This is a well-aged colheita with mouth-watering, vibrant acidity from one of the category’s true authorities.
Colheita is often overlooked—many wine lovers aren’t entirely sure what the term covers. In brief: a colheita is a single-vintage tawny, aged for a minimum of seven years in wood, though many rest far longer. This 2010 spent 13 years in venerable 550-liter oak casks, where slow, gentle oxidation rounded and matured the port.
Kopke’s style is instantly recognisable across all their tawnies: a lovely, ethereal acidity and a profile of dried fruit, shaped like a trimmed athlete rather than a caramel-laden heavyweight. Achieving concentration in long-aged tawny is easy—simply raise the evaporation rate, much like reducing a stock. The true craft is to deliver intensity without sacrificing balance and drinkability.
After 13 years of oxidative ageing, this colheita is now in peak drinking form. The primary fruit has largely receded, giving way to layered maturation notes of dried prune, nuts, powdered sugar, and preserved, candied citrus. The palate is powerful and full, with a sweet, caressing farewell; the finish is exemplary in length, and the vintage’s natural acidity keeps the wine lively and taut.
Once opened, it will keep well for a few days if stored cool, then slowly relax and lose focus—so there’s no need to rush if a couple of glasses remain.
And remember: this style does not improve with bottle ageing. It is at its best freshly bottled, though it will comfortably hold top form for a few years. Serve at 12–16 °C.
