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Warre's
The oldest British-owned Port house, Warre's was founded by two young entrepreneurs, Clarke and Thornton, in 1670. These two adventurers were out to make their fortune in Portugal, following the marriage of King Charles II to Catherine of Bragança. The pair settled in Viana do Castelo, a town at the mouth of the River Lima in northern Portugal, not that far from Bragança itself. Relations between France and England were deteriorating, and this included an embargo on French goods, naturally including wine. They set about taking advantage of the situation by establishing trade between England and their new home. Woollen goods and dried cod came from England, in exchange for local products, typically the wines of northern Portugal. With the Anglo-French War in 1689, which was acted out not only in Europe but North America also, there was an even greater demand for their goods. The two businessmen looked further inland for sources of wine, their combined gaze settling on the wines of the Douro. And so it was that the firm that would one day be Warre's began trading in the wine that would one day simply be referred to as Port.
The first sign of a Warre taking any interest in the business was in 1729, when William Warre, who had been born in Madras in India in 1706, was invited to take on a partnership. The firm thus became Messrs Clarke, Thornton and Warre. Together they acquired land in Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from Oporto, which would later be the location of the their lodges and offices. Their business flourished, and around them the British community was gradually established in Oporto, building their own school, hospital and clubs. The Warre family were leading figures in the region, unsurprising as they were one of the first to arrive here, and none less so than the next William Warre, nephew to the senior partner in Messrs Clarke, Thornton and Warre. Having signed up to join the British army in 1803, he found himself in Oporto in 1809 repelling the invading French, under the command of Sir Arthur Wellesley, later to be the Duke of Wellington. The Peninsula War, as it was known, continued until 1811, during which time the Duke acquired his taste for Port. Meanwhile William Warre, who enjoyed a successful career that saw him attain the rank of Lieutenant-General, was knighted for his outstanding service to both Britain and Portugal in 1839, and was decorated by the King of Portugal with the Orders of Torre and Espada and the Order of S. Bento d'Avis.
The vineyards of Portugal thus flourished, as did the Port house of Messrs Clarke, Thornton and Warre, which gradually came to be known simply as Warre's. It survived the phylloxera and oidium epidemics of the late 19th Century, and the wines found new markets, particularly in South America. Business was good when, in 1892, Andrew J Symington took on a partnership in the firm. He had joined the business just ten years before having arrived from Scotland. Half a century later, the Port industry faced a massive slump in interest, as fashions of the mid-20th Century dissuaded people from drinking these fabulous, fortified wines. The business was sold to Symington's descendents during this era, taking over complete control of Warre's in 1950, and to this day Warre's Port remains a part of Symington Family Estates.
As with other Port houses, Warre's will always be inextricably linked with
its quintas, the estates dotted along the Douro and her tributaries that are the source
of this region's grapes. With Warre's this is Quinta da Cavadinha, located in the Pinhão Valley
in the upper reaches of the Douro, known as the Alto Douro (or Douro Superior).
Today it is widely acknowledged that it is these vineyards, with their low
rainfall, that are the source of the best quality grapes. The Pinhão is a
tributary of the Douro, flowing in from the north, joining the main body of
water at the town of the same name. The valley is home not only to Cavadinha,
but also Quinta do Noval and Quinta do Passadouro (Niepoort), and
Dow's Quinta
do Bomfim is located close to the union of the two rivers on the Douro. Cavadhina is an
important source of fruit for Warre's Vintage Port, and in non-declared years it
may be bottled as a single quinta wine. It is also the location
of Warre's experimental vineyard, created to assess
newly available planting material, rootstock and clones, and the plantings are
in sufficient quantity for microvinifications to be performed to assess the
results. In addition to Cavadinha, Warre's have also recently acquired Quinta do
Bom Retiro Pequeno, a leading estate located in the Rio Torto valley, another of
the Douro's tributaries which joins the river not far downstream of Pinhão. A 46
hectare estate that has long been a prime source of fruit for Warre's, they have now
permanently secured the asset. As with other Port houses Warre's also maintain a lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia,
on the site purchased by Messrs Clarke, Thornton and Warre. Today the buildings
house the largest oak vat used by any house, the Memel Vat, which holds the equivalent of over 178000 bottles of Port.
