Grahams Quinta dos Malvedos Single Quinta Vintage Port

Description

Grahams Quinta dos Malvedos is a Single Quinta Vintage Port produced in the Douro Valley. The quality of the wines from the Malvedos vineyard is such that in Vintage declarations these wines provide the main structure for Graham’s classic Vintage Ports. In most of the interim years, the wines from Malvedos will merit bottling as a single estate, or “single quinta” Vintage Port from a single harvest.

W & J Graham’s was founded in 1820 in Oporto, Portugal’s second-largest city, by brothers William and John Graham. For nearly two centuries, the production of Graham’s Ports has remained in the hands of just two families: the Grahams and the Symingtons. In 1970, the Graham family sold the company to the Symingtons, who brought their rich legacy in the Port trade. The exceptional quality and esteemed reputation of Graham’s Ports are built on the finest grapes, primarily sourced from five renowned Quintas in the Douro Valley: Quinta dos Malvedos, Quinta do Tua, Quinta das Lages, and two privately owned by the Symington family—Quinta da Vila Velha and Quinta do Vale de Malhadas.

The Quinta dos Malvedos vineyard is located in the Cima Corgo subregion of the Douro. This superb wine is a traditional Douro Field Blend of  Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Amarela. The vineyard is predominantly south-facing and the ample hours of sunlight provide even and complete grape ripening, resulting in very well-balanced wines. Malvedos still contains large areas of traditional vineyard laid out on terraces supported by dry-stone walls, built by hand in the 18th century. The Cardenhos and Port Arthur stone-terraced vineyards, in contrast to the other vineyards on the property, face north-east, east and west, giving the wines produced from those grapes a unique identity.

Grahams Quinta Dos Malvedos Single Quinta Vintage Ports admirably show the Graham’s house style with their expressive floral characteristics, opulent black berry fruit flavours and racy flair. They are usually more approachable when young than classic Vintage Ports, making an excellent alternative to the latter.

See also the Graham’s  Vintage Port Bond and our Guide to Decanting Port.