1966 Warre Colheita (bottled 1976)

[Alex Bridgeman]

Peatling & Cawdron ordered five hogsheads (half pipes) of Warre 1966 Vintage Port when it was shipped in 1968. As was usual, accompanying the wine were the labels and branded corks which would be needed when the wine was bottled.

In 1976, the Symingtons received a request from Peatlings for another 600 branded corks and labels. A little surprised and alarmed the corks had failed so soon the Symingtons wrote back and asked for more details. The reply, when it came, caused a little consternation — apparently the Warre 1966 Vintage Port had not sold quickly and so it was only now that Peatlings needed to bottle up the last couple of hogsheads. Polite but firm, the letter which went back to Peatlings explained that the Port in the hogsheads could no longer be called Warre 1966 Vintage Port since it had not been bottled in the 3 year window. With a little to-ing and fro-ing, it was agreed that Peatlings could bottle the wine as "Warre's Fine Old Port, aged in oak & bottle. Matured and bottled by Peatling & Cawdron of Bury St Edmunds."

This was the story on the neck label of the bottle that explained the whole story. We agreed then that the next opportunity we had, we would open one of the Peatling Fine Old Port bottles alongside a bottle of Warre 1966 to be able to compare them side-by-side. This opportunity arose at Vinum in the autumn of 2022 - 5 years after first hearing the story of this wine at a lunch at the Factory House.

Decanted 30 minutes. Tawny appearance, honey brown 20% opaque. A little honey and beeswax on the nose, a little restricted. Balanced and elegant on entry, some dry tannins at the edge, honey and lemon sitting within a nicely balanced palate. Honey, smoke and lemon oil aftertaste. Big aftertaste, lots of honey, lime and delicious cedar tannins. Long, finish with a slight thinness to the finish but a great caramel length. A little dry, with lots of black liquorice and a long brown sugar finish. A lovely Port, but so different from the Vintage version. 90/100. Dunk 16-Oct-22.