Warre's Vintage Porto 2016 (750ml)

 

Rated 98 Points by Wine Spectator

 

Ranked #14 Wines Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2018

 

Gorgeous, with warm plum reduction and gently steeped raspberry, blackberry and boysenberry fruit flavors forming the core, all inlaid with warm ganache and smoldering tobacco accents.  Very plush in feel, but has no lack of energy, as everything sails beautifully through the long finish.  A late echo of anise completes the seduction.  Best from 2035 through 2055.

 

Rated 98 Points by Decanter

 

Nearly 50% is made from old field blend vines, Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca from the Douro Superior.  Very pure violet aromas – already utterly charming with lovely, supple and seamless fruit.  Fresh and lithe with fine-grained tannins building in the mouth leading to a peacock’s tail of a finish.  A beautiful wine with real poise, definition and great finesse.  Don’t be deceived by the early charm, this is a wine that will last.  Total production of 4,250 cases.  Drinking Window 2030 - 2055

 

Rated 96 Points & Cellar Selection by Wine Enthusiast

 

This is a juicy wine, with dense black fruits that are cut by bright acidity.  The tannins give power and long-term aging potential to this impressive wine.  Drink from 2028.  Cellar Selection

 

Rated 96 Points by James Suckling

 

Very complex with dried flowers and roses.  Full-bodied, very layered and tightly wound.  Chewy and powerful.  Firm and off-dry.  Needs five or six years to soften.  Beauty.  Try in 2024.

 

Rated 91 Points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

 

The 2016 Vintage Port is a 46/37 blend from old vines and Touriga Nacional, with Touriga Franca making up the rest.  It was bottled in May 2018 with 113 grams of residual sugar.  The fruit on this is gloriously expressive and concentrated.  It's classic and delicious, but it doesn't show the power and structure of the top wines.  Charles Symington called it very elegant.  Or, say, understated and approachable.  It is pretty delicious, though, and I have to give this some props just because it is.  Don't expect it to be the best ager in the group.  There were 4,250 cases produced. (MS)

 

Warre's Vintage Porto 2016

 

     Grape Variety Percentages

 

Vinha Velha (old, mixed vines) 46%

Touriga Nacional 37%

Touriga Franca 17%

 

Alcohol:  20%

 

Bottled:  May 2018 with no filtration

 

Winemakers:  Charles Symington and Mário Natário

 

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.

 

Tasting Note

 

Typically Warre’s in its feminine charm, exuding floral aromas of violets and rockrose.  Supple, ripe black fruit flavours, underscored by fresh acidity, rendering superb balance and elegance.  Long, lingering finish with delicate tea-leaf notes.

 

Winemaker Notes

 

Nearly half the Warre’s 2016 is made up of old, mixed vines from both Cavadinha and Retiro.  In sections of these vineyards, as many as 30 to 40 different varieties are planted together, and at Retiro they are between 80 and 100 years old with a predominance of Touriga Franca, a variety that has typically prospered in the Rio Torto Valley, home to Quinta do Retiro.  These vineyards produced tiny yields, just 630g/vine.  The structure and complexity of the old vines was balanced with great acidity and freshness from the Cavadinha grapes and the superb floral aromatics from the two Touriga varieties harvested at Quinta da Telhada.  Due to the very cool nights during the vintage, the grapes arrived at the Cavadinha lagar winery so cold in the mornings that, in effect, they had a ‘cold soak maceration’ before fermentation began, favouring excellent aromatic extraction.  Harvesting finished at Cavadinha on October 10th, a couple of days before the weather broke.  More perfect harvesting conditions could not have been hoped for.

 

Vintage 2016

 

2016 will be remembered as a year that produced wines of remarkable structure, balance and elegance, a profile which closely matches Warre’s traditional Vintage Port style.  Words such as charm, grace, finesse and elegance are rarely absent in descriptions and reviews of Warre’s superb Vintage Ports, be they from the 19th, 20th or 21st centuries.

 

2016 was a late vintage.  Picking only began at Warre’s Quinta da Cavadinha and Quinta do Retiro on September 19th and September 23rd, respectively.  Even at Quinta da Telhada, situated in the hotter Douro Superior, harvesting began unusually late on September 15th.  The vines’ protracted development suited Warre’s Cima Corgo properties and the Cavadinha vineyard, due to its aspect and altitude has a cooler, longer maturing pattern and reaches its best in years such as this when extended periods of ripening favour balanced grape maturations.