Although the vintage and single quinta wines naturally head up any portfolio, I would encourage any keen advocate of Port to familiarise themselves with Warre's Traditional Late Bottled Vintage. Warre's are one of the few producers of this style of wine which offers a true taste of vintage quality at a reasonable price. As with all Late Bottled Vintage Ports, the wine has spent four years in cask (hence the term late-bottled) rather than the two years that the Vintage Ports see. The difference between this and a standard LBV is that the wine is bottled with neither fining nor filtration, and then aged in bottle for five years prior to release. The quality can be in a different league to many other LBV Ports. In addition, fans of Tawny Port should look out for another strong component of the Warre portfolio, the recently introduced Ten Year Old Otima, which has also been joined by a Twenty Year Old bottling. This is a very high quality, traditional style, presented as a very attractive, modern package with clean lines. They have never failed to impress me. The range is completed with blended tawnies, a branded ruby Warrior, and other entry-level wines. Overall Warre's do not produce such opulent wines as can be found elsewhere in the Symington stable, but they can often have great elegance and perfume. Naturally the vintage Ports lead the way, and the Quinta da Cavadinha can give excellent value for money from the right vintage. They are wonderful wines, and I have fond memories of many vintages, not least the Tercentenary 1970 vintage, which I drank week-in week-out as a student, when prices for bottles were not quite what they are today. The 1980 vintage is also fine, deeply coloured, and grossly under-rated by many Port cognoscenti. (9/12/03, updated 8/5/07)
Contact details:
Address: Travesa do Barão de Forrester, Apartado 26, 4401 Vila Nova de Gaia
Telephone: +351 22 377 6300
Fax: +351 22 377 6301
Internet: www.warre.com
Warre's Port - Tasting Notes
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Warre's Vintage Port 2003: A deep, intensely coloured wine. To match
this, the nose has a similarly intense, rich panoply of aromas, with piles of
peppery blueberry and blackberry. Superbly rich, sweet and creamy, intense, with
a wonderful density and concentration of fruit. This is very fine, and reflects
a great vintage. 18.5+/20 (November 2006)
Warre's Vintage Port 2003:
An exotic nose. Spiced fruit. Perfumed. Open, expressive. This is very
impressive. Beautiful purity on the palate. Very stylish, with lovely ripe
structure and exotic, spicy fruit. It's very well integrated. The tannins have a
paradoxical brutal and yet velvety presence. This is excellent. From a
2003 Vintage Port
assessment. 18.5+/20 (May 2005)
Warre's Traditional LBV Port 1995: A strong component of the Warre's
range, unfiltered and unfined as per the 'traditional' style, with minimal
sulphur use, only when filling the tank. Lots of young fruit on the nose. Sweet,
creamy, dense, figgy, chocolate and dark fruit character. Really attractive.
Rounded, rather soft, rich and creamy. Very nicely composed. It has never been
up to the standard of the 1990 or 1992, but is showing well here. 17/20 (November 2006)
Warre's Traditional LBV Port 1995: Great purple, youthful appearance. The
nose has chocolate and caramel notes, over some dark fruits. The palate has
sweetness and texture in abundance, and lovely weight and grip. Nice, cool,
tannic presence. Creamy and voluptuous, a complete midpalate, and a balanced,
fluid mouthfeel at the finish. A very solid style, rather than one of great
finesse or complexity, which fits with my impression of the 1995 Port vintage.
Very good. Another
Christmas Wine. 16.5/20 (January 2005)
Warre's Traditional LBV Port 1994: Great intensity of colour here. Deep,
brooding fruit on the nose. Smoky and toasty aromas, with burnt sugar, caramel
and molasses. Full, sweet, and with super depth on the palate, but with a cool,
balanced style. Full of richness and plentiful extract, matched by very fine,
ripe tannins and some good toasty fruit. Of the 94-95 duo this is the vintage I
prefer. Lovely wine; drink now and over the next six years. A
Christmas Wine. 17+/20 (January 2005)
Warre's Traditional LBV Port 1992: A last bottle of this old
favourite. It still has a very deep colour, an opaque core with a deep,
red-black hue. The nose shows exotic Christmas spices, notes of scented
sandalwood, dusky cherry, blackberry and raspberry fruit essence with a
slight, spirity trace. It is a firm and quite serious wine, cool then
creamy, nicely flavoured with balance, grip and freshness combined. There
is quite a bit of power and grip at the finish, and overall this has a lot
of firm substance. A good length, a touch hard here perhaps, but overall
this is really very good indeed and it should continue to drink very well
for some time - for those that have any left. 17.5/20 (November 2007)
Warre's Traditional LBV Port 1992: Still have a few bottles of this
left. Seemed a little more reticent on the nose at first, less exuberant, less
exciting, but with some time it exhibited more classic aromas of maturing Port.
