Warre’s | Warrior Finest Reserve Port – NV

Detailed Description

Forward and direct, with tasty blackberry and blueberry paste flavors, lined with a licorice snap thread. A hint of singed wood lines the finish, giving this a little extra range.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The non-vintage Warrior Reserve is a more fruit-driven, less complex style of port. Big, full-bodied, muscular and rich with lots of red and black fruit, licorice, white chocolate and coffee notes, this beauty should keep for another decade.

• Wine Spectator: A fruity style, with luscious plum, raspberry and cherry flavors that are deep and rich. Asian spice and dark chocolate notes linger on the fresh, minerally finish. Drink now through 2025. 11,500 cases imported.

Producer Information

Warre’s is one of Portugal’s most famous port houses, often producing a highly-regarded single vintage port. It also produces a range of ports in various styles, including tawny, ruby and white expressions, as well as several single-vineyard vintage ports. The house traces its origins back to 1670 when a company trading in wine, oil, fruit, fresh produce and wool was established in the region by two Englishmen, Burgoyne and Jackson. In 1729, William Warre arrived in Portugal and became a partner in the business, which by this point was known as Clark, Thorton and Warre. By the end of the 18th Century, Warre’s was one of the largest port merchants, accounting for around 10 percent of total exports. It was also one of the first port houses to establish a lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia (on the left bank of the Douro river opposite the city of Porto) where a large portion of port producers now age the wines before release. The house stayed exclusively in the Warre family until 1905 when Andrew James Symington was admitted into the partnership of Warre and Co. Today, Warre’s is run by the 13th generation of the Symington family, who also own the Dow’s and Graham’s port houses. Warre’s has vineyards throughout the Douro, the most famous of which are the Quinta da Cavadinha, Quinta do Retiro Antigo and the recently acquired Quinta de Telhada. These three vineyards are used to make various ports throughout the portfolio, each contributing different characteristics. Quinta da Cavadinha gives fresh aromatics and acidity, whereas Quinta do Retiro Antigo produces wines with higher concentration. The estate’s Vintage Port tends to be blended from these two vineyards, although fruit from Quinta de Telhada will soon be included in the blend as well. In years where a vintage is not declared, a single vineyard vintage port is made from the Cavadinha vineyard. Warre’s also boasts a range of labels including the Otima tawny and colheita ports aimed at a younger demographic than that traditionally associated with port. Warre’s Warrior is the label of the company’s reserve port.