History

In the late 18^th century the Scottish Graham family were merchants with interests in both Portugal and India, “among the merchant princes of Great Britain” according to a contemporary historian.  In 1820 the brothers William and John Graham established the firm W&J Graham’s in Porto with the intention of specialising in the production of the finest Port wines.  Over the course of the 19^th century their Ports achieved an extraordinary reputation for consistent quality, and in 1890 the firm made two substantial investments to ensure the continued success and quality of their wines:  the purchase of Quinta dos Malvedos in the heart of the Douro wine growing region, and the building of the magnificent Lodge on a hill overlooking Porto and Gaia, where the wines are aged in perfect conditions.

In 1882 Andrew James Symington came to Porto to join the firm of W & J Graham’s, though on the general trading side.  After a few years he left the firm and became involved with the Port trade through other ventures, notably his association with Warre & Co.  In 1970 AJS’s grandsons purchased W & J Graham’s, ensuring the future of this renowned Port producer.

A more detailed history of Graham’s and of the Symington family can be found on the Graham’s website.

Quintas

The Graham family were among the first English producers to purchase their own property in the Douro, Quinta dos Malvedos.  This beautiful property is ideally situated in the heart of the region on the banks of the river with a southfacing aspect.  In the 19^th century the property was already known to produce fine wines, “considered to be of the very first quality, among the best in the Douro” according to the Viscount of Villa Maior in his survey of the Douro region.

Graham’s were also very astute in identifying and nurturing relationships with other producers, ensuring the supply of top quality wines every year, and establishing the basis for the extraordinarily consistent quality of their Vintage Ports.  Henry Vizatelly, writing about the Douro in 1877, mentions “several quintas adjoining each other, all of which yield high-class growths, purchased for many years past by Messrs W and J Graham, of Oporto.”  The Symington family have continued this tradition, working with many of the same families and properties that have supplied Graham’s for generations.  One example of this is Quinta das Lages, in the Rio Torto Valley, which has been a key contributor to the Graham’s blend for 100 years or more.

In addition, the Symington family have acquired other quintas which are dedicated to supplying grapes for Graham’s, including Quinta do Vale de Malhadas in the Douro Superior just east of Quinta do Vesuvio, as well as Quinta do Tua and Quinta da Vila Velha which are situated just up and down river respectively of Quinta dos Malvedos.

See detailed viticultural profiles for all these Quintas:  Malvedos (which bottles a Quinta Vintage Port), Tua (which occasionally bottles a Quinta Vintage Port), Lages and Vila Velha.

Flavour Profile

Graham’s Ports stand out for their intense, opulent, sweet style, with great concentration of rich fruit and floral aromas and flavours, and the backbone of tannins to ensure a long life in bottle.

The Wines

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” ? 

1927:  This is a classically structured wine with mountains of ripe fruit and an excellent balance of tannins… wonderfully rich finish.  (94/100)

1935:  Incredible richness and wonderful finesses on the nose and palate… great balance.  A joy to drink.  (94/100)

1945:  It is still very concentrated but extremely well balanced and mellow… will improve with age. (95/100)

1948:  Great class and power … wonderful depth of racy fruit here.  Good now but will improve. (95/100)

Graham’s 2000 Vintage Port scored 98 out of 100 points with the Wine Spectator and was placed 9^th in their “Top 100 Wines of the World.”  James Suckling wrote of this wine:

Graham’s is a shining example of an established Port house pushing the boat out to make even better wines through better viticulture and winemaking methodology.  This is the greatest young Vintage Port from Graham I have ever tasted, and perhaps it will be better in the long term than the legendary 1948.

History

The firm behind the port brand Dow’s, Silva and Cosens, began in 1798, when a Portuguese merchant, Bruno da Silva, set up business in London to import wines from his native country.  Bruno thrived in London, the wines developed a strong reputation, and the business continued down through the generations, taking in Frederick William Cosens as a partner in 1862, and in 1868 George Acheson Warre (of another long-established Port trade family) joined the firm, taking responsibility for the wine making in Portugal. 

In 1877 Silva & Cosens merged with another Port company, Dow & Co.  As this firm also had a strong reputation for the quality of its Ports, particularly its Vintage Ports, it was decided to adopt Dow’s as a brand name for the wines produced by Silva & Cosens.

