Still a bit compact, as the core of warm steeped fig, blackberry and black currant fruit hasn’t stretched out fully yet. However, there’s so much warm toffee, toasted peanut and singed alder coursing through that this is a fun drink now. A big, gutsy style. Should open up fully with a bit more time. Best from 2020 through 2035. 10,000 cases made
Blackberries, licorice, and melted asphalt stand out in this full-bodied, beautifully made vintage port's moderately intense bouquet. It is not one of the great Graham's ports, and is less sweet than normal, but it is full-bodied, rich, concentrated, and impressive. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2025.
A big, tough, young vintage Port that's closed and difficult to taste. Emits lovely aromas of chocolate, berry and plum, and is full-bodied with lots of sweet, fruit flavors and masses of velvety tannins. Long, sweet finish.
With a big eucalyptus note up front, this is elegant in the mid-palate with controlled tannins. Sweet and easy in some ways, this is readily approachable now. The hint of caramel and raisins mixed with sugar makes this irresistible. It is sexy and intriguing.
Graham's 1991 Vintage Port gets my nod as the port of the vintage. While keeping in mind that Graham's aims for a sweeter-styled port, there is no doubting the opaque purple/black color, or the explosive nose of black fruits, licorice, spring flowers, and tar. Thick and full-bodied, with a satiny texture and a blockbuster, alcoholic finish, this is a top-notch vintage port.
Lovely plum and coffee aromas open to a full-bodied palate, with sweet, decadent fruit. Velvety, with a long finish. Lots going on. '91/'92 Port retrospective. Best after 2007. –JS
Dark color, with intense aromas of blackberry, licorice and hints of flowers. Full-bodied, lightly sweet, with superrefined tannins. Long and caressing. Very youthful. Will improve for a long time. This is really excellent. Always has been. Just starting to come around. '77/'85/'97 blind Port retrospective. Drink now. — JS
Graham is the undisputed star and kingpin of the 1985 vintage ports. Yes, it is made in a sweeter style than the other ports, but it is a fabulous wine because of a dazzling level of black-cherry fruit, an enormous structure, and staggering depth, dimension, and length.
Aromas of violets, dried fruits and figs. Full body, medium sweet, beautiful tannins and length. Seems to be growing in depth and intensity. Beautiful now. I love the tannin tension to this. Drink and enjoy.
A superb achievement from a very underrated year. Deep dark ruby-purple, with rich floral and violet aromas, full-bodied, with masses of strawberry flavors, full tannins and a long finish.
...like most vintage ports, seems more forward than normal but has a great depth of very ripe, viscous, unctuous, plummy, tarry fruit and significant tannin in its long finish. It is black-purple in color. I doubt that it will be either as profound or as long-lived as the great 1977, but is is certainly one of the top two or three ports of this vintage, and better than the excellent 1980.
This is very impressive, with loads of fruit and tannins. Deep ruby, with a floral, cherry and plum nose, full-bodied, with medium tannins and sweet plum flavors on the finish. — JS
Graham is another great port house, producing one of the deepest-colored and sweetest styles of vintage port. Along with Taylor and Fonseca, Graham has probably been the most consistent producer of great port in the post- World War II era. Their tawnys are quite good rather than exceptional, but their vintage ports are truly sublime and sumptuous.
This was never a great Graham, but it's outstanding quality nonetheless. Medium ruby-red. Aromas of milk chocolate, plum, mint and violet. Full-bodied, with medium sweetness and lots of berry and cherry fruit. Very fruity and fresh. Long and lively. Delicious now, but will improve. '77/'85/'97 blind Port retrospective. Drink now through 2018. — JS
This wine is going through a dumb period at the moment [writing in 1990]. It is closed and not giving much on the palate. It is still a big, hard and tightly knit wine. Deep purple-ruby with intense floral, cassis and prune aromas, full-bodied, with plenty of fruit and extremely hard tannins. Built for ageing.
TOP 100 WINES OF THE YEAR - Charles Symington created one of the most compelling Ports in the history of Graham’s...It’s an olfactory hallucination of Douro Superior sweetness in the pure minor key of Malvedos—like sour black cherries amplified and deepened into an identifiable perfume, the tartness of the fruit and the schist of the tannins layering in a resonant chord. It tastes as if the fruit of the Douro’s olive trees, orange trees and deep-rooted mix of vines have merged into a form of energy, with an impeccable balance that should sustain it for fifty years or longer.
