The European wines from the war years are, for obvious reasons, difficult to obtain, but Portugal deftly managed to remain neutral under Salazar’s rule, so that there were hands to harvest. Now, in a world of increasing political correctness, it would be unwise to dare to praise a dictator, so instead we content ourselves with being able to enjoy wine relics like this.
77 years ago, this Kopke Colheita 1941 was aged in granite cellars in the Douro Valley and, after vinification, was transported to Vila Nova de Gaia, where, after two human years of aging in old oak barrels (approx. 550-650 liters), it has been bottled and released to sales.
During this entire storage period, a few percent of the wine has evaporated each year, so that the final product today appears very intense. Yet the balance has remained intact, the wavering is anything but a matter of course; here, Kopke’s cellar masters have the honor of treating the wine so that it neither becomes syrupy nor turns into acetic acid.
The aroma of this almost 80-year-old colheita is a mesmerizing experience. Once the muzzle shaft has found its way to the glass, it takes a lot to wrest the lucky person’s attention.
Aroma and flavor have incomparable intensity and depth, but the balance remains exalted with a glorious acidity that maintains the vigilance of the senses.
One finds notes of walnut, dried figs, muscovado sugar, orange, cinnamon, a little apothecary and ‘vinagrinho’, describing the balanced and integrated acidity found in ancient tawny.
Finsihen are of course stringy and infinite.
This is port art that should be enjoyed without anything else; add only admiration and enjoy it in peace with carefully selected believers.
Served at 14-17°.
Robert Parker 97 points