Vieira de Sousa Single Harvest 1950 Colheita Tawny Port (750)

The rare and extremely limited 1950 Colheita Tawny Port is a breathtaking time-stamp of a single year in the history of Vieira de Sousa. Now over 70 years old, its date commemorates the birth year of Luisa’s mother, Lurdes. This Port was originally harvested and placed into a giant old barrel to begin its slow journey through time, meant to blend in with the younger to the older Tawnys over the years. Each time wine was pulled from the barrel, the remains would be transferred to smaller barrels again and again until finally, the left over Tawny from 1950 fit in just a single 500L barrel. As perfect as oxidized Port can be, it has become wonderfully concentrated in both its sugar and, more importantly, its stunning acidity. Now in bottle for the first time (only 600 bottles produced!), a greenish brown hue pours out its story of 7 decades in a dark, dank, and remarkable old cellar. Unfiltered, untamed, and unbelievable, this wine is a technicolor journey back thru time. Tasting the love and the passion it was graced with by three different generations of winemaker’s hands, while being mixed with the emotion and the heartache of all that has gone before it in its 70 years. It is Tawny Port at its most breathtaking and historic moment, whilst dancing amongst the cobwebs strewn between ancient barrels.

"After 5 generations of producing grapes & Port for ‘big guys,’ Vieira de Sousa is now making and selling their own authentic Port. Think of it as one of the first available ‘Grower Champagnes’ of the Port Country."

Vieira de Sousa is a newly founded official Port house that dates back to the 18th century; as they have always farmed exceptional fruit from the Douro River region, but historically have sold the majority of their juice to the large estates as their primary business. Having also made small bits of port for the family for over a century, the house has now moved to making only their own Port as Luisa Vieira de Sousa Borges (the current and now operating generation of the family) completed a degree in oenology in 2008, and was ready to take her family’s business to a new level. She is 30 years old, ambitious, and tackling a world of old traditional wine made by old men and doing incredible things with her family’s property. Only estate fruit is used for these incredible wines, coming from four different quintas (vineyards) at varying elevations, dispositions, and influences. In 2009 they bottled their first vintage port from their top Quinta do Roncão Pequeno site, the rest will now be history. They foot crush the fruit in old stone lagares, let only the natural yeasts begin the fermentation in stainless steel, allow natural settling for clarification, and they use incredibly delicate brandy for fortification. The result in their aged wines is exceptional, classic, and will be recognized as some of the greatest Ports available.

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