GRAHAM

The 2016 The Stone Terraces Vintage Port, from a specific plot, is predominantly Touriga Nacional. It comes in with 110 grams of residual sugar and was bottled about a month before this tasting. Along with the Capela from Vesuvio, this is a candidate both for the best of the Symington stable and the top wine in this vintage. But they are very different. The Capela has that rich Vesuvio fruit and seems a bit denser and burlier, showing off fine concentration and a lot of serious muscle. The Stone Terraces is more elegant and far more expressive just now, just a bit more open (but hardly ready). Seen twice, once with a lot more aeration, this proved it could become even tighter and more powerful. As elegant as it initially seemed, don't be fooled—there's serious power here to go with the purity of fruit. Intense, impeccably balanced and chock-full of gorgeous fruit, this is pretty brilliant. It should have a long life ahead. At the moment, I'd give this the clear nod over the wonderful 2015, but there may be ups and downs as they both start on their long lives. I like to see wines like this grow in the cellar a little, so let's remain a little conservative in evaluation. I won't be surprised if it merits an uptick in time. Drinking range: 2029 - 2075 Rating: 97+ Mark Squires, robertparker.com (Jul 2018)

I can't decide whether I approve of these special small-production vintage ports or not. The 2016 is certainly absolutely outstanding; but does its absence from the main Graham's 2016 rob it of a vital ingredient? Very dark crimson. Heady and malty on the nose. Really exciting and vibrant. This wine almost presents a case for going wholesale from vintage blends to single-vineyard bottlings. Rich and sinewy and polished and with massive acidity too but not too much. This has great individual personality. Aromas of nuts, dried fruits and citrus peel. Drinking range: 2047 - 2075 Rating: 18.5 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2018)

Mostly Touriga Nacional from traditional stone-walled terraces at Quinta dos Malvedos, Graham’s flagship estate. The vineyards mostly face north and east: inky blue-black colour; closed, intense with a hint of liquorice and dark chocolate, big and dense with bitter-sweet dark chocolate intensity and broad tannins rising in the mouth to a massive peacock’s tail of a finish. A ‘wow’ of a wine. Rating: 19.5 Richard Mayson, www.richardmayson.com  (May 2018)

Extremely complex aromas that show the classic Graham character of black-fruit marmalade and burnt oranges. Follows through to a full body with great grip at the finish. Lightly sweet. Chewy and powerful. Such a focus at the end. Rating: 99 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2018)