Meanwhile, Andrew James Symington arrived in Porto in 1882, to work for Graham’s, a firm which, in addition to its Port shipping activities, also conducted a general trading business, where AJS began his career.  After just a few years he left Graham’s and became involved with the Port trade, becoming a partner in Warre & Co in 1905. 

In 1912 George Acheson Warre decided to return to England and invited AJS to manage the Portuguese end of the Dow’s business:  the Douro vineyards as well as the Lodge and stocks in Vila Nova de Gaia.  Members of the Symington and Warre families continued to work together at Dow’s until 1961, when the Symingtons became sole owners of Dow’s.

One of the great assets of Dow’s has to be the Guest Books that have been kept at Quinta do Bomfim from the beginning.  In these books George Acheson Warre, his colleagues, and all the Warre and Symington family members who followed him, have recorded their visits and made notes on the state of the vineyards year round, as well detailed records about the quality of the grapes and wines during harvest.  These guest books have been an invaluable resource in creating our annual Vintage Reports for this site.

A more detailed history of Dow's as well as details of all the Dow's Ports can be found on the Dow’s website.

Quintas

Dow’s was one of the first Port companies to recognise the importance of vineyard ownership in the Douro.  George Acheson Warre knew the region intimately and purchased two legendary quintas for Dow’s:  Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira, in the Douro Superior, in 1890, and Quinta do Bomfim, at Pinhão in the Upper Douro, in 1896.

In 1954, when the Port trade was in deep crisis after the Second World War, the decision was made to sell Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira, though Dow’s continued to buy the wines most years – including for such wonderful vintages as the 1955, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1980 and 1994.   In 1998, the company’s Bicentenary year, the Symington Family were able to buy back Senhora da Ribeira, and to mark the occasion bottled the first Quinta Vintage Port from this extraordinary property. 

Dow’s also sources grapes from two other quintas in the Douro Superior, both near Senhora da Ribeira, and both privately owned by family members:  Quinta do Santinho and Quinta da Cerdeira.  Together, the four estates have over 90 hectares of vineyards.

See detailed viticultural profiles for the Quintas:  Bomfim and Senhora da Ribeira (both of these quintas produce Quinta Vintage Ports)

Flavour Profile

Dow´s Ports have a distinctive quality and style:  superbly concentrated wines that are scented with violet and mint aromas, intense and tannic when young, maturing towards a superlative racy elegance with age.  Dow’s hallmark is its attractive and distinctively drier finish as compared with other Port brands.

The Wines

Dow's declares a Vintage Port only in exceptional years, perhaps three times in a decade, and in the intervening years may produce Quinta Vintage Ports from Quinta do Bomfim or Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira.  The Senhora da Ribeira wines are exceptionally fine and, most unusually for a Quinta Vintage, are released En Primeur at the time of bottling, rather than being aged in our cellars for ten years before release, as is typical for a Quinta Vintage.

Dow’s have long been known and well regarded by connoisseurs.  In 1920 the celebrated Oxford profession George Saintsbury wrote in his Notes on a Cellarbook

There is no shipper’s wine that I have found better than the best of Dow’s, 1878 and 1890 especially.

James Suckling, a contemporary authority on Port, attended the 1998 Dow’s Bicentenary tasting, and wrote in The Wine Spectator

The tasting spanned more than a century of Vintage Ports, beginning with 1854 and ending with 1997.  I rated more than half of the Ports Outstanding, at 90 points or higher on Wine Spectator’s 100 point scale.  I gave four Vintages – 1896, 1924, 1945 and 1994 – Classic Quality ratings at 98, 96, 97 and 97 respectively.  These are some of the greatest Ports ever produced.

His detailed note for the 1896 further demonstrates the quality and longevity of Dow’s Vintage Ports:

The ancient Port (1896) still had an amazing ruby colour with a garnet edge, and it smelled of raisins, black pepper and berries.  It was full-bodied, with masses of fruit intertwined with layers of velvety tannins.  It was superb.

History

The firm now known as Warre & Co existed as early as 1670, founded by Willliam Warre whose trading operations included the shipping of woollen goods from his native Somerset to the East Indies and Brazil.  Wool was also the basis of trade with northern Portugal, in exchange for olive oil, fruit and wine, and so William Warre was trading actively through Porto and also Viana do Castelo, another great port at the mouth of the Minho river, to the north of Porto.  Subsequently William Warre’s trading interests took him to India, and it was his grandson, also William Warre, who ultimately settled in Porto in 1729 and became a partner in the firm of Clark & Thornton which was focussed on the trading of wine from the Douro.  In 1791 records show that 21 firms shipped just over 30,000 pipes of Port, of which Warre & Sons accounted for 2,937 pipes, almost 10% of the total.

