A good Vintage Port is a relatively rare thing; a vintage is only “declared” in what the Port houses consider a good year and happens approximately three times a year depending on the quality of the producer (the best will release a vintage Port in only the very special years). A great Vintage Port is a very rare thing as there are very few years that have exactly the right conditions to create a wine that will age and improve for decades as the best Ports can.

The new 2007 Port releasehas been widely declared as an outstanding vintage and has generated a lot of excitement in the wine trade, not since 1994 has there been such a great year and some are comparing it to the famous Port vintages of 1966 and 1977 both of which are still going strong today.

For those of you that have considered buying Port either for yourselves or for a gift for a son , daughter or god-child this is the perfect vintage for sticking away for 20+ years. Great Ports will be at their best with 20 to 30 years of age as they are bottled young in order to develop incredibly complex and unique flavours slowly in the bottle. Many go on to be spectacular with 50+ years, if you've got that long!

We have a few cases available from the very best port houses, they are all wonderful wines which need some serious cellaring to be at their best. If you do not have the right conditions for storing port we can store them in optimum conditions fully insured for a fee of £9.50 per case per year.

They are all available in wooden cases of six or twelve and are priced below in bond (excluding duty and vat which is payable on removal from bond). For customers who would prefer to have them delivered immediately on arrival into the UK duty and vat would need to be paid before delivery.

Niepoort

For those of you who had the chance to taste the barrel sample at our last Big Tasting in May you'll know how good this is! Dirk Niepoort is superstar in the the Portuguese wine trade, having ascended to the top table of the port world in an incredibly short space of time for such an august collection of producers. Dark fruits are wonderfully contrasted with slightly green nuances and great finesse. On the palate, sweet flavours of stewed black fruits, dark chocolate, cinnamon, black pepper and an intensity which combines well with a very tight structure. The finish exhibits firm tannins and great power all pointing to a stupendous ageing ability.

£210/6 in bond

400/12 in bond

Croft

There is a nice limpidity on this Croft 2007. It is not the power that strikes you but the purity with black cherries, liquorices, violets and a hint of iodine. Very tight and focused. The palate is full-bodied with chewy tannins on the entry, pure blackberry, raspberry, white pepper and Asian spice towards the finish. Very fine focus, very pure and harmonious. Sensuous finish but it just tapers away when I need more grip and assertiveness. Still, this is a lovely Croft. Score: 93/100 Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com, May 2009

£175/6 in bond

£335/12 in bond

Fonseca

A limpid purple garnet core. The nose is quintessential Fonseca, like a riotous party reaching its crescendo in the glass. Macerated black cherries, eau-de-vie, damson, fig and a touch of Seville orange. Then what is fascinating is that the uproar dies down with aeration, becomes more focused...as if the host has asked everyone to quieten down. The palate is powerful and spicy on the entry, sweet ripe black berried fruits, a touch of spice, fig and apricot, lovely cohesion and weight building towards a deeply joyous finish that lacquers the mouth in port-like reverie. Perhaps more approachable than the 2000 or the 2003 at this stage, this is a marvelous Fonseca. Score: 96/100 Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com, May 2009

£210/6 in bond

£410/12 in bond

Taylor

Remarkably deep in colour, almost to the verge of being opaque. The nose is very well defined but much more introverted than Fonseca - aloof, stentorian, correct. The palate is full-bodied, beautifully defined, great weight that is channelled in one direction. Brilliant focus here, less extrovert than Fonseca of course but more refined and sophisticated. Certainly this is a Taylors for long-term ageing, one can feel it reserving its energy for 20-years down the line. Great backbone here. Very harmonious towards the finish that really caresses the palate, with a hint of white pepper lingering in the mouth. Wonderful. Score: 97/100 Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com, May 2009

£220/6 in bond

£425/12 in bond

And the great news for any of you who have children born this year is the 2009 vintage in Bordeaux is being spoken about in hushed tones already as a very special vintage. The trade tastings will happen over the next couple of months which is when we'll know exactly how great a vintage it is. Chateau Branaire-Ducru owner Patrick Maroteaux described the 2009 vintage as 'exceptional,' adding that 'it is the best in the last 20 or 30 years.' Decanter.com

To discuss or order, call Shane on 01786 834 894 ... or email shane @ woodwinters dot com --- without the space and dot is a . Cheers!