Summer is high season on the fashionable German island of Sylt and the time when gourmet restaurant and delicatessen Sylter Manufaktur Johannes King bolsters its already prolific port sales – 1,500 bottles a year, of which 40% is vintage – with a dedicated pop-up. The stereotype of older diners formally passing decanters to the left does not apply here.
‘My motto is “port is sexy”,’ declares owner King, who reports an ‘enormous growth’ in interest from younger customers, especially for the most niche offerings in his 1,000-bottle summer range of port and Madeira. As Christmas approaches, the occasion most traditionally associated with port-drinking, you may be struggling to associate vintage port with a warm summer’s day but it’s worth noting that King is rigorous about serving all ports chilled, regardless of style.
The shake-up of conventions continues over a lunch with David Guimaraens, chief winemaker for Taylor’s, Croft and Fonseca. There’s a distinctly topsy turvy, Alice in Wonderland feel to the experience: we’re only on the starter and yet we have a deliciously fresh Croft 1970 in our glasses. It turns out that the slightly ferrous character of this fully mature port is a great match for duck liver parfait. And in truth, despite tradition, it would be a shame to bury such a patiently matured, meditative wine under the appetite-numbing procession of courses that traditionally precede the appearance of vintage port at the end of a meal.
If you thought that port sales were fighting a losing battle against punitive duty rates, the lower alcohol trend, TV dinners and a lack of consumer cellar space then you wouldn’t be entirely wrong. Overall, sales both in the UK and worldwide are in steady decline. The story at the more upmarket, ‘special category’ end of the spectrum, however, of which vintage port is generally regarded as the pinnacle, tells a different tale. ‘We have never sold as much special category as we do today,’ insists Guimaraens. In fact, the lunch is part of an event to introduce a brand new vintage port, Taylor’s Sentinels, that is designed to take some of the pressure off surging demand for the house’s single quinta Vargellas.
Casting aside another piece of received wisdom – in the UK at least – that vintage port needs at least a couple of decades under its belt before it’s ready to drink, we tuck into the maiden 2022 Sentinels. ‘The challenge for consumers is that they think it’s only good if it’s old,’ remarks Guimaraens through a mouthful of Black Forest Gâteau, whose cherry fruit chimes brightly with the blackcurrant essence in our glasses. ‘No: it can only be mature when it’s old but there’s a lot of pleasure now.’
Another port producer who’s unlikely to let tradition get in the way of pleasure is Dirk Niepoort of Niepoort Vinhos. When it comes to his own vintage port, he says: ‘The ’22, even if it’s the most tannic thing you’ve ever tasted in your life, is still so fun to drink.’ As for food matches, Niepoort is also a big fan of chocolate but points out that his father was happily tucking into pepper steak with young vintage port 40 years ago.
Drinking vintage port when it’s young may be officially ‘allowed’ these days but there’s still something rather special about the ethereal extra dimension that comes with a mature bottle. While Taylor’s stopped holding back large volumes of stock for later release from the 1992 vintage, fellow British-owned producer Symington Family Estates has managed to hang on to some. This year saw the company announce a limited ‘Library Release’ of Dow’s, Graham’s and Warre’s 2003 Vintage Ports, as well as Quinta do Vesúvio 1995. There’s also an even smaller third-phase ‘Private Cellar Release’ of vintage ports that are between 40 and 60 years old. For those with no cellar, no patience or no confidence in provenance when it comes to port’s sprawling secondary market, it’s a perfect way to experience the majesty of older bottles.
It’s not difficult to understand how the intriguing complexities of the port – and especially vintage port – category could scare off the uninitiated. An upmarket restaurant may offer the reassuring, sherpa-like guidance of a good sommelier but often the only option is solo navigation. Specialist retailer Vintage Port & Wine is all too aware of this issue. The business may operate primarily online (it opened a first physical shop in the small Hampshire town of Fordingbridge in November) but that doesn’t stop staff here from going the extra mile to help customers get the best experience from their bottle.
‘There’s a lot of work you need to do to get the most out of vintage port,’ concedes managing director Tony Carter. ‘It’s amazing the number of people we sell to who don’t have a decanter. I think that’s off-putting for some people but it shouldn’t matter – you can just use a jug.’ All his team have been through WSET courses and visited Porto, but they also post YouTube videos, run online tasting events and send out extra information with each purchase. After all, remarks Carter, ‘You’ve just spent £150 on a bottle; we want you to get it right.’
In these iconoclastic times, what does ‘right’ mean? Perhaps the best answer is that we need to cast aside all the reasons not to open a bottle of vintage port. If we force this drink to satisfy a prescriptive checklist of season, fine dining, age and food partner, then we deprive ourselves of one of the wine world’s greatest experiences. For Carter, the ideal approach to vintage port is very much in line with the mindset of a contemporary whisky aficionado. ‘It’s just perfect for opening with a friend,’ says Carter, ‘you’re on a rollercoaster ride during the whole course of the evening’. It’s the accessibility and versatility of vintage port that’s well worth bearing in mind if you find yourself unwrapping a bottle this Christmas.
Five vintage ports to enjoy all year round
Poças 2016
A widely declared vintage characterised by ports of great freshness and structure. Like many Portuguese-owned houses, the Poças family focuses primarily on tawny port but this vintage expression displays all the hallmarks of a wine set for a long life. It won a Silver medal at the IWSC 2024.
Waitrose Cellar, £32.99
Taylor’s Vargellas 2013
This single quinta forms the backbone of Taylor’s in a ‘classic’ vintage year. The rest of the time, we can enjoy its elegant, violet-scented character as a solo act for a fraction of the price. Even better, this vintage is already drinking beautifully now, although there’s absolutely no rush.
ND John, £32.95
Vinhos Quinta da Pedra Alta Vintage 2020
A year plagued by record heat and Covid restrictions that made harvest a particular challenge. That didn’t stop this producer declaring a vintage port whose fiery richness captures the character of the growing season, winning it 93 points and a Silver medal at the IWSC 2024.
QPA wines, £46.66
Quinta do Noval 2007
A particularly long 2007 growing season resulted in some stunningly fresh, complex, well-balanced vintage ports, with Quinta do Noval achieving a particularly distinctive, energetic result.
Vintage Port & Wine, £119
Graham’s 1994
The star vintage of the 1990s and even traditionalists would accept this is now comfortably into its drinking window. Price and condition for bottles of this age vary considerably but look out for the ‘Library Release’ limited edition that signifies the bottle was matured in Graham’s own cellars until 2021.
The Whisky Exchange, £125