The descendants of that Willliam Warre remained in Porto for two centuries, longer than any other English family of that era, and members of the family were well known for civic and military achievements as well as their standing and influence within the Port trade. 

The firm was the first British Port company to be founded in Portugal, the first to buy land and build a lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia to age their wines in the temperate maritime climate at the mouth of the Douro, and the first to launch a branded Port - the famous Warrior reserve ruby, still produced over 250 years later. 

In 1905 Andrew James Symington joined Warre & Co as a partner, and in 1912 formed a partnership with George Acheson Warre (then with Dow’s) to jointly manage the Douro vineyards for both Warre’s and Dow’s.  The Warre family subsequently returned to England, where they managed sales and the London office of the firm, and ultimately the Symington family took full ownership of the firm in the 1960’s. 

A more detailed history of Warre’s and the Symington family can be found on the Warre’s website.

Quintas

Warre’s flagship property, which sets the style of its Vintage Ports, is Quinta da Cavadinha.  Located in the valley of the Pinhão river, just 4km north of the Douro and the town of Pinhão, this vineyard enjoys a predominantly south-easterly aspect, and rises from 150 to 320 metres.  The lower vineyards nearest the river have a relatively gentle gradient and enjoy a concentration of heat created by and held within the narrow river gorge.  The terrain then climbs very sharply, and the vineyards higher up enjoy a much cooler, airier microclimate.  The blend of wines from the lower vineyard (tannic, concentrated, floral) and the upper vineyards (fresh, elegant, subtle) establish the unique flavour profile of Warre’s Vintage Ports.  The property is an old and well known one, which has featured in both the poetry and prose of Miguel Torga, one of Portugal’s most well known 20^th century writers.

Just above Cavadinha are two small vineyards privately owned by members of the Symington family, Quinta do Alvito and Quinta das Netas.  At altitudes between 350 and 480 metres, these properties are considerably cooler than river front or lower altitude vineyards and their grapes contribute freshness, elegance and fine acidity to Warre’s blends.

In the Rio Torto Valley, south of Pinhão, Warre’s has Quinta do Retiro Antigo, with some of the most beautiful stone terraces in the region.  This valley is renowned for the quality of its Ports, and this particular property has featured in both the original Douro Demarcation map of 1756 and Baron Forrester’s 19^th century map of the region.  The microclimate in this valley is very dry and as in the lower areas of Cavadinha, the narrow river valley concentrates the heat and ensures full ripening most years.

Since 2006 Quinta da Telhada in the Douro Superior has also contributed to the Warre’s blends.  Situated on the north bank of the river, east of Senhora da Ribeira and Vesuvio, this incredibly remote vineyard is just 25 km from the border with Spain.  It has a hot and dry climate, with an average rainfall just one third of Cavadinha’s.

See detailed viticultural profiles for all these Quintas:  Cavadinha (which bottles a Quinta Vintage Port), Retiro Antigo, and Telhada.

Flavour Profile

Warre’s Vintage Ports combine elegance, length and balance whilst still retaining the underlying rich opulence of great Vintage Port.

The Wines

Warre'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 Port from Quinta da Cavadinha.  The Cavadinha Vintage Ports will be 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.

Warre’s Vintage Ports are among the greatest ever made, their late 19^th and early 20^th century wines establishing a reputation that has never faltered:  1870, 1887, 1896, 1904 and 1908 were all legends in their time, the 1963 is a benchmark, 1994, 1997, 2000 and 2007 all highly praised and rated by critics.  The consistency of Warre’s quality is simply extraordinary.

Michael Broadbent in his book Vintage Wine, gave eight “5 star” ratings during the period 1945-2000: 1945, 1955, 1966, 1970, 1985, 1994, 1997, 2000.  His notes for all the 20^th century Vintages consistently remark on the elegance and balance of Warre’s.

1945 (5 Stars) …beautiful colour, lively, lovely gradation. Very forthcoming indeed fairly forceful nose, brandy evident. A powerful wine with cockle-warming alcohol, crisp, lovely texture and elegance - for me the hallmark of Warre. Absolutely glorious. Perfection.

