Kopke 50 Years Old Tawny Port in Wood Box
In 1636 German diplomat Nicolau Kopkë travelled with his son, Cristiano, from Hamburg to Portugal, representing the Hanseatic League. Two years later, he founded Nicolau Kopkë & Co., a shipping company which would eventually become universally recognised as the first Port House in the industry’s history. In 1781 they bought a farm in the Douro, making the transition from shipper to major producer and gradually making Port Wine their main business focus.
In 1828 C. N. Kopkë, great-great-grandson of Nicolau, sided the company with the Liberal Party during Portugal’s civil war. Following the war, he was awarded the title of Baron of Vilar and a decade later his nephew the title Baron of Massarelos. In 1841 the company’s name was changed to C. N. Kopke and remains such to this day. Almost a century later, in 1940, the House was awarded official recognition as the oldest in the world. Kopke have an excellent reputation backed by many gold medals, particularly for their Tawny (barrel-aged) Ports. Befitting their status as the oldest Port House, their bottles are easily recognisable by their traditional and hand-stencilled style.
TASTE HISTORY WITH THE OLDEST PORT WINE HOUSE
If time is marked by special moments, Kopke's history is written in exceptional years.Years that are worth keeping, so they can be relived and celebrated any time.When we retrieve years from Kopke's history, we are creating more history: the age on the label of this Kopke Port wine is the average age of all the wines in the blend.
VINIFICATION
Hand-picked at the optimum time, the grapes are then destemmed, crushed and converted into wine through a process of careful maceration to extract their colour, tannins and aromas, enhanced by constant churning during fermentation.This takes place in vats (lagares) at a controlled temperature (between 28-30°C) until the right degree of sweetness (baumé) is achieved. At this point, grape brandy is added to create the final fortified wine. A wine of high quality, made by blending wines of different harvests to achieve the array of sensory qualities that are typical of these aged tawny Port wines.These wines have each matured in oak casks for varied periods of time, with the average age of all the wines in the blend defining the age on the label.The resulting blend expresses the characteristics given by the ageing in wood.
TASTING NOTES
Amber in colour, with green hues. An intense and complex nose, with prevailing aromas of dried fruit well-balanced with notes of vanilla and honey. On the palate, it is harmonious, concentrated and unctuous.A superb and enduring finish.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Irresistible with a starter of foie gras with aubergine and walnuts.A great choice for an endless array of desserts, such as toffee brownies, chocolate and pistachio pavé, or crostini of walnuts with chèvre. Best served at a temperature between 12 and 14°
