Graham’s Vintage Port 2016 750ml

Description

There is nothing ordinary about this Graham’s 2016 Vintage Port. It will age for decades, and has a myriad of delectable flavors which you could happilycatalogue for days. How do you feel about chocolate? Fruit tarts? Gorgonzola Dolce? Cigars? They all work well with this spectacular nectar. You reallydon’t need much. Just you, a glass (make sure it’s big enough), and a chair. Preferably with a view. And if you’re feeling generous, somebody you like. Aproveite.James Suckling: “Extremely complex aromas that show the classic Graham character of black-fruit marmalade and burnt oranges. Follows throughto a full body with great grip at the finish. Lightly sweet. Chewy and powerful. Such a focus at the end.” May 2018Decanter: “Super-ripe with an expressive plum and dark chocolate aroma. Rich opulence backed by dark chocolate intensity and spicy tannicgrip – big and bold on the finish. Voluptuous with fabulous richness, big and bold on the finish. This is one for the long haul but it’s already very impressive.Production of 6,325 cases. Drinking Window 2030 – 2055.” May 2018Wine Enthusiast: Designated Cellar Selection. “This finely structured wine is powered by fine tannins and rich fruits. A touchof acidity comes through the rich berry flavors and the concentration of the dark tannins. This wine will certainly age, don’t drink before 2028.” Dec2018 (Advance)Robert Parker, Jr.’s Wine Advocate: “The 2016 Vintage Port is a blend of 37% TourigaNacional, 42% Touriga Franca and various others. It comes in with 115 grams of residual sugar. A bit bigger than Dow’s this year, this is more intenseas well. The better wine of these two benchmarks seems to be this Graham’s. Tight on the finish, aromatic and very flavorful, this actually opens ratherwell and shows off its lovely fruit. The Dow’s will be approachable a bit earlier, perhaps, and this may reward aging even more. As always, Graham’s iswonderfully delicious. That’s one hallmark of the house. I’m not sure this is a truly great Graham’s, but at the moment, it is enticing, with plenty ofpotential for improvement. There were 6,325 cases produced, plus some bottles in other formats. Drink 2025-2070.Charles Symington said that 2016 started off very rainy, followed by a hot and dry summer, but with moderate temperatures. It was fairly apparent it wouldbe a later vintage. In mid-August, some rain helped the maturation. At the beginning of September, there was a wave of hot weather. He said that was acrucial moment when he thought of starting harvest, even though it was not quite perfect, but they waited. Victory goes to the bold. Rain in the secondweek of September caused them to hold back another week, beginning harvest around 22 September. It was a very late harvest, creating a certain elementof risk. Touriga Franca, he said, is particularly susceptible to rain. But there was no rain for the next 30 days, making harvest easy. Charles said thatthe “blue skies and mild temperatures from the 13th September to the 10th October allowed for the Nacional to be picked in late September and the Francain early October in perfect conditions with fantastic balance. The freshness coming through in these wines being a defining feature of this vintage.”As we debate the trends in Ports (see, last year’s article on the 2015s, “Undeclared and Unashamed”), it’s worth noting that my favorites of the Symingtongroup are easily the single-plot Ports-The Stone Terraces and Capela, both are wine-of-the-vintage candidates. Dow’s and Graham’s did well, but Ithink the single-plot wines overshadow them rather easily.” Jul 2018 “Graham’s…the most consistent producer of great Port in the post World War II era… their Vintage Ports are truly sublime and sumptuous.” Robert Parker,Jr., 1986 Winery: “Classic expression of the Graham’s style: concentrated and opulent with layers of fresh, ripe, black fruit flavours. Aromasof mint and eucalyptus with chocolate notes. The Graham 2016 combines superb complexity, structure and balance. Graham’s 2016 Vintage Port pairs wonderfully with chocolate desserts, such as chocolate mousse, creamy blue cheeses like Stilton or Roquefort. Port is best served in classic Port wine glassware or white wine glasses. Avoid cordial or liqueur glasses as they are too small to fully appreciate thewine’s aromas.” Bottle 750ml, cork Varietal 42% Touriga Franca, 37% Touriga Nacional, 231Very old mixed vines and Sousao Alcohol 20.0% TA 4.49g/L Residual Sugar 115g Baumé 3.8 Aging barrel aged for 24 months, then bottled unfiltered Region Douro, Portugal