Port remains one of the wine world’s most quietly expressive styles, a category shaped not by trends but by time, patience and a deep respect for craft. Yet even within this traditional style of wines, there are a few intriguing shifts worth noting. Producers continue to refine their approaches and a new generation of millennial drinkers are discovering the pleasure of ports that balance richness with clarity, age with freshness, and heritage with individuality.
This year’s IWSC results reveal a category in top form. The standout wines were those that demonstrate just how eloquently port can carry the imprint of time.
One of the top scorers, Kopke Colheita 1966, scored 96 points and won a gold medal for its remarkable depth, defined by aromas of dates, figs and sweet spice, and precision on the palate. Alongside it, and also with 96 points, the Burmester 40 Year Old Tawny impressed with chocolate, coconut, dry nuts and citrus zest woven into a finish of ‘notable length’. The slightly younger Barros 30 Year Old Tawny boasts an elegant spice and a beautifully balanced expression of the style on its way to a gold medal. Judge David Round MW was keen to highlight the exceptional performance of tawny ports at this year’s competition.
Menin’s 20 Year Old, meanwhile, delivered a more generous interpretation, its caramelised fruit and bright sweetness revealing a wine of both character and approachability. Notably, this was the only white port to secure a gold medal at the IWSC 2025.
Feuerheerd’s LBV 2019 and Tesco Finest LBV 2019 both demonstrated the charm of youthful, fruit-driven styles that remain both vibrant and immediately appealing. For those seeking port to cellar, Porto Ferreira Quinta do Porto Vintage 2022 showed the clarity and precision that bode well for long-term ageing.
Judged blind by a panel led by Alistair Cooper MW, with Salvatore Castano, Beatrice Bessi, David Round MW, Matthew Forster MW, Greg Sherwood MW and Guiseppe D’Aniello, the results this year underline how diverse and consistently expressive the port category has become. What emerges is a portrait of port that is anything but stuck in the past. It might be a style rooted in tradition but it is one continually renewed by the quality of its best examples.
Discover the best ports from this year’s IWSC.
How do we judge these wines?
We run a tightly structured, rigorous wine tasting process. That means that each wine sample is pre-poured into numbered glasses and assessed blindly by the judges. Most importantly, our IWSC wine judges are experts in their field, who work across all sectors of the wine industry. For evidence, see our full list of judges.
How do we score these wines?
Only the best wines sampled receive a Gold or Silver award. For example, to win Gold, wines have to score between 95 and 100 points. Meanwhile, Silver wines range from 90 to 94 points. Click here to read more on our scoring system.
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Award-winning port 2025