Seven Warre’s Vintage Ports have been rated 90 points or more by Robert Parker: 1977 (92), 1983 (90), 1985 (90), 1994 (94), 2000 (91), 2003 (93), 2007 (93).

1994 (94 points) One of the finest Warre’s I have ever tasted, this opaque purple-coloured wine is made in a drier style, yet it is expressive, extremely full-bodied, with superb richness, purity, and well-integrated alcohol and tannin. It possesses a great mid-palate as well as impressive length. Tasters should note of the wealth of peppery, liquorice-scented and flavoured raspberry and blackcurrant fruit. This is a profound example of Warre vintage port.

Twelve Warre’s Vintage Ports rated 90 points or more by Wine Spectator:1927 (93), 1947 (91), 1960 (90), 1963 (92), 1966 (91), 1977 (92), 1985 (91), 1991 (91), 1994 (95), 1997 (94), 2000 (91), 2007 (95).

2007 (95 Points) I love the nose on this, with blackberry, black licorice, and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, medium sweet and very, very dense. What seductive mouth feel, with polished, round tannins that caress the palate. This may be better than the fantastic 1994. Score: 95-98/100

History

Cockburn’s was founded in 1815 by Robert Cockburn, a Scottish soldier who had served in the Peninsular War under the Duke of Wellington.  Over the course of the 19^th century three more families joined the firm and were instrumental in building Cockburn’s reputation: the Smithes, Teages and Cobbs, and by the early 20^th century Cockburn’s Vintage Ports were among the most highly-regarded.   Like many Port shippers, the firm suffered in the difficult years following the Second World War, and in 1962 it passed into corporate ownership. 

The firm has a tradition of pioneering viticulture:  Cockburn’s were the first to plant experimental vineyards in the 1930s, and in the 1970s were instrumental in saving Touriga Nacional from near extinction: although this grape is a winemaker’s delight for its aromas, flavours, tannins and balanced acidity, it had fallen from favour with the growers, due to its exceptionally low yields.  Cockburn’s were remarkable for planting single-variety blocks before this practice became common and for their commitment to the Douro Superior, proving the enormous quality potential of this remote region by producing high quality Ports based on the wines made from their extensive vineyard holdings east of the Valeira Dam.

In 2006 Symington Family Estates acquired all the assets of Cockburn's including its properties and stocks of ageing port wines, and began making the wines under contract to the then owners.  In 2010 SFE were able to buy the brand and take full control of Cockburn’s.  The reputation of Cockburn’s Vintage Ports is rising once again, with Cockburn’s Quinta dos Canais 2007 Vintage Port winning a Silver Medal at the 2011 Decanter World Wine Awards and both the Cockburn's 2007 and Canais 2009 winning multiple awards in the 2012 tasting competitions.

For more detailed information about Cockburn's and their full range of Ports, visit the Cockburn's website.

Quintas

Cockburn’s flagship quinta is the magnificent Quinta dos Canais, which has been at the heart of Cockburn’s Vintage Ports for almost a century.  Located in the Douro Superior just east of the Valeira Dam on the north bank of the river, the vineyards stretch out along undulating hills with east, south and west facing exposures, from 110 metres at the river front up to 345 metres. 

Quinta do Vale Coelho, just upriver from Canais, was purchased by Cockburn's in 1893 and has also been a key contributor of wines to the Cockburn's Ports for over 100 years.  In addition, specially selected wines from other privately-owned Symington family quintas in the Douro Superior are used in the blends to create Cockburn’s Vintage Ports.

For more viticultural details, see the Canais Quinta Profile and the Quinta do Vale Coelho Quinta Profile.

Flavour Profile

The Vintage Ports are very full bodied with characteristic floral and esteva (rock rose) aromas, with fresh acidity and a characteristic long, dry finish.

The Wines

Cockburn's produces both a Cockburn's Vintage Port, which is declared only in exceptional years, perhaps three times in a decade, and also a Quinta dos Canais Quinta Vintage Port, which typically is produced only in intervening years. 

In a tasting of Cockburn’s Ports for his 1990 Vintage Port book, James Suckling tasted 11 of the vintages from 1896 to 1958, and his notes consistently remark on the very long and elegant finish of the wines.  The judges at the 2012 International Wine Competition awarded the Cockburn’s Vintage 2007 both a Gold Medal and the prestigious IWC Vintage Port Trophy, praising the flavour and structure “... a dense flavour of blackberry and black cherry, underpinned by tannin but the texture is seamless and this scented, balanced style will be sumptuous young and age for a generation or more.”

