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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
Vintage Overview
The first “Declared Vintage” for six
years – the longest gap between
declarations for decades. A very small
but good Vintage similar to some of the
1983's.
The Viticultural Year
1991 produced a very dry ripening period
in the Douro and in the early summer there
was some anxiety as to how the drought
would affect the crop. Despite the very hot
conditions of the summer months it was
fortunate that there was cooler weather in
late August which allowed the grapes to
reach maturity.
Contemporary Family
Comments
“By the time picking began in the
second week of September the grapes
were in beautiful condition and the
resulting wines had enormous flavour
and bouquet”.
James Symington
October 1991
Wine Specification
Alcohol by Volume: 20.0% v/v (20ºc)
Total Acidity: 4.13 g/l tartaric acid
Baumé: 3.8
Vineyards: Primarily from Graham’s
Quinta dos Malvedos (Cima Corgo) and
Quinta dos Lages (Rio Torto valley)
Vintage 1991
Vintage Port: The first declared vintage in six years, the longest gap between declarations in decades, was a widely declared excellent year and produced some very promising colorful and aromatic wines. The best ones will age for decades.
