Warres 2020 Vintage Port Vinha Velhas Anniversary Edition

Warres 2020 Vintage Port Vinha Velhas Anniversary Edition. This is a special bottling to celebrate the 350th anniversary of Warre’s Port. It is made exclusively from deep-rooted, horse-ploughed, 80 to 100-year-old mixed vines – for the first time in Warre’s long history. The 2020 vintage was the smallest harvest of the 21^st century and the Symington Family only released Warre and Graham’s in 2020. 

Warre’s has been leading the Port trade since it was established as the first British Port House in 1670. A pioneer of a great tradition with over 300 years of history, Warres legacy is built on the superb quality of Warres Vintage Ports and on an unwavering commitment to quality and successful innovation. The complexity, elegance and balance of Warres Vintage Port results from the blending of wines from three great quintas: Quinta da Cavadinha in the Pinhão Valley which runs north of the Douro, Quinta do Retiro in the Rio Torto Valley, which runs south from the Douro just downriver from Pinhão, and since 2006, the Quinta da Telhada in the Douro Superior, just 25 km from the border with Spain. The blend is rounded out by wines from three more vineyards clustered around Cavadinha, namely Quinta do Alvito, Quinta das Andorinhas and Quinta das Netas. All three vineyards have a long history of supplying Warre’s, and are now privately owned by members of the Symington family who continue that tradition. Cavadinha is unique in that its vineyards range from 150 metres by the Pinhão River, to as high as 400 metres. The family’s own vineyards are near the upper end of Cavadinha and continue up to 500 metres. This variation in location and altitude produces a wonderfully balanced wine as it combines grapes from the intense heat of the lower altitude and Douro Superior vineyards with grapes from a much cooler maturity cycle higher up in the Pinhão Valley.

From The Symington Family:

The Warres 2020 Vintage Port Vinha Velhas Anniversary Edition was the smallest harvest of the 21^st century and produced incredibly concentrated, well-structured, intensely coloured wines in very low quantities. Yields across the Symington family’s estates in the Douro Valley were 21% below the 10-year average. After reviewing the best wines from their finest properties, Head Winemaker Charles Symington concluded that the Cima Corgo sub-region of the Douro produced the most outstanding wines. The family have therefore chosen to do an exceptional bottling and limited release of two special edition Vintage Ports from Graham’s and Warre’s – drawn exclusively from a few of the best performing parcels from their estates in the Cima Corgo. These special Vintage Ports mark the historic milestones in 2020 of Graham’s 200^th anniversary and Warre’s 350^th anniversary.

Warre’s 2020 Vinhas Velhas 350^th Anniversary Edition Vintage Port is made from the magnificent old vines at two of Warre’s estates, made exclusively from deep-rooted, horse-ploughed, 80 to 100-year-old mixed vines – for the first time in Warre’s long history. These old mixed vines produced an average yield of just 310g per vine – meaning three vines were needed to produce one bottle of this Vintage Port, when typically, it requires just one vine. The wine is intensely fruit-driven with unparalleled concentration and elegance that belies the conditions of the year. 

“2020 was an especially challenging year in the Douro. The region saw record heatwaves which substantially reduced yields compared to our initial forecasts – around 40% down. Grape varieties that usually ripen sequentially needed to be picked at the same time. We adapted to the conditions and picked parcels by their altitude and co-fermented select varieties together, producing incredibly complex and concentrated wines. I am very proud of the two limited Graham’s and Warre’s 2020 Vintage Ports. These wines demonstrate the benefit of our family’s multi-generational knowledge of our estates and their microclimates, allowing us to produce such elegant wines in a year like 2020. I believe they are a fitting tribute to Graham’s 200 years and Warre’s 350 years and are destined to take their place among the greatest Vintage Ports from these two historic port houses.” – Charles Symington, Head Winemaker.

Tasting note

Exultant freshness reveals an incredible range of floral, fruit and herbal aromas, including rose, lavender, cloves, blackberries, and notes of mango. This is a wine that woos and seduces with its elegance and irresistible charm. On the
palate it is concentrated and multilayered with the fine-grained tannins underscoring the many dimensions of this beautifully structured, complex wine.

Wine Specification

· Alcohol by volume – 20% v/v (20°C)
· Total acidity – 4.70 (g/l)
· Baumé – 3.60
· Bottled during May 2022 with no filtration
· Winemakers: Charles Symington, Mário Natário

Just 2,400 bottles (75cl) of the Warres 2020 Vintage Port Vinha Velhas Anniversary Edition were released.