In Bond Fine Wine. 2016 Graham, Port, Douro, Portugal. Other vintage port in 6x75cl. Top critic score: 96/100 (NM). Drinking window: 2024+. Sold in bond by Albany Vintners, independent fine wine merchants.
Graham’s Port, founded in 1820, is one of the Douro Valley’s great Port houses, celebrated for producing richly textured and powerfully expressive wines that combine opulence with remarkable balance and longevity. Best known for their sumptuous Vintage Ports, Graham’s style is defined by intense dark fruit, floral aromatics, firm tannic structure and a signature velvety richness. The estate’s outstanding vineyards, particularly the iconic Quinta dos Malvedos, are managed with a strong focus on sustainability and biodiversity, with large areas of native vegetation preserved to enhance the health and character of the terroir. The result is a range of Ports that capture both the grandeur and precision that have made Graham’s one of the world’s most admired names in fortified wine.
James Suckling (JS) — 99/100 · JamesSuckling.com, 29/05/2018 · Drink 2024+
Extremely complex aromas that show the classic Graham character of black-fruit marmalade and burnt oranges. Follows through to a full body with great grip at the finish. Lightly sweet. Chewy and powerful. Such a focus at the end.
Jancis Robinson MW (JR) — 17–18/20 · JancisRobinson.com, 25/05/2018 · Drink 2040-2065
All the Symington wines had exceptionally deep colours. This one has a particularly deep blackish-purple, still with a blueish hue. On the already-expressive nose I found prunes, something floral and a note of balsam, plus lots of freshness. Relatively open on the palate too. Rather elegant and the hugely sweet fruit almost covers a massive charge of silky tannins. This is almost like a sweet, ta…
Mark Squires (MS) — 95/100 · Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com, 19/07/2018 · Drink 2025-2070
The 2016 Vintage Port is a blend of 37% Touriga Nacional, 42% Touriga Franca and various others. It comes in with 115 grams of residual sugar. A bit bigger than Dow's this year, this is more intense as well. The better wine of these two benchmarks seems to be this Graham's. Tight on the finish, aromatic and very flavorful, this actually opens rather well and shows off its lovely fruit. The Dow's…