1985 Warre's Port

1985 Warre's Port: a lasting vintage with flowers on the nose.

The complexity, elegance and balance of Warre's vintage ports result from the blending of wines from three great quintas: Quinta da Cavadinha in the Pinhão Valley which runs north of the Douro, Quinta do Retiro in the Rio Torto Valley, which runs south from the Douro just downriver from Pinhão, and since 2006 the Quinta da Telhada in the Douro Superior, just 25 km from the border with Spain. This variation in location and altitude produces a wonderfully balanced wine as it combines grapes from the intense heat of the lower altitude and Douro Superior vineyards with grapes from a much cooler maturity cycle higher up in the Pinhão Valley.

"Dark ruby colour. This elegant wine has a characteristic Warre flowery nose, with tremendous backbone and a rich complexity of balanced fruit on the palate. Its solidity shows it to be a lasting Vintage." - SFE Tasting Room Team

"Very very dark. Sweet, spicy, liquorice nose. Very broad start to the palate and then dried fruits on the finish. Lots of firm tannins still. Still relatively embryonic. Heat on the finish. Lovely spice on the finish. Not the most stereotypically feminine Warre style of wine. Powerful finish. Almost brawny with some wild fruit and flower flavours on the nose. Still chewy. Score: 18.5/20" - Jancis Robinson, 2006