Two half centuries of Port is a 2-part series and the first half is filled with oldies. It is well known that over the course of history, from the time that Port was fortified, there has been an average of 3 Vintage Port declarations per decade. But in those decades what are the gems to seek out? If you could afford a bottle from the 1920’s, where I plan to begin … what are some of the great Ports? For the sake of those Port fanatics who seek out not only outstanding Vintage Ports but also Colheitas, (or Single Harvest Tawnies) which are some of the all-time greats?

Making up a run through history, by decade, my personal favorites are not only very subjective, but certain to begin potential discussions from America to New Zealand. So let’s designate the decades and get this party started. I will be using “stream-of-consciousness” to do this. Whether each decade has all Ports coming from one year, or a trifecta, ultimately the Ports chosen for mention will be amongst my favorites from those years. Your trip down memory lane starts now!

 

The Roaring 1920’s – Think Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis; The Jazz Singer was the 1st film with synchronized voices; Work began on Mt. Rushmore; The Peace Bridge opened the way for America to connect directly with Canada. From my experience, there are some fine 1924 Vintage Ports, the best of which for me, barely fall short of some 1927’s, but the single best I’ve had from 1924 was the extraordinary Dow’s Vintage Port. It was actually not only alive, but poised and had some gas left in the tank with an unforgettable finish. But without question, the vintage of the decade and by a large swath is 1927. A solid argument could be made that it is the greatest Vintage Port year in the entire 20th century, not only strange because it was a prolific vintage in terms of quality, but one that put out tons of bottles. Remember this vintage was released right at the time of the Great Depression devastating the USA and the world. Anyway, I’ve had quite a few 1927’s over the years and then Don Schiff opened 10 different producers from this exemplary and long-lived vintage, in the same afternoon a couple of years ago.

 

Overall, the Fonseca has rated the highest of any score from the vintage (for me), but the most consistently excellent bottling is unquestionably the Taylor’s 1927. Face to face, it would be a great duel, as best bottles likely would be pretty close to a standoff, but that one Fonseca 1927 (of the 3 I have tried) was incredible, while a different bottling that was opened “blind” for me in the UK with friends surprising me, knowing it was my “holy grail” at that time … clearly was not a top showing. As for bottles of wood aged Port, the best I’ve had from that decade was the 1927 Niepoort, although the 1927 Niepoort Vintage Port has always been a favorite too, and I have been fortunate to try it on a handful of occasions. Other mentionables: 1924 Quinta da Cordeira Colheita which not only earned high marks, but was not something I had ever seen or expected. Other great Vintage Ports are Graham’s, Tuke Holdsworth and Cockburn’s. I owned and opened at Andy’s event in So. CA; a 1929 Cockburn’s Crusted Port which we all really liked!

 

The Great Depression 1930’s – Wall Street Crash, Hitler’s Rise to power, The Hindenburg Disaster, American flight icon, Amelia Earhart. This is tougher than the 1920’s as there was the prolific 1931, with only a couple of handful of producers but some stunning and unforgettable wines. Unquestionably top honors go to both Quinta do Noval Nacional, but also the 1931 regular bottling of Noval. While I’ve been fortunate to taste and drink it on more than ten occasions, which does not include five bottles at another of Don’s tastings, where we were supposed to have six 1931 regular Noval’s (there’s NOTHING regular about that Vintage Port!) and the one that Christian Seely sent from Portugal was interrupted up by US Customs agents in LA. So, I have truly had a minimum of 15 of these 1931 Noval’s and the vast majority have been about as good as any wine in my life. No, not just Port … but best bottles rival the ‘31Nacional! Peter Skov from Denmark opened a Tuke Holdsworth from 1931 that was almost in the same realm.

 

 

But do not overlook the 1934 vintage. The greatest 1934 Vintage Port I have tasted was a high flying Quinta do Noval (a J&B bottling) and showed younger than many 1963’s and 1966’s I’ve had and that is saying a heck of a lot. Fonseca had disappointed on several occasions with a VP. The surprise has been the 1934 Dalva Colheita which is right there with the Niepoort Colheita; both sublime and always welcome. In 1935, Taylor VP has always delighted me with its elegance and structure, but like many older vintages, there are incidences of inconsistency from bottle to bottle, but worthy of mention, as is Sandeman which I once owned 2 full OWCs of. I did get to drink one and best bottles were superb and only bested by Cockburn’s in 1935, at least for Vintage Port. What a stunner and I have one magnum remaining in my cellar. Without question thought, my Colheita of the decade is Niepoort’s 1935. It is not only my favorite of the decade, but it is my favorite Niepoort ever produced of any kind of Port. High praise! Another great wood-aged 1935 is Barros and I’ve only had it once, but I was dancing on the ceiling afterwards. Last but not least is the awe inspiring 1937 vintage. It gets my vote as the single best year for wood-aged Ports in history. 1952 is close, but the extra 15 years always shows a scoach more complexity and the quality of 1937 Colheitas has left my eyes rolling around my head. One particular Port event had 9 different producers of 1937 at the same time. Quinta do Noval is a stunning Colheita too, along with Burmester which is a top performer and the C. da Silva bottling is a nice surprise. Niepoort ’37 is less consistent, while Kopke is one to look for as it is a winner for sure. I’ve had one excellent 1937 Ramos Pinto, but it seems like there is a lot of variation.

