Warre Port Vintage 2017 750ml

Loads of wet earth and grape aromas with hints of stems. Old vine aromas of bark and moss. Full-bodied, sweet and structured with a big kick on the end. Very impressive. Exceptional layers of fruit and energy. A stronger and more muscular Warre. 3,600 cases. Try after 2028.

Based on fruit from Quinta da Cavadinha in the Pinhão valley, as well as Quinta do Retiro in the Torto and Quinta da Telhada upstream in the Douro Superior, this is mostly a field-blend from old vines backed by Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca. It has lovely open floral aromas, so fresh and aromatic, with a touch of green tea leaf. In the mouth it has an underlying dark chocolate concentration with wonderfully pure, sweet plum and wild cherry fruit, backed by fine-grained tannins. It's wonderfully fresh and lithe, with an expansive finish and near-perfect poise. Drinking Window 2035 - 2060.

Lush and inviting in feel, with a beautifully creamy texture that lets plum sauce, blueberry reduction and raspberry pâte de fruit flavors glide along effortlessly. Notes of violet, anise and black tea are beguiling in the background before melding seamlessly on the finish. This shimmers with fruit, balanced by depth and spine. Best from 2035 through 2055. 3,600 cases made, 2,000 cases imported.

The 2017 Vintage Port is mostly a field blend from old vines (63%), plus 22% Touriga Nacional and 15% Touriga Franca, bottled about a month before this tasting after 18 months in seasoned vats. The just-bottled sample was not actually used for fear it might be in shock, so this is actually a pre-bottling sample. It comes in with 110 grams of residual sugar. Relatively accessible, this still shows some impressive firmness to go with its fine concentration. An elegant wine this may be, as Charles Symington called it, but it is still admirable for its structure, even if the whole package is a little understated. Its fruit and mid-palate are nicely supported by moderate tannins. It evolves well with air, easily showing vivid and fresh fruit. It is beautifully textured as well. This is a fine Warre's Port, holding its own next to Dow, better than the 2016 Warre and a force in its own right. It is one of the best in a while. It is relatively accessible but not ready. There were 3,600 cases produced.

The 2017 Warre’s Vintage Port is made from some incredibly low yields, the Retiro vineyard cropped at a paltry 470 grams per vines. It has a very concentrated nose. This is higher-toned than the Cockburn’s with macerated black cherries, boysenberry jam, orange rind and a subtle eau-de-vie like element that becomes more pronounced with aeration. The palate is beautifully balanced and very well structured. This has tons of grip, a more masculine and assertive Warre’s compared to recent vintages. The acidity is extremely well judged with layers of black fruit laced with graphite and white pepper towards the prolonged finish. This will require a decade in the cellar to soften those tannins, but it will surely be worth the wait.

A ripe, floral wine that has many layers of black fruits with a fresh touch of acidity. The wine is dense while also elegant and poised with tannins and fruit already in balance. That suggests the Port will age relatively quickly. Drink from 2025.