If one of your holiday fantasies includes sipping wine in the rolling mountains of Portugal, Graham’s Port will transport you there….almost. Founded in 1820 by William and John Graham, and later acquired by The Symington Family in 1882, Graham’s has brought five generations of port making and tradition to our glasses for over 200 years. From one of the most award-winning port companies in the world, Graham’s is the perfect wine to accompany your charcuterie board, serve for a special toast or give as a gift.
Graham’s product list is impressive, and among their most special wines is their Late Bottled Vintage Ports. 2017 was a very special year in the Douro Valley region of Portugal. There were exceptionally hot, dry conditions, followed by a mild winter and an early hot spring, and these conditions were predicted to be damaging to the vineyards. Instead, the resilient grapes of the Douro valley flourished in this adversity, resulting in a product that exceeded everyone’s expectations. Low yields translated into intense, concentrated and full wine, and produced the amazing 2017 Late Bottled Vintage Port. Rich and opulent with notes of black fruit, layers of cocoa and a honeysuckle aroma, it pairs beautifully with dark chocolate, and cured cheeses. Graham’s Vintage ports are matured in wood in the 1890 lodge for five years prior to being bottled and ready to be enjoyed anytime.
Using only the finest grapes sourced from primarily five quintas in the Douro Valley, Graham’s premiere flavour and highest quality are expressed throughout their products. For a Tawny Port, Graham’s wines range from 7 to 40 years of ageing, each resulting in intriguing characteristics. The youngest, The Tawny has complex aromas of orange peel, cinnamon, and dried fruit whereas 40 years in seasoned oak casks produces the 40 Year Old Tawny, rich with notes of toasted toffee and raisins and is testament to time, patience, and the arts of blending, cooperage, and ageing. Graham’s more experimental wines include their Blend Nº5, the first ever white port blended for mixing. Here, grapes are cold-fermented to maximise the fruity and floral characteristics and its lower ABV make it an ideal alternative to spirits such as gin or vodka.
