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News
Graham’s 1927 Vintage Port, bottler unknown, is showing wonderfully. Burnished in color, the nose shows a little dustiness at first, but it soon shakes that off to reveal a generous bouquet of sloe, seaweed, dried rose petals and a pinch of fennel. The palate is medium-bodied with a pleasing viscous texture. This must have been a very concentrated, precocious Grahams in its youth, and that density has carried it through into its dotage. There is a presence about this Port that still has structure and backbone, here showing greater length than the 1927 Cockburn’s tasted alongside. This is a wonderful ancient Port and a testament to a great declaration. Tasted May 2015.
Wine Description
The Story
Graham's has a reputation as a producer of outstanding Vintage Port for well over a century. These wines are renowned for their remarkable richness, concentration and firm tannic structure: a combination which yields impressive longevity. Graham's Vintage Ports consistently attain the highest ratings in tastings and invariably attract very high bids at fine wine auctions.
Vintage Ports are only made in years of exceptionally high quality harvests, which on average occur two or three times in a decade. The weather in the vineyards is the principal determining factor: conditions must be ideal throughout the growing season, as well as during the subsequent harvest.
Graham's extraordinary quality is the result of the unique characteristics of the five vineyards that contribute to the Vintage Port.
Graham's declares a Vintage Port only in exceptional years, perhaps three times in a decade, and in the intervening years may produce a Quinta Vintage Ports from Quinta dos Malvedos or Quinta do Tua. These Quinta Vintage Ports are aged in our cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia for 10 years or more after harvest, before being released to the market, ready for enjoyment.
Graham’s Vintage Ports are outstanding for their consistent quality and long life. James Suckling’s series of notes for old vintages tasted in 1990 confirm this – how many wines, after 40 or more years, are rated so highly and noted as “will improve with age” ?
Wine Information
A truly majestic Vintage, 1927 was one of the classic Vintages of the 20th Century, with poise and class. Declared by all of the major Port houses.
Outstanding wines, which will last for years if well cellared. The wines continue to improve after 75 years and may well continue to do so even after 100.
Viticultural and Weather Conditions
Rain in July and August was followed by fine hot weather that burned some of the grapes. In September there was hardly any heat or sun during the day and the evenings were cool.
Just before 28 September some rain fell which did no harm. In October, just as the harvest was beginning on the 3rd, there were 10 days of fine weather which transformed the situation. The late harvest meant that the grapes were very ripe, and the quality was outstanding.
Winemaker's Overview
In the Quintas and other good districts, grapes were exceptionally far advanced at the end of July; during August they ripened more slowly, but without any serious check, so that they are today just about correct for the time of year. Vintage on 3rd October? Quantity is not abundant, but condition so far is excellent, promising good wine, but less than average yield.
Maurice Symington
7-9 September 1927
Saw the samples at Pinhão. 1927s and Quinta wines excellent. The altos (high vineyards) have turned out very well and should prove most useful, the majority being clean, firm wines.
Maurice Symington
11 December 1927