The same on the palate, which after aeration seemed as full and as fruit-rich as
it has ever been. Rather shy, but ultimately showing very well. Very good. 17/20
(November 2005)
Warre's Traditional LBV Port 1992: Picking up fresh stock of this wine
at a bargain price means I'll be drinking this excellent cuvée for a few years
yet. Still a great, opaque, youthful colour. A big, sweet, coffee and chocolate
nose, with smoke and charcoal nuances over plump black fruits. As previously a
full, pure, elegant palate, packed with black fruit but also lovely grip and
tannin. Balanced. Great length. Excellent quality for an LBV. Should drink for
five to ten years. 17+/20 (September 2004)
Warre's Traditional LBV Port 1992: A dark, glossy purple-black wine. A
full, obvious, expressive nose, laden with smoky, toasty black berry fruits,
oil of oranges, with a touch of molasses. Full of flavour on the palate, with
lovely structure - there's still plenty of ripe tannins, also some ripe,
sweet, full-bodied fruit. Great balance, very fluid, gliding across the
palate, with elegance, which is what makes this wine so impressive. Neither
the 1990 or 1992 have disappointed. Brilliant stuff. 17.5/20 (December 2003)
Warre's Traditional LBV Port 1992: This wine already has a
presence on The Winedoctor, as I first tasted it at the Oddbins Edinburgh Annual
Wine Fair, in November last year. I rated it as one of the star wines of the whole
tasting. I gave away a few bottles as Christmas gifts, and it was well
received, but have only recently got around to tasting it again
myself. And what a delight. The nose is just as I recall, full of
toasty, spiced black fruits, with rich chocolate nuances. A lovely
weight on the palate, with powerful alcohol balanced out by a great
concentration of fruit, which is what makes this wine so
approachable, together with fine acidity and a rich glycerol
texture. A spicy finish rounds it off. Great stuff, and a super
alternative for those without stocks of mature vintage Port. 17.5/20 (March 2002)
Label
Warre’s Traditional LBV Port 1992: Lovely black fruit with a touch of orange oil and floral
blossom on the nose. Great texture immediately apparent on the palate,
with sweet and creamy fruit, wonderfully structured tannins, and elegant
balance. Some toasty and spicy complexity comes through on the endpalate.
A really elegant wine, and brilliant value for money. 17+20 (November 2001)
Warre's Traditional LBV Port 1990: A lovely, rich purple colour, with a delightful nose packed
with charcoal, toast, chocolate, smoke and damson fruit.
Rich full and smoothly textured on the palate, with
plenty of chocolaty plum and damson fruit. This is
underpinned by firm but fully integrated tannins which
show more on the finish, a soft but completely correct
acidity and an unobtrusive seam of alcohol. Drinking very
well now, but would see out another five years although
probably without any significant improvement.
16.5+/20 (November 2001)
Warre's Quinta da Cavadinha Vintage Port 1989: Rather pale in
comparison, especially compared to the brooding 1995 LBV. Slightly baked on the
nose, a little raw. Well structured on the palate, light-footed, more so than
many other vintages, but it has a touch of creaminess and a good structure.
Nicely bottle-aged, approachable, with some style. very good really. 17.5+/20 (November 2006)
Warre's Quinta da Cavadinha Vintage Port 1987: A dark, glossy,
red garnet-black hue - with just a tinge of maturity on the rim. A lovely
nose, very open and approachable, full of toasty black fruits. On the palate
it has a lovely, full richness, with delightful balance of fruit, tannins and
acidity. Nicely structured. There is even a velvety edge to the texture,
producing a smooth, elegant endpalate and finish. This is impressive stuff -
much more impressive than my last tasting. 17.5/20 (December 2003)
Warre's
Quinta da Cavadinha Vintage Port 1987: More subdued fruit on the nose here.