History

This iconic Douro property is recorded as far back as 1565.  In the early 19^th century the quinta was acquired by António Bernard Ferreira, a well known Port grower and businessman, who began a programme of building and landscaping on an unprecedented scale.  Old stone walled terraces were repaired and new ones created, bringing approximately 100 hectares under vine of the 325 (803 acre) hectare property.  An adega was built to match the scale of the vineyards:  whereas typical lagares (the stone tanks in which grapes are treaded by foot) hold about 12 pipes of port, the eight lagares at Vesuvio each hold 25 pipes of wine (14,000 litres) and require 50 people to tread the grapes. 

Ultimately the property passed into the hands of António’s redoubtable daughter in law, Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira.  She oversaw the building of the grand estate house and chapel, and thereafter frequently used Quinta do Vesuvio as her principal residence.  It was Dona Antónia who bottled and sold the Vesuvio wines under their own name – which was an extraordinary practice in the 19^th century – and brought the quinta and its wines into renown.  She faced the devastation of phylloxera in the 1870’s, shifting to production of olives, almonds and oranges when the grape crops failed, and kept her labour force further employed with the construction of a 16 km stone wall to encircle the property.  As phylloxera came under control, vineyards were replanted with grafted vines, and wine production resumed.  Dona Antónia’s descendants continued production at Vesuvio, but blended or sold the wines to other shippers; although the Quinta remained a legend, the wines became less well known. 

In 1989 the Symington family acquired the property with the intention to restore the quinta and its wines to their former glory.  The house and adega were restored and a massive planting program undertaken which extended the area under vine to 136 hectares, as well as revitalising and re-planting selected existing vineyards.  The decision was made to retain the tradition of treading by foot, and to make only Vintage Port – no other Port styles are made under the Quinta do Vesuvio name.  If necessary, no Vintage Port will be made when the stringent quality criteria have not been met, as in 1993 and 2002 when weather conditions were a challenge.

Visit the Quinta do Vesuvio website to learn more about the history of this magnificent property and brand.

The Quinta

Quinta do Vesuvio is located in the Douro Superior, on the south bank of the river.  Laid out over seven hills and seven valleys, the quinta rises from 130 metres at the river front to 530 metres.  The extraordinary variety of terrain and microclimate in the Quinta allows us to produce a superb Vintage Port most years.

For more viticultural details of the property, consult the Quinta Profile for Vesuvio.

Flavour Profile

Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Ports are very concentrated, powerful wines, showing ripe fruit flavours such as blueberry and blackcurrent.

The Wines

In 1876 the Viscount of Villa Maior produced an authoritative survey of the Douro winemaking properties, and wrote of Vesuvio “All this wine is made scrupulously and to perfection…”  The same is true again today.  In a survey of the vintages from 1989 to 2005, Michael Schuster, writing in The World of Fine Wine magazine, concludes “Year in, year out, the quality remains remarkably consistent, but as with any fine Bordeaux château or Burgundy cru, the character of the year is reflected in the wine.”

Capela da Quinta do Vesuvio

Whereas most brands declare Vintages perhaps three times in a decade and produce Quinta Vintage Ports when appropriate in the intervening years, Quinta do Vesuvio is such an extraordinary property that we can produce Vintage Ports most years.  Occasionally we find we can make something even more exceptional, the crème de la crème, and then we make a Capela da Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage.

This Vintage Port is a premium blend of outstanding wines, some of which have been micro-vinified by partitioning the immense lagares at Vesuvio to a fraction of their normal capacity.  Other specialised winemaking techniques may be employed to enhance and concentrate the wines, for example bleeding the lagar nearly 30% to produce an even more tremendously concentrated wine, using a cold fermentation to enhance aromatics, or fermenting a component wine to a lower baumé for a drier style.  This is a hand-crafted Vintage Port like no other.

This extraordinary Vintage Port is named for the lovely chapel (capela in Portuguese) at Quinta do Vesuvio.

