2015 Vintage Port, Cockburn's, Douro Valley, Portugal

Cockburn's owns two important vineyards in the Upper Douro Valley. Both are in the rugged, remote Douro Superior, some 140 kilometres upriver from the city of Porto. The special hot and dry climatic conditions of this Douro sub-region give a unique style and quality to all of Cockburn's Ports. Quinta dos Canais is one of the major Douro estates, with a total area of 272 hectares, of which close to 100 are under vine. Just eight kilometres further upstream is the beautiful Quinta do Vale Coelho, a small 19-hectare property of which two-thirds are planted to vines. Both Quintas are situated on the north bank of the River Douro and their vineyards are mostly south-facing, which is ideal for the grapes' ripening. Together, Canais and Vale Coelho provide Cockburn's with its finest grapes, used in the making of Cockburn's famed Vintage Ports. The resulting wine is focused and precise, with great vitality and purity of fruit. Exuding freshness, it springs out of the glass with aromas of fleshy, black plums, and eucalyptus and flavours of red cherries. Well-toned and muscular, Cockburn's 2015 Vintage Port is full-flavoured with a typical Cockburn's 'grip'.