Warre’s
Warre & C:a S.A.
Founded | 1670 |
---|---|
Owner | Symington Family |
Vineyards | Quinta de Cavadinha, Quinta do Retiro Antigo, Quinta da Telhada, Quinta do Alvito, Quinta das Netas |
Vintage Port Brands | Warre's, Quinta da Cavadinha |
Warre's is the oldest Port house, and has been a major force in the Port trade ever since. They were instrumental in organizing the British shippers, and designing and implementing the Factory House. In the 19th century they build an ambitious lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia with an enormous cask (Memel Vat) which still is the world’s largest cask for port. It could hold 178091 bottles.
The first and oldest British company in Portugal and the pioneer in the Port trade was Warre's. The firm was founded in Northern Portugal over three centuries ago, in 1670 and was originally known as Burgoyne & Jackson. At the time Charles II was on the throne of England and was newly married to his Portuguese Queen, Catherine of Bragança. Europe was in turmoil. Oliver Cromwell had ruled England until the restoration in 1660 only ten years previously, now Charles II was conducting intermittent wars with the Dutch and rivalry for new-found territories racked the European nation states.
Against this unpromising background, the founders of the firm settled in Northern Portugal in the town of Viana do Castelo at the mouth of the River Lima. They were trading English woolen goods and dried cod in return for the produce of the beautiful Minho district and beyond, primarily wine. As trade developed and the demand for wine grew, the search for the finest wines took the traders to Régua in the Douro valley. Here they found superb dark and intense wines that found a ready market in England and the great tradition of Port shipping had begun. Over the years, as the wines of the Douro played an increasingly large role in the firm, the valley of the River Douro became the focus of the Port trade and offices were established in Oporto at the mouth of the river.
In 1729 the first member of the Warre family arrived in Oporto. William Warre had been born at Fort St. George, Madras in India in 1706. He became a partner in the firm and henceforth it became known as Messrs Clark, Thornton and Warre and the company gained the name Warre in 1729. William Warre was the first of the British residents to acquire land to build a lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia. Today Gaia is home to the lodges of many Port firms and the ancient roofs cover hundreds of thousands of pipes of Port.
The history of the Warre family in the Port trade is unique and unparalleled. In 1745, William Warre married Elizabeth Whitehead, sister of John Whitehead. The latter was Consul in Oporto and a most distinguished figure in the history of the city. He designed and supervised the building of the famous Factory House in the Rua Nova dos Ingleses, completed in 1790. William and Elizabeth Warre had seven children, the eldest of whom, also named William, subsequently became British consul in Oporto. Thus the history of the Warre family and their Port firm is interwoven with that of the Port trade. Life would not have been easy. The 18th century was a turbulent period, piracy on the seas abounded and territorial, trade and religious wars followed another in quick succession. Nevertheless the family and the firm flourished. On 15 April 1784, in Oporto, a grandson was born to William and Elizabeth, another William Warre. This William was destined to have a distinguished military career. Commissioned in the 52nd Light Infantry in November 1803, he spent only a brief spell in the wine trade in Oporto. He was later to serve throughout most of the Peninsular War, from 1808-1812 and was with Marshal William Beresford, the last out of Coruna in January 1809, after the legendary and devastating retreat in the face of overwhelming odds during which Sir John Moore was killed. He joined the Portuguese Brigade under Beresford and was present at most of the battles of the war. William Warre was one of the few British officers who spoke Portuguese and knew the country. He was thus invaluable to the Duke of Wellington. William Warre was knighted, became a Lt. General and was decorated by the King of Portugal with the Orders of Torre and Espada and the Order of S. Bento d'Avis. Lt. General Sir William Warre never forgot his family business, as can be seen by his letters of the period, recommending Warre's Port to his fellow officers and later to Wellington himself, who took a particular liking to the port wine. Writing to his father on 15 May 1810, from the British headquarters, 'Lord Wellington ... has applied to me to procure him one hogshead of very fine old Port. He did not care about the price and wishes me to get you to take care of it for him in London.'
The Warre family lived in Oporto pioneering the development of the Port trade for two centuries, a unique achievement in the history of the wine. In 1905 Andrew James Symington was admitted into partnership in the firm of Warre & Co. The young Symington had arrived in Oporto from Scotland in 1882 and had quickly been attracted to the Port trade. He became the sole owner in 1908. The firm was run jointly by the two families until the last Warre left the company in 1955.
