Graham’s 1952 Single Harvest Tawny Port was bottled to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubille. The Graham’s 1952 Tawny was exclusively offered by Berry Bros.& Rudd, who are purveyors of fine wines to the Royal Householdand are holders of two Royal Warrants. Berry Bros.& Rudd, also a family business, were established in 1698 and the two family businesses have had a close association and friendship over many generations. The wine is a real treasure and of outstanding quality after 60 years aging in seasoned oak casks.
There was only a very limited amount of this wine available and it was supplied in individually numbered bottles.
Tasting Note
“Striking mahogany, with hints of amber at its rim, the wine has an extraordinary aromatic intensity, redolent of old libraries, autumnal bonfires and distant poetry. The palate is profound and majestic, astonishingly intense and powerful, regal in its complexity, a timeless elixir. Notes of molasses, dried apricot, figs and clove, dance across the palate, elegant and symphonic in their structure, dignified and profound. Orange zest freshness and finely-wrought tannins underwrite structural harmony with the long finish indulging a gentle nostalgia and a real sense of worth.” Simon Field, MW
Every year Graham’s Master Blender, Charles Symington, tastes and asses all ageing wines in the Graham’s 1890 Lodge. On rare occasions he selects a truly exceptional wine for limited release. Over the previous years the 1961 Single Harvest had been developing particularly well. Charles decided to taste all the remaining casks of this wine, all of which were outstanding, but there were three that were truly exceptional. He had unearthed a well-kept treasure which had been maturing under the watchful eye of his father.
Graham’s 1961 Single Harvest is a special bottling of only three casks producing hand numbered bottles.
Tasting Note:
Showing a vivid, rich amber colour with a green tinge on the rim. On the nose an explosion of caramel, nut, vanilla and cigar box aromas. Massively concentrated and complex on the palate, this wine reveals honeycomb, exotic spices and crystallised orange peel flavours. The richness is balanced by a firm and refreshing acidity which gives the wine a perfect balance and structure, leading to an endless finish.
Recognising the 1969 wine as truly outstanding, Charles Symington, Head of Winemaking at Graham's, selected it for a limited release.
Graham's 1969 Single Harvest is a special bottling of only six casks from the 1969 harvest, each cask producing just 712 numbered bottles. Charles tasted each of the 21 casks of 1969 Port still maturing in Graham's lodge and selected the six he deemed exceptional.
'I chose to bottle this Port now as I believe it has reached a remarkable peak of maturity and will offer great pleasure to those fortunate enough to be able to enjoy it.' Charles Symington
Tasting Note:
The wine has a very attractive golden-amber colour and still some garnet reflections in its centre. The aromas are quite exquisite showing delicate, floral qualities reminiscent of honeysuckle and undertones of soft caramel. It is smooth as silk on the palate, showing exotic spice, marzipan, walnuts and toffee.
After the Symington family's acquisition of Graham's in 1970, the then head of winemaking, Peter Symington, selected the 1972 as their first single harvest for ageing in seasoned oak casks. Accompanying the maturation of this single harvest Port throughout his career, Peter passed it on to his son when he retired in 2009.
Charles Symington, current head winemaker, tasted each of the casks handed down to him and selected nine for bottling. Each containing 712 bottles, this individually numbered limited release of 1972 Single Harvest Tawny Port is testament to the knowledge and experience passed down from generation to generation.
Tasting Note:
A beautiful golden colour, with an intense ripe aroma of dried fruits and orange peel combined with cherry fruit and toasted aromas from more than 40 years of wood ageing, create tremendous complexity in this many layered wine. The flavour fills the whole palate with huge volume and power developing into an exceptionally long, fresh and honey-sweet finish.
Graham's celebrated the birth of HRH Prince George of Cambridge with a special limited edition Port. Graham's has produced various exceptional Aged Tawny Ports in recent years, amongst them the 1961 and 1969 Single Harvest Ports, as well as the highly acclaimed 1952 Port that was served at Her Majesty the Queen's Diamond Jubilee lunch in 2012.
Joint Managing Director Johnny Symington wrote: "The birth of a future King is an important date in British history. Port has traditionally been used to toast great occasions, so what better way to celebrate than with a bottle of such a very fine and rare Single Harvest Tawny Port. This wine is a real treasure and of quite outstanding quality."
Graham's made a financial contribution from the sale of every bottle of this 1982 Single Harvest Tawny Port to a Douro-based charity called 'Bagos D'Ouro' which cares for underprivileged children in the region where this wine was made.
Bottling of this Graham's 1982 Celebratory Tawny Port was strictly limited to individually numbered bottles.
Tasting Note:
Lustrous golden tawny, with an orange-tinted amber rim. The nose is exquisitely aromatic with a magnificent array of vanilla, soft butterscotch and quince, combined with exotic and spicy notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. The palate is velvety, with polished definition and elegance. Hints of honey, raisins and caramel, perfectly balnced by a backbone of orange zest acidity and fine-grained silky tannins. The finish is long and extraordinaliry mellow with a nutty almond finish that lingers on the palate.
