Symingtons to release ‘vintage’ tawnies

Symington Family Estates is to release a range of single harvest tawny Ports from ‘classic’ declared vintages to show enthusiasts how their vintage wines taste after cask rather than bottle ageing.

Starting with the 1994 vintage, the range will eventually include all of the vintages that the company has released up to 2011.

The move is unusual because while producers do release ‘colheita’ or ‘single harvest’ tawny Ports on a regular basis, they are not from years when there was a general ‘vintage’ declaration.

Speaking to the drinks business, Symington Family Estate’s sales director, Euan Mackay, explained the idea was to, “give a snapshot to collectors of what their wines would look and taste like if they’d been aged in cask [as opposed to bottle].”

The company also intends to continue its releases of much older single harvest tawnies as well.

Mackay explained that as well as a need to, “create excitement and keep innovating,” more importantly the interest in old Port around the world is now such that there is a market for releases of this sort.

With vintage Port holding such a powerful sway on many peoples’ idea of what Port is, being able to taste wines from the same year, side-by-side, that have undergone two radically different methods of ageing is not just an interesting tasting experience and exercise but one that might also encourage consumers to drink more widely and deeply of Port’s many styles.