W & J Graham & Co proudly marked the 60th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne with a commemorative bottling of Graham's 1952 Old Tawny Port.
Given its ability to age over very long periods, Port has always been a wine associated with longevity. In 2011 W & J Graham & Co, together with Berry Bros & Rudd, took the decision that this exceptional Port should be bottled to honour the Queen in her Diamond Jubilee Year.
For six decades, this Port has gently aged in seasoned oak casks, quietly bearing witness to Her Majesty's enduring reign. Generations of Graham's winemakers have accompanied the development of this venerable wine, regularly checking and assuring its progress on the long journey towards an ideal stage of refinement.
As Head of Winemaking, Charles Symington carefully accompanies the gentle maturation of all Graham's cask-aged wines. On rare occasions he selects a truly exceptional wine for a limited release, as in the case of the Graham's 1961 Single Harvest Tawny.
Graham's 1961 Single Harvest Tawny is a special bottling of only three casks from the 1961 harvest, each cask producing just 712 hand numbered bottles.
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. 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.' Charles Symington, Head of Winemaking, Graham's Port
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 Port is testament to the knowledge and experience passed down from generation to generation.
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."
W & J Graham's is making a financial contribution from the sale of every bottle of this 1982 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 is strictly limited to individually numbered bottles and each is supplied in an individual box. A very few 4.5 litre Jeroboams are also available.
In the UK, Graham's 1982 Single Harvest Tawny Port is available from Berry Bros. & Rudd, Fortnum & Mason and Hedonism Wines, amongst others. In Portugal this Port is available from fine wine shops as well as at Graham's own 1890 Lodge shop in Vila Nova de Gaia and in Graham's new Vinum restaurant. Graham's 1982 is also on the wine list of The Goring, one of London's most exclusive Hotels, where the Duchess of Cambridge stayed the night before she was married.
