Symington to release colheitas from classic VP years in 1994 - 2011 range

[Thomas V]

Per the Drinking Business it is stated that the Symingtons will be releasing colheita ports from classic vintage port years starting with 1994 and ending with 2011 over the next years.

The idea is to give the consumer an idea of what the VPs would look and taste like if they had not been bottled in year 2-3 after the harvest but had stayed in cask.

There is also a mention of they willl be releasing much older colheitas as well.

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2017/ ... e-tawnies/

There could be great fun in doing for example Graham's 1994 VP vs Colheita tasting to really see the difference. And here you have the perfect situation where it is the same blend and the comparison is fair, if I am reading this right?

I wonder which houses they will do a colheita from? Graham's, Dow's and Warre's... never seen a colheita from Cockburn's.

[Moses Botbol]

Vesuvio Colheita's are a legend.

[Andy Velebil]

Vesuvio Colheita's are a legend.

However, IIRC they are not registered. They are allowed to be made by the IVDP for in-house (family) consumption only. At least the ones that are stored at the Quinta anyways.

I think it would be fun to see how the two age differently. The question is, will they be released in the USA this time

[Moses Botbol]

What colheita's are currently available from Symington's? I have had Dow in the past as the first one to comes to mind.

[Thomas V]

W. J. Hart (Dow's) 1957 Colheita
Dow's 1999 Colheita
Dow's 2002 Colheita

Warre's 1972 Colheita (Made for her majesty the Queen of Denmark on her 40th anniversary - 3000 bottles)
Warre's 2000 Colheita

Graham's 1952 Colheita
Graham's 1972 Colheita
Graham's 1982 Colheita

These are the ones I know of. I am sure there are more.

[Jasper A.]

W. J. Hart (Dow's) 1957 Colheita
Dow's 1999 Colheita
Dow's 2002 Colheita

Warre's 1972 Colheita (Made for her majesty the Queen of Denmark on her 40th anniversary - 3000 bottles)
Warre's 2000 Colheita

Graham's 1952 Colheita
Graham's 1972 Colheita
Graham's 1982 Colheita

These are the ones I know of. I am sure there are more.

Hot from the press:

[Eric Menchen]

What colheita's are currently available from Symington's? I have had Dow in the past as the first one to comes to mind.

I had Smith Woodhouse a few years ago, and it was a recent bottling at the time. I've got a 1997 Dow Colheita in the cellar.

[Al B.]

I'm not sure what's on the market at the moment, but I have seen the following colheitas from the SFE family:

Dow 1964 unknown bottling year
Dow 1965 bottled 1976
Graham 1952 bottled 2012
Graham 1969 bottled 2011 and 2012
Graham 1972 bottled 2015
Graham 1982 bottled 2013
Warre 1935 bottled 1992
Warre 1937 bottled 2010
Warre 1965 bottling year not known
Warre 1972 bottled - I think - in 2015
Warre 1988 bottled 2007
Warre 1992 bottled 2009
Warre 2000 bottled 2017

[Glenn E.]

Dow 1964 unknown bottling year
Dow 1965 bottled 1976
Graham 1952 bottled 2012
Graham 1969 bottled 2011 and 2012
Graham 1972 bottled 2015
Graham 1982 bottled 2013
Warre 1935 bottled 1992
Warre 1937 bottled 2010
Warre 1965 bottling year not known
Warre 1972 bottled - I think - in 2015
Warre 1988 bottled 2007
Warre 1992 bottled 2009
Warre 2000 bottled 2017

I have some of the '64 Dow at home, so can check the bottling date (if I remember).

I also have a 1964 Warre Grand Reserve to add to the list.

And I've had a 1982 Dow Colheita before.

[Roy Hersh]

The 1969 Graham's is quite good.

[John M.]

What colheita's are currently available from Symington's? I have had Dow in the past as the first one to comes to mind.

I had Smith Woodhouse a few years ago, and it was a recent bottling at the time. I've got a 1997 Dow Colheita in the cellar.

I have 2000 Smith Woodhouse I got by accident...advertised at auction as VP, arrived as Colheita. But I am not unhappy (we worked it out). Perhaps I need that 2000 VP for contrast.

[Glenn E.]

What colheita's are currently available from Symington's? I have had Dow in the past as the first one to comes to mind.

I had Smith Woodhouse a few years ago, and it was a recent bottling at the time. I've got a 1997 Dow Colheita in the cellar.

I have 2000 Smith Woodhouse I got by accident...advertised at auction as VP, arrived as Colheita. But I am not unhappy (we worked it out). Perhaps I need that 2000 VP for contrast.

Oh yeah... as I recall I've seen 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2003 Smith Woodhouse Colheitas.

I'm sure about the first 3... less sure about the last 2.

[Tom Archer]

- Any mention of filtration?

Aged tawnies only really hit the spot in my experience after they've been well bottle aged, and only then if they've been bottled with minimal filtration.

I don't want to tar an entire house with a single brush, but my experience of Symington tawnies bottled in the last two decades has been of wines stripped bare, with no body left to age and mellow - it has dissuaded me from buying them - especially at the high end.

I need a little reassurance that this brutalisation is no longer taking place, before investing in these..

[Gary Banker]

Dow 1964 unknown bottling year
Dow 1965 bottled 1976
Graham 1952 bottled 2012
Graham 1969 bottled 2011 and 2012
Graham 1972 bottled 2015
Graham 1982 bottled 2013
Warre 1935 bottled 1992
Warre 1937 bottled 2010
Warre 1965 bottling year not known
Warre 1972 bottled - I think - in 2015
Warre 1988 bottled 2007
Warre 1992 bottled 2009
Warre 2000 bottled 2017

I have some of the '64 Dow at home, so can check the bottling date (if I remember).

I also have a 1964 Warre Grand Reserve to add to the list.

And I've had a 1982 Dow Colheita before.

I have had the 1968 Warre Grand Reserve. It was very rich and sweet. My notes tell me that it cost $24 about 15 years ago.

[Simon Doggett]

I have a Dow 1972 Colheita bottled 2013.

I believe you can also try an exclusive 1963 Graham’s single Harvest if you fly Emirates first class.

[Ronald Wortel]

I believe you can also try an exclusive 1963 Graham’s single Harvest if you fly Emirates first class.

It was Graham's 1972 single harvest back in April. For us in business it was 1986 single harvest, which I was not too fond of.