1950, 1955

1963

“An apotheosis of vintage,” wine writer Chantal Lecouty is said to have declared. The Symington family like to introduce it as, “a monumental vintage of legendary proportions that needs no introduction. One of the 20th Century’s finest. A vintage Port against which all others are judged.”

The year was apparently “perfect” in every way. Bridge describes Taylor’s as having “Burgundian richness” with “dark chocolate”, “cigar box” and “slightly medicinal” characteristics.

There seems to be no praise high enough for 1963 and with its 50^th anniversary approaching next year, now might be a good time to try and pick it up.

Barne notes that “anniversary years” usually see a surge in interest for the respective vintage – no matter what the region. But, as noted before, the older the anniversary the less reliable bottles of Bordeaux and Burgundy become – which is not the case with Port.

‘There’s no claret from ’63 worth drinking,” thinks Barne, “ and even though a lot of the ’63 Ports have been drunk we still see a bit of it at auction. I haven’t noticed a big rise yet but I expect a flutter.”

Equally, the other good vintages from the 1960s (see below) are apparently rising in value as prices for the 1963 reach a plateau.

“There’s been a fast increase in the value of the 1960s, three years ago you could hardly give them away but because of the much higher price of the 63s, the 60s have been catching up,” he states.

He cites the example of 11 bottles of Noval 1960 which recently sold for £575, which only a few years ago would have been snapped up for £300.

Other vintages of note: 1960, 1966

1970

“There is an effortless nature to this wine,” opines Bridge and it is one the Symingtons call “certainly one of the absolute finest vintage Ports of the past 50 years.”

Widely declared, the growing season was described as being wetter than average during winter, very dry in spring and after a spell of rain in June, virtually no precipitation from July to October, allowing the harvest to be conducted under “ideal” conditions.

In October 1970, James Symington noted: “It is unlikely that the early high fermentation temperatures will prove to have been dangerously high and it is likely that the 1970 wines will prove to be quite outstandingly good. Their colour is exceptional and very purple and they seem to have plenty of body.  Everybody seems delighted with the 1970s and it would surprise nobody if the year produced a vintage.”

Descriptions of the wine note its tannic structure and ripe fruit, “arguably one of the finest glasses of Port you will ever taste,” sayeth the Symingtons.

Other vintages of note: 1975, 1977

1985

Cartoonist William Rushton was inspired to draw this after visiting Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas in 1985

The first vintage to be unanimously declared since 1975 and a rare bright spot in what was a relatively disappointing decade for the region.

As with most vintage years the weather never seemed to follow a set course. Winter was very wet and spring very cold and then from June onwards it was abominably hot.  The heat apparently caused some trouble keeping fermentation temperatures under control but the resulting wines are characterised by their power and concentration.

2010 was earmarked as the optimum time to start drinking this vintage and Bridge’s tasting note remarks that it appears to be “just beginning to open out”.

Other vintages of note: 1980, 1983

1994

The 1990s provided a lift following the patchy 1980s and 1994 seems to be the pick of the bunch.

Berry Bros & Rudd describes it as “one of the finest Port vintages of the last 25 years”, while the IVDP calls it “monumental” and more intense than the 1992. In 1997 (another excellent year) Wine Spectator gave the 1994 Taylor and Fonseca examples 100 points.

After a series of very dry winters, that of 1993/1994 was very wet with double the average rainfall. This was followed by a warm spring and an early flowering which was thinned out by rain in May.

Summer conditions were good and not too hot and the harvest went ahead in excellent conditions.

James Symington noted in September and October: “This year will be specially remembered for the excellent floral bouquet of the fermenting musts in all the wineries. This together with their deep purple colour has set up great expectations for a fine vintage.

“Throughout the Douro the quality of the wines produced appears to be exceptionally high and it is many years since such universally high quality wines have been made. Shippers and growers are delighted with this situation – particularly after the small and poor quality 1993s.”

Bridge note that the palate is, “full bodied and well structured”, which delivers “rich blackberry and cassis flavours with spicy, figgy, liquorice flavours evolving on the long and sumptuous finish.”

Other vintages of note: 1991, 1992, 1997

2007

Possibly the choice most likely to raise hackles. Is 2007 really the superior to 2000 and 2003? BBR seem to think so, arguing that 2007 is the one “set to join the ranks of the great vintage Ports, its wines already imbued with an extraordinary purity of flavour, wonderfully polished tannins and a wealth of fruit”.

The IVDP describes the year thus: “November and February were particularly rainy; above average rainfall was registered again in May and especially June, mainly in the Upper Douro.
“Between May and August, the temperatures were below average, especially in the Upper Douro. Although the viticultural year began with vineyard diseases, the warm August temperatures and a dry and hot September resulted in balanced grapes.”

The Wine Advocate, though, lauded the year and gave it some of the highest points it has ever given to Port.

Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha topped the list with 98 points, while Graham’s with 97 points was described as, “a candidate for wine of the vintage…complete in every way…impeccably balanced, and exceptionally lengthy…a tour de force.”

Jay Miller, then the taster for The Wine Advocate, said: “There is little doubt that 2007 is a high-class vintage. Unlike 2003, the year of the heat wave, the 2007s are friendlier, which is not to say that they will not evolve.

“Even the least of these wines has six to eight years of aging potential, and nearly all of them will be drinking well at age 20. Whether they will rival the wines of 1994, 1985, 1977, 1970 and 1963 remains to be seen, but the chances seem excellent.”

Expectations are high for 2007 but, as Shotton adds, “it is still a youngster and needs more time.”

On a final note, 2009 has attracted some differing points of view with the Fladgate Partnership declaring it a vintage “built for longevity”, while Symington Family Estates agreed it was a good year but only bottled 500 cases of 2009 Warre’s. This was done largely for commemorative reasons (celebrating the 200^th anniversary of the liberation of Porto by the British in 1809) but also because the higher elevation of the Warre’s vineyards had led to better “balance and elegance” in those wines.

Who is right? Only time will tell but until then there is a wealth of excellent Port to explore that needs drinking up. It may be longer-lived than some of its other vinous cousins but it can’t last forever.

Other vintages of note: 2000, 2003