Today the fourth generation of Symingtons is fully involved in the running of the business from the Douro vineyards. However, the present William Warre, a Master of Wine, is still intimately connected with the firm and retired in 1991 from overseeing the sales of Warre's Ports in the British market. Thus Warre & Co. has remained a family controlled and run business throughout its history of more than three centuries.
Quinta da Cavadinha Warre's owns the Quinta da Cavadinha which was bought in 1978.
Warre Vintages: | 1805 (bottled 1809), 1834, 1840, 1842, 1844, 1851, 1858*, 1861*, 1865*, 1868, 1870, 1873, 1875, 1878, 1881, 1884, 1885*, 1887, 1890, 1894, 1896, 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912, 1917*, 1920, 1922, 1924, 1927, 1931, 1934, 1935*, 1938*, 1942*, 1944*, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2020 |
---|---|
Quinta da Cavadinha Vintages: | 1978, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021 |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1920 |
Colour | Mature tawny in colour. | Number of tastings | 1 |
Bouquet | Complex pharmacy and old hospital but also cacao, toffee and coffee in the nose. | Score range | 16.50 - 16.50 |
Taste | Medium body. Mature and maybe a bit old but knit together and elegant. Lovely finish. Quite extraordinary. | Average score | |
Last tasted | 23rd December 2005 | Point this date | 16.50 |
Comment | At home with the family. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1931 |
Colour | Mature yellow in colour. | Number of tastings | 1 |
Bouquet | Coffee, toffee, cacao and old grocery shop. | Score range | 15.75 - 15.75 |
Taste | Medium body. Mature but a bit old. Elegant, attractive and still balanced with a lovely finish. | Average score | |
Last tasted | 23rd September 2003 | Point this date | 15.75 |
Comment | At the Wine Society 18% tasting in Malmö. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1944 |
Colour | Yellow, mature almost tawny in colour. | Number of tastings | 1 |
Bouquet | Roasted coffee, menthol, burned candy in the nose. | Score range | 16.40 - 16.40 |
Taste | Medium body. Mature and peaking. Sweet. Burned candy in taste. Elegant and quite balanced with a quite long finish. | Average score | |
Last tasted | 19th April 2014 | Point this date | 16.40 |
Comment | At home with the family | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1947 |
Colour | Mature and tawny in colour. | Number of tastings | 1 |
Bouquet | Boysenberry, burned sugar, French plums and some mushroom in the nose. | Score range | 16.00 - 16.00 |
Taste | Medium body. Mature. Quite elegant and balanced. Melon, boysenberry and mushroom in taste. Easy to drink and very attractive port with a quite long finish. Will not be better. | Average score | |
Last tasted | 18th April 2013 | Point this date | 16.00 |
Comment | At the Wine Society 18% tasting in Malmö. In 2013 this vintage took part in a Great Tasting in the Wine Society 18%. For points and ranking see Great Tastings. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1955 |
Colour | Mature yellow in colour. | Number of tastings | 2 |
Bouquet | Cacao, coffee, tea and cinnamon in the nose. | Score range | 16.50 - 16.75 |
Taste | Quite full-bodied. Sweet. Flavour of old grocery shop. Mature and at its peak. Excellent and complex port with a lovely finish. | Average score | 16.63 |
Last tasted | 24th December 2006 | Point this date | 16.75 |
Comment | At home with the family. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1958 |
Colour | Still rather dark but mature yellow in colour. | Number of tastings | 11 |
Bouquet | Lovely bouquet of herbs, pepper, coffee, figs, butter-scotch, crème caramel and much more in the nose. | Score range | 16.25 - 17.50 |
Taste | Medium body. Mature and at its peak. Absolutely on top! Balanced with a hint of acidity and some lovely old sweetness! Flavour of butter-scotch and old grocery shop. Complex and attractive port with a long and perfect finish. Wonderful just now but drink up. | Average score | 16.91 |
Last tasted | 22nd November 2016 | Point this date | 17.50 |
Comment | At the Wine Society 18% Semi-Great Tasting in Malmö. In 2016 this vintage took part in a Great Tasting in the Wine Society 18%. For points and ranking see Great Tastings. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1960 |
Colour | Very mature yellow in colour. | Number of tastings | 6 |
Bouquet | Old grocery, burned sugar and crème caramel in the nose. | Score range | 16.00 - 16.75 |
