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Black, saturated colour with a very tiny purple rim. Dark, savoury, rocky, peppery and mineral intense black fruit is the first impression.Becomes more scented in the glass, that wild herbal plant (cistus) that you get in the Douro. Becoming more fragrant with violets and wonderfully aromatic in a dark and elegant way. Nothing raisined at all just incredible concentration. Fresh, floral, smells both purple and rocky. Smells of the Douro. So much aromatic complexity. Herbal, balsamic. Floral. More open than the Graham’s at this stage. ‘Classic Warre, typically more feminine style.’ Tannins are like firmly pressed velvet. Deeply elegant. Then stone dust. The tannins are more seductive than the very elegant aroma. So rich and deep.
Julia Harding MW, 2022
Jancisrobinson.com
Score: 19
Wine Description
The Story
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.
Wine Information
Warre’s 2020 Vinhas Velhas Vintage Port is made exclusively from the deep-rooted, horse-ploughed, 80 to 100-year-old mixed vines (field blend) at two of Warre’s estates: Quinta da Cavadinha (53%) and Quinta do Retiro (47%).
These magnificent old vines produced just 380g per vine at Cavadinha and 240g per vine at Retiro. It took three vines to produce one bottle of this Vintage Port –typically it requires just one vine.The cooler aspect of these two estates were of great benefit in 2020 and the old vines were incredibly resilient.
This is the first time we have produced a Warre’s Vintage Port exclusively from the old vines at two of our estates. The wine is intensely fruit-driven with unparalleled concentration and elegance that belies the conditions of the year.