The aromas here are amazing: crushed blueberries and raspberries with wet earth and dried flower. Orange blossom. Tar and stone. Full-bodied, very sweet but the powerful and fine-grained tannins balance the wine out. Tannins and fruit envelop your mouth with each sip.
The depth and muscle are astonishing, and with this exuberant property, it's certain that the fruit will come out to play in time...this powerful 2017 has endless potential. It is the one to bet on. In a year with many brilliant wines, this still has to be on the shortlist for "Wine of the Vintage."
It has magnificent colour and an extraordinary nose, lifted and powerfully ripe with glorious overlying floral aromas. It has succulent berry fruit and massive concentration in the mouth – magnificent, the quintessence of the finest Douro fruit. Powerful, muscular tannins stack up to a broad and ripe finish, leaving a mouth watering, almost Burgundian, freshness that seems to be one of the hallmarks of the best wines in this vintage. Outstanding.
Packed with juicy, bramble-laced black currant, açaí berry and fig notes, this features the vivid fruit and energy of the vintage. Graphite and tar flavors score the finish, giving this terrific cut and extra drive. Seriously long, with the fruit staying very persistent. This is built for the long haul and has a bit of a regal feel.
CELLAR SELECTION - Rich tannins are balanced by the ripe blackberry fruits in this beautifully layered wine. Its acidity shines through enough for the intensely structured fruit and tannins to promise great aging potential.
CELLAR SELECTION - A superbly intense wine of great concentration, this has a generous structure and abundant ripe-fruit tones. Its tannins are fully intact, promising an immensely long aging period. It's rich, but also fresh in acidity and juicy black-fruit flavors.
Lush and captivating in feel, with a velvety flow to the mix of plum, blackberry, boysenberry and açaí berry compote flavors. A bold streak of licorice runs through the finish, underscored by a brambly note that imparts balance. A stunning display of fruit.
When nearer to bottling last year, this was gloriously aromatic, wonderfully fresh and also quite powerful. The only thing that has changed is that it has also fleshed out a bit in the bottle, showing a bit more stuffing in the mid-palate...the intensity of flavor and the wonderful aromatics compensate. Those features were always what made this special.
Once opened, the wine needs time to find its footing. Over the course of hours and days, the flavors lengthen, their youthful compression and layered intensity carrying a direct message from the schist. Meanwhile, the fruit itself is delicious and grand, with floral notes of beeswax adding to its depth.
Extremely vinous and aromatic with flowers and dark berries. Herbal and tobacco undertones. This is very tight and chewy, showcasing so much grape-skin character character. So phenolic yet not roughly tannic. Unique. Try in 2022.
A site-specific wine from three small plots of north-facing terraced vineyards on the Malvedos estate: wonderfully aromatic (high percentage of Touriga Nacional) with classic floral character, soft, rich and opulent with broad structured tannins building and leading to a ripe, complete finish. Tiny yields. 400 cases produced.
Surprisingly dense—it has fleshed out—this doesn't surprise in its pure power or aromatics. As it sat in the bottle, it became more about muscle and density. It is a long way from ready, but it is round enough to be somewhat approachable. I'd really recommend that you hold this at least another decade, however, even if it will theoretically be approachable younger.
Flattering, with a gorgeous and seductive, showy display of warm plum sauce, blueberry reduction and chocolate-covered acaí berry flavors rushing forth. Light milk chocolate and black licorice notes check in through the finish, which is juicy and open in feel.
This second release of Stone Terraces combines the energy of its powerful tannins with the voluptuous richness Malvedos can give in the best years. It has the green esteva note of great young Porto—a scent close to Thai basil—and has a purity to the structure that makes it feel grand.
CELLAR SELECTION - An elegant wine with beautifully integrated tannins, this is concentrated as well as fruity. Its structure and blackberry fruits are sweet and ripe. The perfumes of this wine leave a stylish, fragrant aftertaste.
This is a single vineyard port from the farm of Quinta do Malvedos. Smells like ink with a dark and earth aroma. Spicy. Dried flowers. Full and rich with a slightly drier edge to this. Nice finish with dusty tannins. A beauty already. 400 cases made. This really grows on you. Long finish. Drink in 2023.