Graham's Malvedos 2012 SQVP (Single Quinta Vintage Port)

£21.40
Tasting notes
A floral nose with aromas of red cherries, licorice, mint, bergamot and orange blossom. On the palate, a fine purity of fruit and a velvety texture. Ideal with dark chocolate and strong blue cheeses.

Why we recommend this wine
Not many businesses last for centuries so Graham’s must be doing something right – oh yes, that’s making port! Single Quinta (vineyard) ports are invariably something special and this is no exception.

The wine
Principally Touriga Nacional, with smaller components of Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Amarela. The consistency of quality of the wines from Malvedos is such that in Vintage declarations they form the principal component of Graham’s classic Vintage Ports, complemented by wines from Graham’s other vineyards. In most intervening years, the wines from Malvedos merit bottling as standalone wines from this single vineyard. The wine undergoes meticulous production processes and matures in oak barrels, enhancing its complexity.

The wine estate
Founded in 1820 by William and John Graham in Portugal’s Douro Valley, for two centuries Graham’s has cultivated its reputation as one of the greatest names in Port. The quality of Graham’s Port relies on the finest grapes, primarily sourced from five iconic quintas in the Douro Valley: Quinta dos Malvedos (acquired in 1890), Quinta do Tua, Quinta das Lages and two others, Quinta da Vila Velha and Quinta do Vale de Malhadas, which are privately owned by members of the Symington family.
grahams-port.com

Food and wine
Chocolate and chocolate desserts such as mousse, and blue cheese. Decant to filter the natural sediment before serving. Enjoy within 2-3 days of opening. Also see our guide to pairing food and wine here.

Did you know?
A port vintage is ‘declared’ when a producer decides to declare a Vintage, that is, when they feel the wines which were produced in a given harvest year possess the characteristics of a Vintage Port. This happens three or rarely four times a decade. The IVDP, the regulating body for the Port trade, assesses a sample of the wine, ratifies the decision, and approves the bottling and sale of the wine as Vintage Port.
Vintage Port spends a short time aging in barrel – only two to three years – and is bottled, unfiltered, when it is still very dense and full of sediment.