Graham's 2000
Vintage Port
This 2000 Vintage is a wine made to last and will reward anyone who has the patience to lay this wine down for at least 15 to 20 years. A milestone vintage for Graham's.
Description
This is a landmark wine for Graham’s, not only being the first Vintage of a new millennium, but being the first Vintage wine to enjoy the extraordinary results achieved by the new robotic ‘lagares’ at Malvedos in the inaugural year of our remodelled winery. Significant also has been the decision to include a rather larger proportion of mature Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional from Vila Velha, a classic riverside Quinta a short distance downstream from Malvedos, and some spectacular old vine lots from Vale de Malhadas in the Upper Douro. These wines each from family-owned Quintas have been used to reinforce the predominant component from Malvedos and the traditional excellence of the Rio Torto lots from Lages, to produce a rounded and even blend in the hallmark rich Graham style.
The blend displays many of the typical Graham aromas of ripe plum and ‘esteva’ (gum cistus) and is pleasantly smooth on the palate despite its youth. It is full and rich in the mouth with fresh blackberry and red plum notes. Despite the hallmark Graham sweetness in the mouth the finish is long and clean.
Our Expert's Recommendation
"This young wine should be allowed to age in its own bottle for at least 15 to 20 years from the time it is bottled to achieve its optimum maturity. For those who prefer to drink their Vintage Port young, 4 to 5 years are sufficient. Classic Graham's Vintage Port. Amazingly concentrated."
Press Comments
"Youthful black-purple; youthful, yes, but richly sweet and peppery, an immediate sense of abundance! Rich, sensuously balanced wine with very fine tannins; very sweet and very juicy - all within a notable finesse of texture; already a most seductive wine: rich, long, elegant, and even, with a "fat" that is unusual for Graham, an exceptional juice and succulence, a lovely overall harmony, and superb, scented length. A quite exceptional Graham."
"Inky and opaque. There was an enjoyable minty freshness on the nose with delicate floral notes and dark berry fruit. It’s built in a seriously full-bodied, take no prisoners style. The tannins are quite a bit more aggressive than the 2003 and more omnipresent on the lead up to the fruit filled finish with a powerful cocoa and berry aftertaste. The Y2K version of Graham’s VP is one of the finest Ports of the vintage."
“Dark purple. Slightly green note on the nose. Very big and bold and sweet – really overwhelming with its sweetness, though there is tannin, quite dry insistent tannin, on the finish. Dry and almost dusty finish. This is less than a baby, it’s an idea. But it should get there all right, even if it’s a bit crazy to even try to taste it now”.
“It has a dark, purple-black colour and sweet mulberry fruit on the nose. The palate is ripe, sweet and immensely seductive. Despite the grainy tannins, you almost feel you could wallow in a bath of this. It’s dense and sweet, and oh-so-drinkable”.
"Smells like freshly picked orchids, with loads of ripe, clean fruit. Full bodied, medium sweet and very powerful and racy. It lasts for minutes on your palate. Yet there’s a balance and class to this young Vintage Port."
“The 2000 Graham’s is the Vintage Port of the year. It is a shining example of an established Port house pushing the limits to make even better wines through better viticulture and wine –making methodology. The 200 is a young Port with grip, real “blackstrap wine” as the British used to call Port centuries ago. It smells of freshly picked orchids with loads of ripe, clean fruit and then turns full-bodied, medium sweet and very powerful in the mouth with big velvety tannins. It lasts for minutes on your palate. There’s great balance and class to this young vintage Port now, but it is a wine that merits decades of cellaring to show its true potential. I scored it 98 points in a recent Wine Spectator tasting of close to four dozen 2000 vintage Ports.
If you are into vintage Port, it’s going to be next to impossible not to buy some 2000, and Graham’s should be on the top of your list. The greatest baby Graham’s that I have ever tasted may be better in the long run than the legendary 1948, a judgement many of us may have to leave to the next generation. Especially if you’ve bought the wine for one of your children. But then, if you’re nice they may share”.
“Smells like fresh orchids, with loads of ripe, clean fruit. Full-bodied, medium-sweet. Very powerful and racy; lasts for minutes on the palate. Yet there’s balance and class to this young Vintage Port. Greatest Graham ever, young or old. Best after 2014”.
“Very good colour. Splendid nose. Real quality here. Concentrated and fruity. Elegant and complex. Lots of dimension. Full, very fine tannins. Excellent depth of fruit. Lots of grip. This has even more to it than the Fonseca. Excellent. From 2020”.
"Velvety intensity; remarkably sweet as always, floral scents, glorious flavour, richness masking tannin. Great wine."
Additional Information
For more information about Graham's, please visit
http://www.grahams-port.com
Click here to download the wine specification sheet.