 

A prerequisite of a classic declaration is for Touriga Franca to fulfill its maximum potential, and this is exactly what happened in 2016.  The vintage was ten days longer than in 2015, allowing this and other varieties in all three Warre’s properties across the Douro Valley, to ripen fully with beautifully balanced Baumés, acidity and phenolics.

 

There were occasions through the viticultural year when such a favourable outcome was far from certain.  A warm winter and cool spring, both wetter than normal, required a great deal of work to protect the vines.  While the generous rainfall was to prove providential in sustaining the vines through the hot and dry summer that followed (‘like money in the bank’ in Charles Symington’s words), it did catch many growers off guard during the spring and led to a 20% reduction in the crop across the region.  At Warre’s vineyards, timely interventions not only saved the crop but ensured that the promise of quality would be realised during the vintage.

 

The hot summer, with several heatwaves and very little rain, strained the vines.  However, the water reserves in the soil sustained maturations which advanced slowly until the late harvest.  The cumulative rainfall at Cavadinha, to the end of August, was 52% higher than average, and this made all the difference.  Furthermore, as so often happens in declared years, late summer rainfall proved decisive and made 2016 an exceptional year, rather than just a very good one.  The 18mm of rain recorded at Cavadinha on September 12th and 13th was precisely what was needed for the grapes’ complete and balanced ripening.

 

 

The Warres

 

The Oldest Brand of Port

 

from

 

The Oldest British Port Company

 

The firm that became Warre’s was established in 1670

 

Two Englishmen, William Burgoyne and John Jackson opened offices in northern Portugal as Burgoyne & Jackson - initially a general trading company, exporting wines, olive oil and fruit, as well as importing dried cod and English woollen goods.  In 1703 the Matthew conferred additional rights to non-Portuguese merchants and the partnership was formalized.

 

Over time, the company admitted new partners and its name changed accordingly; in 1718, Mr. John Clark married to Miss Prudence Burgoyne.  Following his marriage, the firm traded as John Clark, by 1723 it was known as Clark & Thornton and finally in 1729, it became Messrs. Clark, Thornton & Warre, with the arrival of the first Warre in Portugal.  This was William Warre, born in India (1706), where his parents and grandparents were long established members of the East India Company.

 

By the close of the 18th century, Warre’s had become one of the leading companies as illustrated by the total shipments of Port for 1791.  In that year, 21 companies exported a little over 30,000 pipes of Port, of which Warre & Sons accounted for 2,937 pipes, i.e. 10% of the total.

 

Combing Heritage & Innovation

 

For 350 years Warre’s has been a pioneer in the Port trade, from advances in the winery to viticultural research.  It was one of the first Port houses to build a lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia in the 18th century, where – to this day - its wines age undisturbed until it’s time for bottling.
 
This pioneering spirit, combined with a deep respect for heritage and tradition, form a unique combination that places Warre’s firmly at the heart of the history of the Port trade as it celebrates its 350th anniversary.

 

One of the Great Port Families

 

On arriving in Portugal in 1729 William Warre (1706 - 1773) was to start a family Port dynasty that would make a unique and unmatched contribution to Port and to the life of its adopted city and country.  In 1745, he married Elizabeth Whitehead, sister of John Whitehead, the distinguished British Consul responsible for designing and building the magnificent British Factory House (1790).

 

Their eldest son, also William, would himself serve as His Majesty’s Consul.  The 5th sibling, James Warre, became a prominent figure in the Port trade for over 50 years and would father the most illustrious member of the family, another William Warre (1784 - 1853).

 

This William was destined to have an outstanding military career which was to mark him as one of the most distinguished and historically important figures to come out of the many Port families in the long annals of the Port trade.

 

William Warre

 

A historic figure in the history of Port

 

William Warre, from the Oporto family of Port producers, fought with the Anglo-Portuguese army led by the Duke of Wellington, at nearly every major battle in the Peninsular war (1807-1814).  These battles re-established Portugal’s independence.  Warre’s Warrior Reserve Port is the first and oldest Port brand in the world, having been shipped continuously since 1750.

 

Commissioned as an officer in the British Army, the young Porto-born Captain Warre played a central and decisive role at virtually all of the key battles throughout the Peninsular War (1808 – 1812), during which joint British and Portuguese forces fought Napoleon Bonaparte’s successive invading armies.  Captain Warre’s knowledge of the language and the country, despite the fact that he was aged only 24 at the outbreak of war, made him invaluable to his commanders, Field Marshal Beresford and the Duke of Wellington.

