Vintage Port Vintage Chart

Vintage Port 

Vintage Port is often considered the king of Port wines and is the only Port that ages in bottle. According to the IVDP, the grapes are harvested during a single year and then bottled two to three years after the vintage. It will develop over time for 10 to 50 years before it is ready to be consumed. What is nice about Vintage Port is that it can be consumed at almost any stage from 5 years onward.

“During the first five years, it retains the intense ruby of its original color, exuberant aromas of red fruits and wild berries and a taste of black chocolate, all of which is balanced by strong tannins that make it the perfect accompaniment to desserts that are rich in chocolate. After ten years in bottle, in addition to its throwing a light deposit, Vintage takes on garnet tones and attains a delicious plenitude of ripe fruit aromas and flavors. As the wine matures, its color turns a rich golden brown and its fruit acquires a greater subtlety and complexity and the deposit that it throws becomes thicker.” IVDP

Vintage	Score	Drink Rec	Description
2007	98	Hold	Structured yet refined. Balanced and harmonious, with precise and defined ripe fruit and polished tannins
2003	98	Hold	Balanced, fresh and aromatic, with lovely ripe fruit and rich, powerful tannins; some classics
2000	97	Hold	Aromatic, rich and ripe; serious structure
1997	96	Hold	Textbook Vintage Ports, with lovely aromas, firm tannin backbones and a complement of ripe fruit
1995	92	Hold	Extremely fruity, well-structured, with fine tannins, good length
1994	99	Hold	Classic vintage; superlative structure, fabulous harmony
1992	94	Drink or hold	Concentrated, tannic and fruity; best are classics
1991	93	Drink or hold	Racy, harmonious, rich
1987	88	Drink	Balanced and elegant, with good finesse
1985	93	Drink or Hold	Opulent and intense, but some variability
1983	92	Drink or hold	Powerful, tannic and ageworthy
1982	84	Drink or Hold	Sweet and raisiny; unbalanced
1980	90	Drink or Hold	Solid and well-structured, with focused fruit
1978	84	Drink	Fruity, soft and ready
1977	97	Drink or hold	Tough, tannic and complex; ageless
1975	80	Drink	Light and one-dimensional, but fruity
1970	95	Drink or Hold	Harmonious and well structured, with intense fruit
1967	88	Drink	Angular and elegant; focused fruit
1966	93	Drink or Hold	Iron backbone; fresh, with good concentration
1963	98	Drink or Hold	Copious fruit; forceful and extremely ageworthy
1960	87	Drink	Balanced, sweet and elegant; at its peak
1955	94	Drink	Harmonious, refined, fruity, solid
1950	86	Drink	Subtle, sweet, soft
1948	99	Drink	Massive, superripe, powerful
1947	93	Drink	Balanced, integrated, attractive
1945	98	Drink	Superlative quality; concentrated
1935	95	Drink	Aromatic, refined, firmly structured
1927	100	Drink	Superb concentration; balanced
1917	88	Drink	Ripe, rich, flavorful
1911	80	Drink	Attractive, fruity, ripe
1908	94	Drink	Balanced and flavorful
1904	90	Drink	Delicate, balanced, fruity
1900	90	Drink	Classy, balanced, delicate
			¹ Vintage Description from Wine Spectator