FEATURES ARCHIVE

Originating from the Douro Valley in Portugal, this sweet fortified wine has become intensely popular, creating quite a name for itself across the globe. The quality of the harvest determines whether a producer (also known as a shipper) declares the Vintage and produces a Vintage Port. Extracts from Michael Broadbent MW’s Vintage Wine tells you all you need to know in this definitive guide of the best Port vintages of the 20th century.

1900
The first of four great classic vintages declared, rather conveniently spaced, at four-year intervals. 22 shippers.

1908
Great vintage, 26 shippers. Early harvest, high must weights.
Lot 1 • Believed Cockburn's 1908 • £1,000 - 1,200 per 4 bottles

1912
Another classic vintage. 25 shippers. Can still be excellent.
Lot 2 • Believed Taylor's 1911 • £650 - 750 per mixed 4 bottles

1927
A great classic vintage, the best between 1912 and 1935. Declared, at the top of market, by a record 30 shippers. The wines are now fading but the best ones are still superb.
Lot 4 • Cockbum's 1927 • £600 - 700 per 3 bottIes

1931
A great vintage but, slump conditions and with cellars still stocked with '27s, the British port houses, who at the time dominated the trade, decided not to declare, though good wine was made.
Lot 43 • Quinta do Noval • £2,000 - 3,000 per 5 bottIes

1934
Fairly scarce as only 12 shippers declared. Worth looking out for.
Lot 5 • Warre 1934 • £600 - 750 per 3 bottles

1935
A classic vintage bottled In King George VIs Coronation year, 1937. Similar harvest conditions to 1934 but smaller crop. Market slowly recovering - 15 shippers.The best still superb, with many years of life ahead.
Lot 52 • Croft 1935 • £1,000 - 1,500 per mixed 10 bottles

1945
The first end-of war vintage was of superb quality, although quantity was small. Perfect growing season.Yet great heat at harvest time created some vinification problems leading to high volatile acidity.With rare exceptions all were Oporto-bottIed. 22 shippers, Cockburn the only major abstention. These tautly constructed, concentrated wines are still superb - if they have been well kept.
Lot 7 • Graham's 1945 • £600 - 800 per 2 bottles

1947
A very good vintage though only declared by 11 shippers. Very popular in the wine-starved 195Os, which is why little ramains. Good weather conditions: wet spring, long hot summer, a little rain before picking ripe, healthy grapes. Now variable, only the best warranting 4 stars.

1948
A very good vintage but declared by only 9 shippers which, in retrospect, was an unfortunate error of judgement as it turned out to be so successful. It was seven years before another vintage of real quality was declared.
Lot 46 • Warre 1948 • £900 – 1,100 per 6 bottles

1955
At last, a vintage of quality and quantity to meet an equally responsive market. The best since 1948, the most widely declared - 26 shippers - since I 927.Yet there were some strange weather conditions with some excessive heat. Unquestionably '55 is my favourite vintage for drinking now.
Lots 54-57 • 57 Tayor’s 1955 • £2,000 - 3,000 per 12 bottIes

1960
An enthusiastically declared, and received, vintage. 24 shippers. A very hot summer. The heat accounts for some noticeable acidity and, for those who picked late, a little weakness. Nevertheless agreeable, flavoury wines that are more or less fully mature.
Lots 61-63 • Taylor's 1960 • £950 - 1,100 per 12 bottles

1963
A highly important vintage. 25 shippers. Fairly favourable conditions, though a long summer drought. Probably the biggest quantity of vintage port since 1927. Some very beautiful wines. Most are fully mature but many are losing colour and living on their reputation.
Lots 9-10 • Fonseca 1963 • £1,200 - 1,500 per 12 bottles

1966
An excellent vintage declared by 20 shippers but still somewhat underestimated and undervalued. Firm, perfect weight and balance, sinewy and long-lasting. Most will probably outlast the ‘63s and turn out greater in the end. All this was due to a hot year which ripened but did not singe the grapes and some rain at vintage time which reduced concentration.

1970
Ideal growing and harvesting conditions. The last vintage to be shipped in pipe for bottling by the British trade. An astounding vintage and much sturdier than first realised. Declared by 23 shippers. This is classic port, still on a seemingly limitless plateau of maturity.
Lots 11-16 • Taylor’s 1970 • £1,000 per 12 bottles

1975
A modest vintage that has not lived up to Its original expectations. The first mandatory bottling at source of a widely declared vintage did not get off to a good start. Declared by 17 major shippers, few tasted recently.
Lots 37-40 • Taylor's 1975 • £350 - 450 per 12 bottles

1977
A serious vintage but overrated at the time. The hottest autumn since 1963. Declared by 20 shippers, the notable exceptions being Martinez, Noval and Cockburn.
Lots 76-79 • Taylor’s 1977 • £600 - 700 per 12 bottIes

1983
Despite the uneven spring and summer this is a very attractive vintage. Superficially similar to the '82 but it was then overshadowed by the appealing and more popular '8Ss. Roughly 10 major shippers declared plus some minor ones and there were several LBVs. Good mid-term drinking.
Lot 100 Warre 1983 • £1,100 - 1,400 per 41 bottIes

1985
A very attractive vintage and the best since 19n. Hot summer and excellent harvest conditions. 26 shippers declared. However, Its initial vibrancy and reputation are now fading a little.
Lots 10 I-I 05 • Taylor’s 1985 • £400 - 500 per 12 bottles