History

Christopher Smith, Member of The British Parliament and Lord Mayor of London, founded a small company to ship Port from the Douro in 1784.  The Woodhouse brothers joined in the early 19^th century and the name Smith Woodhouse was established.  By the end of the 19^th century their Ports enjoyed a strong reputation.  Like so many shippers, Smith Woodhouse fell on hard times in the aftermath of the Second World War, and the brand was sold to a London based wine importer, whilst the wines were shipped by W & J Graham’s.  In 1970, when the Symington family bought Graham’s, they acquired Smith Woodhouse as well.

Visit the Smith Woodhouse website for more information about the full range of Ports.

Quintas

Quinta da Madalena in the Rio Torto is at the heart of the Smith Woodhouse ports, as well as wines made from select grapes bought in from adjacent properties in the Rio Torto valley.  The Rio Torto, which runs south from the Douro near Pinhão in the heart of the Douro region, has an extraordinary microclimate and has been known for the quality of its ports for as long as Port has been made.

Learn more viticultural details from the  Quinta da Madalena Quinta Profile.

Flavour Profile

Smith Woodhouse Ports have outstanding length and structure and are drier than most. Its Vintage Ports show a characteristic opulent rich style, balanced by firm hard tannins. Ageing gives these wines an unmatched elegance.

Wine Reputation

Smith Woodhouse declares a Vintage Port only in exceptional years, perhaps three times in a decade, and in the intervening years may produce a Quinta Vintage Port from Quinta da Madalena.  As a rule, the Madalena Vintage Ports will be 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, although in 1995 the Madalena Vintage was so extraordinary it was released En Primeur.

As a niche brand with limited production Smith Woodhouse is perhaps not widely known to the general public, but among Port connoisseurs it is eagerly sought.  In major blind tastings of all the Ports declared in Vintage years, critics consistently pick out the Smith Woodhouse as extraordinarily good and extraordinarily good value.  Michael Broadbent gave Smith Woodhouse 1980 “My highest rating of the 14 '80s tasted blind at Christie's in June 1990.  5 Stars”  and in 2000 wrote of the Smith Woodhouse 1994 “A complete, lovely wine.  5 Stars”  In a 20 year retrospective tasting of all the 1977 Vintage Ports James Suckling rated the Smith Woodhouse 1977 at 99 out of 100 points, and called this Port “the greatest value in Vintage Port at the moment… and it’s an absolutely gorgeous Port to drink… In terms for sheer quality for money, it’s crazy not to buy some ’77 Smith Woodhouse…”

History

The firm was founded in 1797 by Garret Gould, who left his native Ireland for Portugal and established a trading company with offices in both Lisbon and Porto.  After the Peninsular wars the firm went into partnership with the prestigious banking and mercantile family of James Campbell & Co, and the Port shipper has been known as Gould Campbell ever since.  The firm was acquired by the Symington family in 1970.

Quintas

Gould Campbell is unusual in having no specific quintas associated with it.  The Ports are blended from our winemaker's pick of the finest wines made from grapes sourced from local farmers in the area around Pinhão and the Rio Torto in the heart of the Douro winemaking region.

Flavour Profile

In a discussion of the typical styles of each of the family brands Charles Symington, head winemaker, said that without the tie to a specific quinta and terroir-driven style, Gould Campbell gives him the opportunity to “just have some fun making interesting, satisfying wines.”  That said, Gould Campbell's Vintage Ports tend towards a very full bodied, rich style.

Wine Reputation

Like Symington’s other small-production niche brands, Gould Campbell is often picked out as showing very well against the big names and providing excellent value for money.  In his classic reference book on Port and The Douro, Richard Mayson wrote “In both 1985 and 1983, Gould Campbell produced two wines with more depth of flavour than many of its better-known peers.”

James Suckling makes a similar observation in his book on Vintage Port, saying “Gould Campbell Vintage Ports are very good indeed, and in vintages like 1983 and 1977 they can be outstanding. I have tasted these two Vintages in blind tastings against the best names in Port and they have easily held their own.”

History

Founded in 1680 by Thomas Dawson, Quarles Harris is amongst the oldest Port shippers still in existence, and their shipment of 98 pipes of Port in 1689 is the oldest recorded shipment by a firm still trading today.  In the late 18^th century they had a solid reputation as a shipper of fine quality Port, and were the second largest shipper of the time.  The firm continued to trade and remained in family hands until the 1920’s when the then owner, Reginald Quarles Harris, sold the firm to his cousin’s husband – Andrew James Symington.  AJ, as he was known, revived the firm and established it once more as a maker of fine quality Ports.

