Graham's Stone Terraces Vintage Port 2011
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The inaugural The Stone Terraces comes from two 18th century schist stone terraces in Quinta dos Malvedos, one 1.6 hectares and the other 0.6 hectares, whose exposure and soil have made them stand out over the years. Finally, in 2011 they were picked together and fermented in one lagar that yielded just four pipes. It has startling clarity and minerality on the nose, one of those young Ports where the spirit is so pure that it is difficult to distinguish from an unfortified wine! The palate is silky smooth and slightly honeyed on the entry, leading to a very harmonious, svelte, sensual Vintage Port with copious pure blackberry, cassis and mineral notes that build wonderfully towards the finish.
Range: 96-98 Points
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Wine Enthusiast
A very aromatic wine, with violet perfumes, this is attractive and obviously ageworthy. The wine has the richness and tannic structure necessary, while showing an open, accessible character. The acidity shows strongly at the end. Produced from old vineyards at Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos, it has magnificent long-term potential.
- Wine Spectator
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Wine & Spirits
It has the sweet fruit dimensions of a classic Graham's vintage, carrying a vast store of tannins as if they were the honey of crushed rock. Its tangy wild fruit character lights up the finish, offering a taste of blueberry, fruitcake and spice even as the wine maintains black, impenetrable depths.
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Tradition, experience and knowledge spanning two centuries have given Graham’s the values that are at the heart of the company’s philosophy. The Graham family motto Ne Oublie (forget not or never forget) perfectly encapsulates the company’s commitment to the Douro Region, born of a deep respect for the past.
Founded in 1820, Graham’s produced some of the greatest Ports of the 20th century, amongst which the 1927, 1935, 1945, 1970 and 2000 Vintages. In 1970 the company changed ownership from the founding family to the Symingtons, who have themselves been Port producers since 1882, however through their Anglo-Portuguese great-grandmother, they can trace their Port heritage back to 1652. Graham’s owns some of the finest vineyards in the Douro Valley, one of the oldest demarcated wine regions in the world and a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The four properties are: Quinta dos Malvedos, Quinta do Tua, Quinta da Vila Velha and Quinta do Vale de Malhadas. Combined, these four mountain estates total 201 hectares of vineyards, located in different areas of the Upper Douro and the Douro Superior, each making distinctive wines that contribute to Graham’s singular character and style.
Port is a sweet, fortified wine with numerous styles: Ruby, Tawny, Vintage, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV), White, Colheita, and a few unusual others. It is blended from from the most important red grapes of the Douro Valley, based primarily on Touriga Nacional with over 80 other varieties approved for use. Most Ports are best served slightly chilled at around 55-65°F.
The home of Port—perhaps the most internationally acclaimed beverage—the Douro region of Portugal is one of the world’s oldest delimited wine regions, established in 1756. The vineyards of the Douro, set on the slopes surrounding the Douro River (known as the Duero in Spain), are incredibly steep, necessitating the use of terracing and thus, manual vineyard management as well as harvesting. The Douro's best sites, rare outcroppings of Cambrian schist, are reserved for vineyards that yield high quality Port.
While more than 100 indigenous varieties are approved for wine production in the Douro, there are five primary grapes that make up most Port and the region's excellent, though less known, red table wines. Touriga Nacional is the finest of these, prized for its deep color, tannins and floral aromatics. Tinta Roriz (Spain's Tempranillo) adds bright acidity and red fruit flavors. Touriga Franca shows great persistence of fruit and Tinta Barroca helps round out the blend with its supple texture. Tinta Cão, a fine but low-yielding variety, is now rarely planted but still highly valued for its ability to produce excellent, complex wines.
White wines, generally crisp, mineral-driven blends of Arinto, Viosinho, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina and an assortment of other rare but local varieties, are produced in small quantities but worth noting.
With hot summers and cool, wet winters, the Duoro has a maritime climate.