Graham’s declares Stone Terraces 2015 vintage Port

Port producer Graham’s has declared 2015 a vintage year at its 2.9-hectare Stone Terrace vineyard at Quinta dos Malvedos in the Douro’s Cima Corgo region.

Graham’s Stone Terrace vineyard at Quinta dos Malvedos in the Douro

Graham’s The Stone Terraces Vintage Port is only bottled when the vineyard is deemed to have produced a “an incomparable wine” deriving from its unique location and composition

The Stone Terrace vineyard at Malvedos is composed of three parcels in a narrow, curving valley and all are immediately adjacent, one facing north, another due east and one due west. None of its vineyards face south.

In most of this vineyard there is a single row of vines on each traditional dry stone-walled terrace, which are of between 1.6 and 3 meters high.

Graham’s made the point that its quality does not always follow the general pattern of vintage Port declarations in the region, with the first ever The Stone Terraces release the 2011 Vintage Port.

Grapes were picked by hand on the 12 and 13 of September, a couple of days before substantial rain fell across the Douro Valley, and were then fermented in lagares in the estate’s own winery.

Yields were incredibly low at just 0.82 kg per vine but several hours of treading over the following days delivered a “magnificent wine with sublime floral aromas of violets”, said Graham’s in a release.

The warm surface stones in the soil and the walls themselves play an important role in sustaining maturation through the night, while the balance achieved by the varying aspects is key to this rare wine.

The Symington family, owners of Graham’s, described the 2015 The Stone Terraces as a vintage Port of “extraordinary elegance and complexity” that will “age superbly”.

Just 400 cases of the vintage Port will be produced.