Vintage Port 2017

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

The Symington family have introduced a security seal on all their 2017 Vintage Ports to prevent counterfeiting and to guarantee the wine’s authenticity. The security seal is produced by the Portuguese national mint, Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda, and has been applied to the back neck of the bottle, attached to the capsule and stretching to the glass. Each seal has a unique code, a hologram, and a security glue which ensures the paper will tear if there is an attempt to remove it. As a result of the attachment of the security seal, the IVDP certification seal has been moved to below the back label. The security and certification seals, together with the lot number printed on the glass, guarantee the provenance of all Vintage Ports produced by Symington Family Estates.

Over the centuries Warre's has made memorable wines which have earned for it First Growth status alongside a very small group of other elite producers. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Warre’s produced some of the greatest Vintage Ports ever made such as the 1870, 1887, 1896, the great 1904, the legendary 1908 and several more, all of which played a very significant role in establishing Port as one of the world’s finest wines.More recently, Warre’s stature in this field was further consolidated with the superb 2000 and 2003 Vintage Ports which attracted worldwide acclaim.

Warre’s Vintage Ports are peerless in their expression of poise and elegance. Whereas some other Vintage Ports can be almost overwhelming in their richness, Warre’s Vintage wines combine elegance, length and balance whilst still retaining the underlying rich opulence of great Vintage Port.

This unsurpassed style is derived from the inherent characteristics of Warre’s two principal vineyards: Quinta da Cavadinha and Quinta do Retiro Antigo. They complement each other very well. Cavadinha’s location, aspect and altitude translate into a cooler ripening cycle providing the freshness, fine subtle floral aromas and ideal acidity, the latter contributing significantly to the wines’ longevity. Retiro Antigo’s location in the hotter Rio Torto Valley, combined with the fact that just over 70% of the vineyard is made up of old, mixed vines, results in wines that show great intensity, concentration and complexity. Their powerful structure also provides great staying power.

Over the next few years, fruit from Quinta da Telhada will gradually be added to offer an even wider dimension to what is already one of the Douro’s most accomplished Vintage Ports. With its high proportion of Touriga Nacional plantings at an ideal age, this vineyard is set to become an invaluable component of future Warre’s Vintages.

Food pairing suggestion: One of the best pairings with Vintage Port is cheese (cream cheese, blue cheese and cured cheese) but it can also be enjoyed alongside many desserts, or simply on its own.