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 Warre’s two Cima Corgo vineyards: Quinta da Cavadinha and Quinta do Retiro. Still ploughed by horses each year, it takes three of these deep-rooted 80- to 100-year-old vines to produce a single bottle of this astonishing port. Hence only 2,400 bottles were declared to commemorate the 350th anniversary of Warre.
Awarded a perfect 100 point score by Decanter magazine and described as "a ‘wow’ of a wine", it is intensely fruit-driven with unparalleled concentration and elegance that belies the challenging conditions of the year. According to Head Winemaker, Charles Symington; “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 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.
Drinking Window: 2023 - 2060
Receiving a perfect score from Richard Mayson as part of Decanter's 'Top-scoring wines of 2023: 100-point wines', he says "...Tiny yields from an outstanding and widely declared year. Deep and opaque with glorious minty-ripe aromas, this already sings from the glass. Concentrated and multi-layered berry fruit backed by the super fine-grained tannins, and finishes with a flourish – a ‘wow’ of a wine. You can drink it now or keep it another 30 years or more. Only 2,400 bottles declared to commemorate the 350th anniversary of Warre." 100 Points, Richard Mayson, Decanter