 

1940’s: The War Years – WW2, Cold War, Nazis, Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, Television, the Holocaust and genocide.  1940 itself was a decent year for wood-aged Ports but only Burmester was captivating and the other notable was a Casa do Douro bottling that I really liked. I’ve had some Noval and Niepoort, but neither has been as good as the other two. I know others who love the Niepoort. The 1941 Noval was a bottle I brought to open at Noval, because I knew that Antonio Agrellos had never tasted it. He was so appreciative and fortunately the bottle was impeccable. He commented that day back in 2010 that it was the top Colheita he had ever tasted. Kopke also has a great version and Burmester a very solid one as well. I’ve never tried a VP from this year. 1942, I immediately think back to a couple of bottles of Fonseca I tried and they were good but not pristine. I will admit I have never even seen the Graham’s and that’s supposed to be the greatest Port from this year. 1944 comes next and there are some nice but middling Colheitas. Delaforce, Royal Oporto, Devesa and a couple of others are good, but that’s it. Niepoort is the best of the bunch and quite solid. Then we head into rarified territory.

 

 

The end of WW2 saw soldiers returning to Allied countries and the European/African/Asian theaters would all come to an end in time to enjoy drinking 1945 Vintage Ports. Where do I begin. One of my personal favorite vintages, but is it really better than 1948? That’s one of the all-time toughest Port questions to answer. But for me, 1945 with its associated history wins the day. I have lots that I enjoy from this mind-boggling vintage. But if I could only drink one, it would certainly be the Croft. Yes, the Croft is the greatest Vintage Port that shipper has ever crafted, in my opinion. A Top 5 Vintage Port that is a must try at least once in your lifetime. Every time I have had the Croft, it literally has mesmerized me and left me speechless. I have one in the cellar standing up to drink with Stewart, to thank him for his work on the tour website that we just completed. Other fantastic 1945 VP’s: Taylor is one of the all-time greatest Taylor’s and I’ve never heard anyone say they don’t like it. The Graham, Dow’s, Sandeman, Fonseca, and especially Warre’s and Niepoort are all superb. The latter two VP’s are shockingly good today and there’s so much life left in both!! I’ve had the Ferreira twice and neither was a solid bottle. The 1947/1948 siblings created a split declaration. 1947 was a true VP year, but only a few were actually great in a recent CA tasting event. The best I’ve had was the Nacional by a wide margin. A great Corney & Barrow bottling wowed me, as it was a special Taylor’s Vargellas bottling that was deeply concentrated and flavorful, young for its age. The Cockburn’s nailed ’47! 1948 was right there in the same league as 1945, God smiled on both vintages after the war. The 1948’s have always been tough to find. Fonseca, Taylor and Graham’s have all been powerful, balanced and I can only imagine their structures when young. I am a big fan of all 3 and would be hard pressed to pick a winner but might have to rank them Fonseca, Taylor, then Graham’s and Croft. For wood aged Ports from ’48, there is only one you must have and it is Niepoort’s Garrafeira. Love it!

 

1950’s Post-War era – Korean War, McCarthyism, U.S.S.R., Sputnik, Space Race. There are two Vintage Port years in the decade, 1950 and 1955. The former is harder to find and the latter is usually better anyway. The Dow was the best of three or four Vintage Ports I’ve had from 1950. Even the wood-aged bottles I’ve consumed, mostly missed the mark. Save your money! 1951 is definitely defined as a Kopke year when it comes to Colheitas. Until 1952, my vote for the 2nd best year for Colheitas in history. The 1952 Dalva Golden White Port helped C. da Silva get back on track with a legendary aged White Port. But if you couldn’t make great Colheita in a year like 1952 … you were in the wrong business. Kopke hit the bullseye with their stunning bottling. Graham’s bottled for the Queen of England and it is a really beautiful Port. Delaforce saw the light and hit a triple into the corner. But for me, Niepoort Garrafeira was underwhelming and somehow missed the mark, at least for my palate. 1953 saw the best Port ever produced by Royal Oporto and I believe Delaforce also made a good one too.

 

 

1955 was the finest harvest for Vintage Ports in the decade. Burmester, followed by Kopke made a pair of scintillating Colheitas but it was Graham’s, then Noval and Sandeman that won my heart with their 1955s. While I like the Taylor, which has always been good, some bottles are top of the class, but there’s lots of bottle variation in the marketplace. Michael Broadbent told me it was his favorite Vintage Port of all. But while 1957 was the other fab year in the 1950’s for Colheitas. I drink them for special occasions, and some of my favorites are the S. Leonardo, Kopke and Niepoort. For Vintage Ports, the best I’ve ever had is by far and away the Sandeman, which is absolutely drinking spectacularly at 60+ with room to roam the plateau.

