Tesco Finest Vintage Port 75cl

Expert Opinion

In the press...

A classic to decant. When the weather's lashing outside, a glass of Port is your personal insulation system, operating one glass at a time. Fantastic with a slice or two of stilton of course, or, with its sweet, luxuriant, spicy flavours, as a glass after dinner. Try it with a good book or - my personal favourite - an episode of The Sopranos

Of the 1994 vintage, Jamie Goode said: "A proper vintage port, this is expensive but well worth splashing the cash. While it has faded a little in colour over 18 years, it's become mellow, sophisticated and smooth with tasty cherry and plum flavours."

Of the 1994 vintage, Victoria Moore said: "Another Symington family Port, this time a cut-price vintage under Tesco own label."

Of the 1994 vintage, Jancis Robinson said: "Treacle and dried herbs and lots of throat-soothing stuff. A little harsher than a great vintage port but it's a seriously silly price. Apparently Tesco selected this years ago, and the Syms keep supplying new shipments."

Background

History

Port is produced in the mountainous Douro Valley in northern Portugal. The Douro Valley was the world's first demarcated wine region (1756). Port takes its name from the city of Porto where the wines are matured.

Winemaking details

Peter Symington

Regional info

It's a region of extremes, long hot summers alternate with cold winters and a low average rainfall. The terrain is rugged, the vines planted in schist soil under terraces because of the very steep slopes. Grape yields are amongst the lowest of any major wine-producing region in the world, but as elsewhere, low quantity translates into very high quality.