3 x 75cl * Vegan * 20% ABV * Douro, Portugal
Warre’s 2020 Vinhas Velhas 350th Anniversary Edition Vintage Port is made exclusively, and for the first time, from deep-rooted, horse-ploughed, 80- to 100-year-old vines exclusively from Warre’s two Cima Corgo vineyards: Quinta da Cavadinha and Quinta do Retiro. 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.
The wine is intensely fruit-driven with unparalleled concentration and elegance that belies the conditions of the year. According to Head Winemaker, Charles Symington;
“2020 was an especially challenging year in the Douro. The region saw record heat waves which substantially reduced yields…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.”
These challenging conditions put the vines under considerable strain, but it is in years such as these that the Douro’s remarkable diversity of terroirs really comes into its own and can make all the difference. Cavadinha’s higher altitude and cooler east-facing aspect combined to substantially mitigate the effects of the heat and the lack of rain during the summer. Just as importantly, the deep roots put down by the old vines, which can go as far as 24 feet deep into the soil, allows them to tap every bit of available moisture.
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 multi-layered with the fine-grained tannins underscoring the many dimensions of this beautifully structured, complex wine.