Quintas

Quarles Harris wines are blended from our winemaker’s pick of the best wines made from grapes bought in from small suppliers in the Rio Torto and Pinhão Valleys in the heart of the Douro region.

Flavour Profile

In a discussion of the typical styles of each of the family brands Charles Symington, head winemaker, said that without the tie to a specific quinta and terroir-driven style, Quarles Harris is an opportunity to “just have some fun making interesting, satisfying wines” from the grapes supplied to us by small producers.  Quarles Harris’s flavour profile is a firm and slightly dry style.

The Wines

In his book Vintage Port James Suckling advises that “ [Quarles Harris’s] Vintage Ports are extremely dependable in quality, however, and should not be missed” and calls the wines well-crafted, solid Vintage Ports.

History

Martinez was founded in 1790 by the Spaniard Sebastian Gonzalez Martinez, who, from his base in the City of London sold sherry, cigars and Port which was sourced from a number of producers and sold on to British merchants for bottling under their own names.  In 1822 he went into partnership with an Englishman, John Peter Gassiot, a Member of The Royal Society and amateur scientist.  By the time Sebastian Martinez retired in 1849, the company had become the largest shipper of Port to the UK, with its own lodges in Oporto acquired in 1834.

In the early 20^th century, at a time when many Port shippers were struggling, Martinez sold shares on the London Stock Exchange and became a public company.  In the early 1960’s Martinez was purchased by British wine merchant John Harvey, who also rather ironically acquired Cockburn’s, at the time Martinez’s foremost rival.

In 2006 the firm was acquired by the Symington Family who have set out to revitalise the Martinez brand and reinforce its reputation for fine Vintage Ports.

Quintas

Martinez has no historical association with any one quinta.  Instead, the grapes are sourced mainly from the Pinhão and Rio Torto valleys, where many small farmers produce top quality fruit which they sell to the Symingtons.

Flavour Profile

In a discussion of the typical styles of each of the family brands Charles Symington, head winemaker, said that without the tie to a specific quinta and terroir-driven style, Martinez is an opportunity to “just have some fun making interesting, satisfying wines” from the grapes supplied to us by small producers.

The Wines

In his landmark book on Port and The Douro Richard Mayson characterised Martinez Vintage Ports as “fine, middle-to-long distances Vintage Ports.”  The 2007 Vintage, the first made by the Symingtons, has been well received by critics.

History

Quinta de Roriz is one of the oldest and finest estates in the Douro, well-known by the end of the 17^th century, and was in the hands of the van Zeller family for much of the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Roriz was one of the first Ports to be bottled and shipped under the name of the quinta itself, and this continued into the early years of the 20^th century.

After some years of collaboration with the van Zellers, the quinta and brand were acquired outright by the Symingtons in 2009, and Quinta de Roriz has become the home of the Prats & Symington Douro DOC wines, although Vintage Port under the name of Quinta de Roriz continues to be made in exceptional years.

The story of this Quinta is so unusual that it is the focus of the book Roriz, História de uma Quinta no Coração do Douro by the historian Gaspar Martins Pereira, which weaves together the story of the legendary Quinta de Roriz with that of the Douro and its wines.  Read more about this book in our SFE News Feed, article available either in English or in Portuguese.

Quinta

Quinta de Roriz is one of the most spectacularly beautiful Quintas in the Douro, situated in the Upper Corgo on the South bank of the river Douro between Pinhão and Tua. Roriz forms a natural north facing amphitheatre, extending to 450 metres of altitude.

The quinta has a unique episode in its history, when it was mined for tin and even gold, beginning in the 17^th century when a religious order "Comenda das Tres Minas da Ordem de Christo" had the rights to the property.  Mining activities only ceased after World War II. 

For more viticultural details of the Quinta, please view the full Quinta Profile.

Flavour Profile

Great aromatic complexity and endless layers of sumptuous fruit, rich and well balanced wines, with great concentration and tannic structure. The wines have hallmark mineral tones on the palate.

The Wines

A small quantity of Quinta de Roriz Vintage Port is made from Roriz estate fruit only in exceptional years and when conditions allow.  No other style of Port is made by this brand.

James Suckling has admired the Quinta de Roriz in recent years, often remarking on the long finish of these Ports, and in 2003 added the comment “Great pedigree too.  I once had the 1865 Roriz and it was fantastic.”