Wine information:
The complexity, elegance and balance of Warre's Vintage Ports result from the blending of wines from three great quintas: Quinta da Cavadinha in the Pinhão Valley which runs north of the Douro, Quinta do Retiro in the Rio Torto Valley, which runs south from the Douro just downriver from Pinhão, and since 2006 the Quinta da Telhada in the Douro Superior, just 25 km from the border with Spain. The blend is rounded out by wines from three more vineyards clustered around Cavadinha, namely Quinta do Alvito, Quinta das Andorinhas and Quinta das Netas. All three vineyards have a long history of supplying Warre's, and are now privately owned by members of the Symington family who continue that tradition. Cavadinha is unique in that its vineyards range from 150 metres by the Pinhão River, to as high as 400 metres. The family's own vineyards are near the upper end of Cavadinha and continue up to 500 metres. This variation in location and altitude produces a wonderfully balanced wine as it combines grapes from the intense heat of the lower altitude and Douro Superior vineyards with grapes from a much cooler maturity cycle higher up in the Pinhão Valley.
"Brambly, peppery nose. Lovely flavour, great length, texture, style. Gilt edged. Score: 5 Stars" Michael Broadbent MW Vintage Wine (book, Broadbent, 2002)
"Lovely floral aromas of berries, violets and minerals. Full-bodied, with firm tannins and a racy finish. A harmonious yet well-toned Warre." Score: 91/100, James Suckling Wine Spectator.