Kopke Port Wine Declares 2020 Vintage and Launches Rare 50-Year-Old Tawny and White Ports

Kopke, the oldest Port wine house, is delighted to declare the 2020 vintage. Port Houses only declare a vintage when at least one of their vineyard plots yields exceptional grapes, and Kopke's Quinta São Luiz - their home vineyard comprising two parcels of old vines - achieved the necessary levels of color and fruit extraction for Vintage declaration.

It had been a year of challenges. The COVID pandemic caused logistical constraints, and extreme weather conditions - including a hot, dry May which scorched the vineyards, and August rain - resulted in low yields. Despite these difficulties, the grapes ended up with an excellent skin/pulp ratio and high sugar content, which allowed a longer fermentation with superior extraction of color and tannins. Kopke Vintage 2020 (SRP $85/750ml) was already awarded 94 pts from Robert Parker: The Wine Advocate; it is expected to have a complex and elegant structure with density, harmony, and richness.

Carlos Alves, Master Blender & Winemaker of Kopke, says: "The 2020 harvest was marked by a series of adversities that made it one of the most challenging years in my career. In spite of all this, the vintage exceeded all expectations. This vintage has produced wines of excellent quality and very refined tannins, displaying a timeless elegance."

In addition, this year the Douro and Port Wine Institute (IVDP) announced a new Port wine category, adding a 50-year age designation to the permitted 10-, 20-, 30- and 40-year age classifications for Port Wine. Kopke, established in 1638, is the oldest Port Wine House with correspondingly deep and well-kept stocks. It is the first House to launch both a 50-Year-Old Tawny (SRP $250/750ml) and a very rare 50-Year-Old White Port (SRP $175/375ml) in accordance with this exciting new category; these wines have already received 98 and 96 points, respectively, from Robert Parker: The Wine Advocate.

The wines blended into these rare 50-year-old Ports come from Kopke's unique and enviable cellar of barrel-aged wines. The House's 10-, 20-, 30- and 40-year offerings of aged Tawny and White Ports represent both the master blender's art and a taste of history. These new 50-year offerings will bring discerning Port drinkers even further back in time.

Carla Tiago of the Kopke winemaking team comments: "I am so eager to see the Kopke 50-year-old Ports in the U.S. Wood-aged Port is a combination of science and art, and the 50-year-old Ports are a beautiful expression of the art of time."

About Kopke Port Wine: Kopke Port Wine (Portugal), est. 1638, is the oldest Port wine house. Located in the upper Douro DOC, a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage site since 2001, Kopke benefits from the imposing geography of the Douro Valley: the plunging valleys allow vines to be planted from altitudes of 1,900 feet on the upper ridges, down to 230 feet alongside the river, with immensely diverse terroirs. Kopke wines are sourced and produced in Quinta São Luiz, one of the most important estates in the Douro region. 

This 300-acre estate has 220 acres planted to traditional Portuguese grape varieties, such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Cão. There are also small plots of Tinta Barroca and Souzão. Kopke also opened a small inn, The Vine House, at Quinta São Luiz this past July.

Please follow Kopke Port Wine at: 

IG: @kopke1638

Twitter: @Kopke1638

More information, hi-res images, samples, and interviews available upon request.

Please drink responsibly. Kopke is imported exclusively by Wine In Motion, Newark, NJ.