 

The Swinging 1960’s – Hippies, Cuba Missile Crisis, Vietnam, JFK, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Kennedy, LBJ, Duck and Cover, Rock ‘n Roll, The Beatles, Man on the Moon, Woodstock, Nixon, Watergate. In all seriousness, we did a tasting of these a few years ago and we loved what we could bring to the table from 1960. The Ferreira, Croft, and Quinta do Noval have always been my two favorite Vintage Ports from this vintage. In terms of wood aged Ports: Krohn, Niepoort and Kopke were the top troika and that brings us to 1961. Krohn produced my all-time favorite from their portfolio, and it’s even better than 1976 and I am a huge fan of that Colheita. Niepoort is like a unicorn, it doesn’t matter if it really exists because you’ll never find another one.

The Kopke is VERY solid. The Krohn 1961 Vintage Port I had recently, but I was so blown away by the 1961 Colheita, I did not pay enough attention to the VP. When I think of 1962, I immediately think of Quinta do Noval. They had a Nacional that was good, but there are many Nacional Vintages in the same decade that I prefer. Noval also made a crazy good Crusted Port which I’ve had a few times and like. But Malvedos decided to declare 1962, just eight years before being taken over by the Symington Family. The exalted 1963 has always garnered a ton of media attention and people talk about this vintage with reverence. When young, it was probably known as “the vintage of the century.” In 1983, at 26 … I had my first ever Vintage Port, the 1963 Sandeman and it remains fabulous today when bottles have been well stored. But unquestionably, the Nacional is by far the head of the class and that is followed by Fonseca, Dow’s, Taylor, Graham’s, Gould Campbell and too many others to name. Find a bottle of the Burmester Colheita. Yes, it is that surreal, today! I’ve consumed all my bottles, except for one remaining magnum which will go for something very special.

1964 Port … I did blind guess the Nacional two years ago, when Christian Seely was challenging me to blind guess a handful of Noval Ports. That doesn’t happen often. There is a fine Poças Colheita from a fairly recent bottling too. From Krohn old stocks, Taylor bottled their first Single Harvest Tawny, which may still be the best in their lineup of 50 year olds. Each year they blend and bottle 50 year old tawnies for birthdays and anniversaries.

1965 has a couple of fine Colheitas and none better than Kopke, but Barros, is quite good too. Next up, is one of my all-time favorite vintages, for Port. 1966 was more structured than 1963 in my opinion, although some people were not fans of the 1966 because it was so darn tannic when young, due to a very hot growing season. It has turned out to be a remarkable year for Vintage Ports, kind of like 2003 and 2017. Dow’s is at the top of my list, and outside of Nacional (which is like from another planet) the Dow’s can hang with the alpha males like Taylor’s, Graham’s and Fonseca.

 

 

But Fonseca, Taylor, Warre’s, Graham’s, Gould Campbell and many other 1966’s are in top form today, still remaining on a lengthy plateau and none the worse for that. Any in this short list can drink well for another 10-20 years without trying.  Kopke comes immediately to mind as does Krohn for some top 1966 Colheitas.

The 1967 offers some excellent vintage Ports and I believe it could’ve been a declared vintage had 1966 been overlooked. Well-stored bottles of the Malvedos and especially Taylor’s Vargellas are sublime, although bottle variation is prevalent. Best bottles are still surreal though, but they are growing scarce. When I think of 1967 wood-aged Ports, the “Rui Paula” special blend done by Dalva, is a seriously extraordinary but next to impossible to find item nowadays. I once owned a good quantity of them, but now have three or four left in the cellar. While the Barros Colheita is very good and in no rush of being consumed, the regular Quinta do Noval is a real beauty. The 1967 Nacional is my 3rd favorite of all, after 1931 and 1994 and it is exponentially less expensive if you were born that year. 1967 Nacional was what “they” thought of when using the words “youthful” and “elegant” for a Port like this; it is a real dichotomy of terms. It is truly remarkable and a must-try at least once in your lifetime.

Another Vintage Port that is shockingly good is the 1967 Souza Vintage Port! 1968 gave us bad juju back in the states, but there were many fine Colheitas like Quevedo, Dalva, Kopke, Noval and Krohn. Stick to those if you are a 1968 baby. With 1969, I really like the Graham’s Single Harvest Tawny Port, but if you can’t find one of those easily, you should look for the Christian Brother’s Napa Valley Vintage Port. Just kidding, but there are so few options and only two with Madeira for those born in 1969

 

Part 2 of this article will be posted soon, featuring 1970-2019.