Taste | Medium body. Mature and peaking, even perhaps a bit old, but still well knit together. Complex port and still balanced with a nice and lovely, delicious and long finish. | Average score | 16.33 |
Last tasted | 22nd November 2010 | Point this date | 16.00 |
Comment | In the Danish Port Wine Club est. 1981 tasting in Copenhagen, Denmark. *This bottle was defect. Notes from a tasting in November 2010. In 2007 this vintage took part in a Great Tasting in the Wine Society 18%. For points and ranking see Great Tastings. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1963 |
Colour | Mature yellow in colour. | Number of tastings | 24 |
Bouquet | Lovely bouquet with coffee, tea, toffee, cacao, vanilla, ginger, crème caramel, orange zest and spring flowers and so on in the nose. | Score range | 16.50 - 17.75 |
Taste | Full-bodied. Mature and at its peak. Very tasty with coffee, toffee, cacao, orange zest and a lot more in flavour. Complex and balanced. Quite sweet. A wonderful, very long and incredible finish. What a lovely port! Just drink it and enjoy it! Will not be better | Average score | 17.20 |
Last tasted | 8th February 2023 | Point this date | 17.50 |
Comment | Tasted at home in 10th International Online Vintage Tasting with our German Port Friends from World of Port. 1 bottle has been defect. In 2005 this vintage took part in a Great Tasting in the Wine Society 18%. For points and ranking see Great Tastings. In 2013 this vintage took part in a Great Tasting in the Wine Society 18%. For points and ranking see Great Tastings. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1966 |
Colour | Mature yellow in colour. | Number of tastings | 5 |
Bouquet | Lovely violet, cacao, cream candy, toffee coffee, tea and ginger in the nose. | Score range | 17.00 - 17.40 |
Taste | Almost full-bodied body. Matured and peaking Sweet and balanced. A very elegant port with a very complex long and very attractive finish. Just rolling around in the mouth. Wonderful port indeed. | Average score | 17.26 |
Last tasted | 8th February 2023 | Point this date | 17.25 |
Comment | Tasted at home in 10th International Online Vintage Tasting with our German Port Friends from World of Port. 1 bottle has been defect. In 2006 this vintage took part in a Great Tasting in the Wine Society 18%. For points and ranking see Great Tastings. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1970 |
Colour | Beautiful, with a mature yellow colour. | Number of tastings | 19 |
Bouquet | Coffee, cacao, toffee, old grocery shop, Christmas spiciness, crème caramel and liquorice in the nose. Very complex indeed. | Score range | 15.75 - 17.25 |
Taste | Full-bodied. Mature and peaking. Sweet. Very tasty with fudge, toffee, spiciness, liquorice and lots of other things in taste. Elegant and balanced and very complex. The finish is as usual seductive, long and very attractive. | Average score | 16.68 |
Last tasted | 3rd December 2022 | Point this date | 17.00 |
Comment | Tasted in a Wine friend’s home. In 2008 this vintage took part in a Great Tasting in the Wine Society 18%. For points and ranking see Great Tastings. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1975 |
Colour | Mature yellow almost amber in colour. | Number of tastings | 11 |
Bouquet | Burned sugar, toffee, fudge and cream candy in the nose. | Score range | 15.25 - 16.90 |
Taste | Medium body. Mature and even a bit old in flavour but still well knit together and quite complex and attractive. Burned sugar and toffee in taste. Nice and still quite attractive finish. Has been much better some years ago. | Average score | 15.95 |
Last tasted | 30th May 2015 | Point this date | 15.40 |
Comment | In our private Wine Club. In 2006 this vintage took part in a Great Tasting in the Wine Society 18%. For points and ranking see Great Tastings. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1977 |
Colour | Still quite dark but beautiful, mature yellow rim in colour. | Number of tastings | 40 |
Bouquet | Chocolate, roses, cream candy, French plums, cacao, roasted coffee old grocery shop and much more in the nose. | Score range | 16.00 - 17.90 |
Taste | Full-bodied. Mature and peaking with still some soft and very elegant tannins and will probably improve. Toffee, dried fruit but also cacao, old grocery shop, liquorice, some herbs and much, much more in taste. Balanced, complex and very elegant with a very attractive, quite sweet and very long finish. What a wonderful port! | Average score | 16.61 |
Last tasted | 29th April 2023 | Point this date | 17.90 |