The palate combines a soft, smooth, mature feel with balanced although drying
tannins, alcohol and acidity. Some earthy, undergrowth complexity, although the
fruit maintains a good sweetness. 17+/20 (November 2001)
Warre's Vintage Port 1985: Another old favourite, although more recent
than the 1970. I was surprised to see I haven't tasted this for five years. A
little hot on the nose on this showing. Meaty and baked, but evolved,
interesting and with a little style. Quite full on the palate, very appealing,
lovely texture. Lovely grip and structure, with a sweetness of fruit on the
midpalate. Still lots of tannin and structure here today, and this clearly needs
more time to show its best. 17+/20 (November 2006)
Warre's Vintage Port 1985: Good colour, some maturity, but good
intensity of hue. The nose has plenty of volatile acidity at first, although
this soon blows off to leave aromas of toasty-edged fruit, figs and even a touch
of molasses. With time, as the volatile characteristics fade, the nose opens and
gives off more and more dark fruit. This is reflected on the palate, which is
rich in dark, toasty fruit, once the volatility has gone. Good mouthfeel, full
bodied, balanced acidity, and an almost creamy texture. Good sweetness and
alcohol. Lovely stuff. Will peak over the next 5-10 years. 17+/20 (December 2002)
Warre's Vintage Port 1985: A good
purple colour, with nice legs. Some fruit on the nose.
The palate has good fruit, with well integrated alcohol
and a spicy, peppery sweetness. Finishes cleanly, with
good length. A lovely wine. From a
1985 Vintage Port
blind tasting. 18/20 (October 2000)
Warre's Vintage Port 1983: I was desperate to try another 1983 Warre's
after a recent experience of a corked example. This has a good
depth of colour, showing maturing colours but no sign of advanced age. An almost
exotic nose, with notes of woody musk, together with dark chocolate notes and an
earthy, animalistic scent. Attractively rich, sweet and mouth-filling on the
palate. Plenty of flavour, dark chocolate coated fruits with some toast, and
just a hint of the exoticism found on the nose. Underpinned by some fine tannins
and extract - you can almost sense the grape solids on the tongue. Good clean
finish with a little kick of alcohol. From a 1983 Vintage Port
blind tasting. 18/20 (February 2004)
Warre's Vintage Port 1983: This wine has a great colour, deep and
youthful. It is rich with dark fruit, chocolate and fig aromas, and the
alcohol is easy to sense. It has plenty of extract
on the palate, with rich fruit, and a good alcohol kick. A sweet,
full, rounded texture, and a full body. There's real power here. Correct
acidity. The finish has strong tannins and alcohol. This is lovely
stuff, ready now.
18/20 (December 2002)
Warre's Vintage Port 1980: In the glass it has a dark hue, not glossy or
rich but nevertheless close to opaque. The nose has an appealing scent, with
nuances of raspberry, toffee and violets, intertwined with notes of spice,
sandalwood and pepper. On the palate it has a firm, dense, quite creamy
presence, with a texture that builds through the midpalate to a finish that has
a good bite, still showing a little spirit here that still needs to settle down
for this wine to reach its peak. The flavour is good, a little floral but with a
lot of spice, fig and aromatic wood, and there is a gritty sweetness to it, part
muscovado sugar, part molasses, as well as a satisfactory grip underneath it
all. Although not the greatest declared vintage by any means, the fact this year
is overlooked can make it good value, as I found when I purchased these bottles.
What us more, although these give pleasure now, they will much more in the
future I think. I look forward to subsequent bottles. For label images and more see my
Wine of the Week write-up. 18/20
(December 2007)
Warre's Vintage Port 1980: Not usually available by the glass, but a regular customer had
left behind much of a bottle he had purchased the night before and it was being
sold off at a good price per glass. Only a month or three since I last had this.