 

To the latter William recommended and supplied Port from his family’s company.  In a letter to his father, dated 15th May, 1810, written from Army Headquarters at Fornos d’Algodres, he wrote:

 

“My Dear Father,

 

I have been much flattered lately by Ld. Wellington’s reception of me, and lately remained two days at his Hd. Qrs. At Celorico, 2 leagues from here.  He has applied to me to procure him one hogshead of very fine old Port.  He does not care about the price, and wishes me to get you to take care of it for him in London.  At Oporto it is impossible to get any old wine, and I therefore told him I would write to you, and beg your assistance.”

 

He would eventually rise to the rank of Lieutenant - General, receiving several awards for gallantry and titles from both Portugal and England in recognition of his substantial contribution towards the recovery of Portugal’s independence.

 

The Symington Family

 

The Symington Family is descended from Andrew James Symington and Beatrice Atkinson who were married in Oporto in 1891.  Andrew James arrived as a young man from Scotland in 1882 and was admitted to partnership in the firm of Warre & Co. in 1905 and in 1908 he became the sole owner of Warre & Co.

 

Beatrice Atkinson was descended from John Atkinson who had lived in Oporto since 1814, and both her father and uncle were Port producers.  On her mother’s side, Beatrice Atkinson was a direct descendent of the 17th century Port merchant, Walter Maynard, English Consul in Oporto in 1659.  He is recorded in the official archives of the city of Oporto as shipping 39 Pipes of Port in 1652.  This is the second oldest shipment of Port (by one year) ever made by a British merchant and pre-dates the foundation date of any British Port company.

 

Thus the Symington family’s ancestry in the Port trade spans a period of over 350 years, through 13 generations, from Walter Maynard to the present generation of Symingtons, who are owners and managers of Warre’s and the family’s other Port companies.  With their roots long established in northern Portugal, the Symingtons have gained a wealth of experience as producers of Port and have shown the resilience to withstand the upheavals of history, from revolutions and world wars to difficult trading conditions which drove numerous families out of the Port business altogether.  No other family involved in Port production today possesses such an unbroken lineage, stretching right back to the very beginnings of Port.

 

Currently six members of the Symington family (five from the 13th generation in the Port trade) are actively involved in Warre’s day to day management, with the dedication and long-term commitment that are unique to a family-run business.  From the vineyards through the winemaking, ageing and blending, a member of the family is directly responsible for every bottle of Warre’s Port produced.  The family’s commitment to its wines is stronger than ever after 350 years, an unparalleled tradition in the Port trade.

 

In addition to Quinta da Cavadinha, Quinta do Retiro Antigo and the most recently acquired Quinta da Telhada, Warre’s top vineyards, held by the company itself, the Symingtons are individually significant owners of vineyards in the Douro Valley.  Each member of the family has vineyards that he or she owns privately and manages.  The grapes from these vineyards are supplied to Warre’s.  This extent of private family vineyard ownership is unique to the Symingtons in the Port trade.  In none of the other principal Port companies do the partners or owners possess vineyards directly as is the case with the Symingtons.  This reflects the family’s centuries-long dedication to the Douro and to its wines.

 

During the vintage, family members spend most of their time in the Douro Quintas, determining when to pick the grapes, supervising vinification, while at the same time often hosting visitors from all around the world.

 

The Symingtons’ unmatched experience acquired over the centuries affords a special understanding of the Douro vineyards as well as an unrivalled expertise, which they apply to the production of consistently outstanding wines.  Warre’s is 100% owned by the Symingtons and along with the family’s other firms it is the only remaining Port producer of British origin in the hands of a single family.

 

 

Rated 98 Points by Wine Spectator

 

Ranked #14 Wines Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2018

 

Gorgeous, with warm plum reduction and gently steeped raspberry, blackberry and boysenberry fruit flavors forming the core, all inlaid with warm ganache and smoldering tobacco accents.  Very plush in feel, but has no lack of energy, as everything sails beautifully through the long finish.  A late echo of anise completes the seduction.  Best from 2035 through 2055.

 

 

 

Rated 96 Points & Cellar Selection by Wine Enthusiast

 

This is a juicy wine, with dense black fruits that are cut by bright acidity.  The tannins give power and long-term aging potential to this impressive wine.  Drink from 2028.  Cellar Selection