Comment | Tasted at home with the family in Magnum In 2010 this vintage took part in a Great Tasting in the Wine Society 18%. For points and ranking see Great Tastings. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1980 |
Colour | Still rather dark but yellow mature in colour. | Number of tastings | 27 |
Bouquet | Mint, menthol, dark chocolate, cacao, butterscotch, toffee, ginger and much, much more in the nose. | Score range | 16.25 - 17.90 |
Taste | Full-bodied. Mature and peaking. Sweet. Complex and balanced port which is wonderful today. Mint, cacao, toffee and a lot of tastes in the mouth. Very attractive, lovely and long finish. This port is done for a port lover!! | Average score | 16.73 |
Last tasted | 1st November 2021 | Point this date | 17.90 |
Comment | Tasted at the Port Wine Festival in Copenhagen. In 2014 this vintage took part in a Great Tasting in the Wine Society 18%. For points and ranking see Great Tastings. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1983 |
Colour | Still rather dark but yellow mature in colour. | Number of tastings | 11 |
Bouquet | Dark chocolate, coffee, cacao, cinnamon and dried fruit in the nose. | Score range | 15.50 - 16.50 |
Taste | Full-bodied. Flavour of coffee and cacao. Mature and peaking. Sweet. Cacao and dark chocolate in taste. Balanced and complex. An attractive port with a long and attractive finish. | Average score | 15.91 |
Last tasted | 18th March 2017 | Point this date | 16.00 |
Comment | At the Wine Society 18% Great Tasting in Malmö. In 2017 this vintage took part in a Great Tasting in the Wine Society 18%. For points and ranking see Great Tastings. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1985 |
Colour | Still dark ruby but mature yellow rim in colour. | Number of tastings | 15 |
Bouquet | Violet, ginger, old grocery shop and cinnamon but also toffee, fudge, butterscotch and a lot more in the nose. | Score range | 16.00 - 17.40 |
Taste | Full-bodied. Mature and peaking but still with some very elegant and soft tannins. Balanced and very complex and attractive port. Spiciness, toffee, fudge and much more in the taste. Quite sweet with a wonderful, very long and very attractive finish. Lovely and generous port indeed. | Average score | 16.74 |
Last tasted | 16th May 2022 | Point this date | 16.75 |
Comment | Tasted at home in 8th International Online Vintage Tasting with our German Port Friends from World of Port. In 2020 this vintage took part in a Great Tasting in the Wine Society 18%. For points and ranking see Great Tastings. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1991 |
Colour | Quite dark ruby but yellow mature rim in colour. | Number of tastings | 3 |
Bouquet | Cacao, coffee, tea, candy, cream candy and chocolate in the nose. | Score range | 16.25 - 16.50 |
Taste | Almost full-bodied. Rather mature but will maybe develop a little. Chocolate, cacao, candy in flavour. Complex port with elegant and a very attractive but surprisingly short finish. | Average score | 16.38 |
Last tasted | 21st September 2021 | Point this date | 16.25 |
Comment | Tasted at home in Fourth International Online Vintage Tasting with our German Port Friends from World of Port. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1994 |
Colour | Still quite dark ruby but yellow mature quite beautiful edge in colour. | Number of tastings | 12 |
Bouquet | Chocolate, coffee, old grocery shop, crème caramel, gingerbread and a touch of mint in the nose. | Score range | 16.40 - 17.40 |
Taste | Full-bodied. Mature and peaking. Figs, candy menthol, gingerbread and much more in flavour. Complex and wonderful port with a long, quite sweet, very attractive and elegant finish which never seem to end. This is a delicious port now. Just enjoy and drink it! | Average score | 16.87 |
Last tasted | 20th April 2023 | Point this date | 17.40 |
Comment | Tasted at the Big Fortified Tasting in London, Great Britain. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 1997 |
Colour | Still quite dark but with a yellow, mature zest in colour. | Number of tastings | 4 |
Bouquet | Chocolate, some spring flowers, spiciness, roasted coffee and old grocery shop in the nose. | Score range | 15.00 - 16.75 |
Taste | Almost full-bodied. Quite mature but still with some very elegant and attractive tannins and will of course improve a little. Balanced and very tasty with lots of things in the mouth such as roasted coffee, chocolate, spiciness and old grocery shop. The finish is quite long, very attractive and elegant. | Average score | 15.91 |
Last tasted | 30th May 2023 | Point this date | 16.75 |