Deep colour, typical of the 1980. Lots of fruit, character and depth. Firm,
sweet, creamy, structured. Decent length. Really very good indeed. Tasted at
Number One. 18/20 (May 2007)
Warre's Vintage Port 1980: A deeply coloured, very impressive looking
wine for its age. Very open and mature, creamy, fine, as impressive as its
appearance. Broad and expressive, with a massive structure beneath it all. This
has great style and potential, although is certainly approachable now. This is
clearly an under-rated vintage for Port. 18+/20 (November 2006)
Warre's Vintage Port 1970: An old favourite for me, Warre's tercentenary
vintage is not only a birth-year wine but was also a favourite during my student
days. I haven't had a bottle for years though. This has an evocative nose, and a
fine, silky texture on the palate, still with plenty of substance and matured
fruit. A lovely, integrating structure beneath it all, good grip and a firm
backbone, but still very approachable now. This is very stylish. I am perhaps
rather biased by my memories of the wine though. Excellent. 19+/20 (November 2006)
Warre's Vintage Port 1958:
The capsule suggests that this is Warre's, but the vintage is unclear until we
pull the cork, which reveals it to be from 1958, a decent although rather light
vintage, especially when compared to the other declared vintage of this decade,
1955. The label, however, suggested that this was 1851 Vintage Port, resealed
1952, which is obviously nonsense. Another mature colour here,
orange-tawny-brown, perhaps not quite so dense as the first wine. An interesting
nose; a little high-toned, piquant, slightly baked, ethereal even? The palate is
attractive, rounded, lightly creamy, bright, rather harmonious, although again
there is a little oxidation. A firm finish. Quite stylish really. Easier to
drink than the heavier, slightly sticky predecessor. From a tasting of
Ancient Port. 16/20
(October 2006)
Tasting notes are ordered by date of tasting, most recent first. I have tried to indicate whether it is a tasting of a new release, or of a wine I have cellared.
Warre's Otima Ten Year Old Tawny Port NV: Current release. A fairly rich and warm hue.
An organic, baked earth aroma on the nose. Very fresh on the palate though, with
a herby, baked, nutty character. This has a rather nice presence on the palate,
and a lovely texture. Quite vibrant. A very good ten year old tawny. 17/20 (November 2006)
Warre's Otima Twenty Year Old Tawny Port NV: A new release from
Warre's, in smaller quantities that the ten year version. A deeper hue on
inspection. Again, a very vibrant nose, here with a real Douro bake, and earthy,
rich, nutty, characterful wine. Quite intense on the palate, smooth and silky,
well integrated, with some force and power but considerable style too.
Wonderfully delicious. And such a fresh flourish on the finish. Excellent.
18+/20 (November 2006)
Warre's Warrior Special Reserve Port NV: Current release. A good colour here - dark,
purple-black wine, although by no means the most densely coloured Port, and
certainly not opaque. Some elegance on the nose, which has notes of candied
citrus peel, backed up by less obvious black fruit aromas, and obvious alcohol. Medium bodied, and
very fresh on entry, with some spice and tannin showing on the midpalate, more
than you would expect from the texture and body. The flavour profile mirrors
the nose, with orange peel and some woody blackberry fruit. Very spirity,
especially through the midpalate, which is a touch hollow and dilute, and on
the disjointed finish. Not brilliantly put
together. 13/20 (December 2003)
Warre's Otima Ten Year Old Tawny Port NV: Current release. A lovely colour, a
gold-red-brown wine, fading to amber at the rim. Roasted cashew nuts and old
coffee grounds on the nose. A full, sweet, rounded palate. Firm, rich, rounded mouthfeel. Good structure underpinning it all, with a background seam of
tannin and tingly acidity. Toffee and nut flavours. Positive finish. A
considerable lingering presence on the palate. 17/20 (December 2003)
Warre's Otima Ten Year Old Tawny Port NV: Purchased Summer 2000. A pale
yet typical burnt amber and tawny colour in the glass. Huge legs. Nose is
classic tawny, lots of old wood with some wafty spirit and aromatic,
caramel-like aromas. Nice weight on the palate, good alcohol, fig and wood
notes. Finishes with a very dry note. Lacks complexity. 15.5/20 (July 2000)
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