2016 Cockburn

Cockburn’s Port was founded in 1815 by Robert Cockburn, a Scot who served under the Duke of Wellington in the early 19th century wars between Britain and France. After the wars ended Cockburn returned to Portugal, where he had fought, and founded a Port estate. Other investors from Britain joined the company during the 19th century and in 1962 the company was sold to Harvey’s of Bristol. In 2010 it was sold to the Symingtons, the family dynasty that owns numerous Port estates. Cockburn has 642 acres in the upper Douro Valley and produces a portfolio of ruby, tawny and vintage Ports. It also makes a white Port.

Portugal is best known for its two legendary fortified wines, Port and Madeira, but it also produces significant amounts of red and white table wine. In most years it ranks around the 10th or 11th largest wine producer in the world. In 2013, for instance, Portugal was the 11th largest producer just after Germany. Wine has always been produced in Portugal and in fact the country was the first to organize an appellation system, which it did in 1756, nearly 200 years before the French set up their appellations. The highest quality wines are labeled D.O.C. for Denominaçào de Origem Controlada. Many of the most innovative winemakers today, however, are avoiding the appellation system, which they deem too stifling for modern winemaking practices. The Douro Valley is the nation’s most important wine producing region, and it is the capital of Port production. The Portuguese island of Madeira, located 400 miles west of Morocco, is the nation’s other famous wine region, having produced Madeira for export for more than 400 years. Many red and white wine grapes grow in Portugal, though the best known is Touriga Nacional, the red grape used for Port and, increasingly, high quality table wines. Touriga Nacional produces dark, tannic, fruity wines.