Comment | Tasted at home in 13th International Online Vintage Tasting with our German Port Friends from World of Port. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 2000 |
Colour | Still quite dark ruby but yellow mature rim in colour. | Number of tastings | 15 |
Bouquet | Toffee, cacao, dark chocolate, roasted coffee, some cardamom, old grocery shop and much more in the nose. | Score range | 16.75 - 17.00 |
Taste | Full-bodied. Quite mature but still with some soft and very delicate tannins. Balanced with cacao, nuts and dark chocolate in taste and of course much more. Quite sweet. A very long, seductive and very attractive finish. Will be lovely to follow. | Average score | 16.71 |
Last tasted | 4th March 2023 | Point this date | 16.75 |
Comment | Tasted at the Port Wine Fair in Roskilde, Denmark | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 2003 |
Colour | Black in colour. | Number of tastings | 3 |
Bouquet | Dark cherry and mulberry in the nose. Quite juicy. | ||
Taste | Full-bodied. Immature and lots of tannin. Mulberry in flavour but hard to swallow and appreciate. Sweet. Complex. Very promising and long finish. Will be great. | ||
Last tasted | 11th November 2007 | Rating this date | Very Impressive |
Comment | At the Port Wine Festival in Copenhagen, Denmark. Port so young we evaluate only as : Good – Very good- Impressive – Very Impressive | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 2007 |
Colour | Black in colour. | Number of tastings | 2 |
Bouquet | Juicy and dark berry in the nose. | ||
Taste | Full-bodied. Immature and lots of tannin. Mulberry in flavour. Loaded with fruit and hard to swallow and appreciate. Sweet. Complex. Very promising and long finish. Will be great. | ||
Last tasted | 2nd November 2009 | Rating this date | Very Impressive |
Comment | At the Port Wine Festival in Copenhagen, Denmark. Port so young we evaluate only as : Good – Very good- Impressive – Very Impressive | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 2011 |
Colour | Black in colour. | Number of tastings | 1 |
Bouquet | Juicy but mulberry and dark berry in the nose. | ||
Taste | Full-bodied. Immature and loaded with tannin. Mulberry and fruit in flavour. Hard to swallow and appreciate when so immature. Sweet. Complex. Very promising. Sweet and long finish. Will be great. | ||
Last tasted | 4th November 2013 | Rating this date | Very Impressive |
Comment | At the Port Wine Festival in Copenhagen, Denmark. Port so young we evaluate only as : Good – Very good- Impressive – Very Impressive | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 2016 |
Colour | Dark ruby almost black in colour. | Number of tastings | 1 |
Bouquet | Mulberry, blackberry, dark cherry and blue berry but also some cacao and chocolate in the nose. | ||
Taste | Full-bodied. Full of complex and elegant tannins but of course immature but balanced. Very tasty with dark berry, mulberry, cacao and some dark chocolate. A very elegant and complex port. The finish is long and very attractive and laden with seductive tannin. Will be wonderful to follow! | ||
Last tasted | 30th November 2018 | Rating this date | Very Impressive |
Comment | At the Port Wine Festival in Leverkusen, Germany. Port so young we evaluate only as : Good – Very good- Impressive – Very Impressive | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 2017 |
Colour | Dark ruby almost black in colour. | Number of tastings | 4 |
Bouquet | Loaded with dark berries such as mulberries, black berries, dark cherries and blue berries but also some cacao, roses and chocolate in the nose. | ||
Taste | Quite full-bodied. Full of complex and elegant tannins but of course immature. Balanced and very tasty with dark and red berries such as mulberry, black berries and dark cherries but also cacao, some dark chocolate and mature fruits. A very elegant and complex port. The finish is long and very attractive and laden with seductive tannin. This port is very elegant and promising but very enjoyable already today! | ||
Last tasted | 29th February 2020 | Rating this date | Very Impressive |
Comment | Tasted at the Port Wine Fair in Roskilde, Denmark. Port so young we evaluate only as : Good – Very good- Impressive – Very Impressive | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
House | Warre | Vintage | 2020 |
Colour | Almost black in colour. | Number of tastings | 1 |
Bouquet | Lots of dark berries such as mulberry, dark cherry and black berry but also mature fruit and much more in the nose. | ||
Taste | Full-bodied. Wonderful round and elegant tannins. Balanced and very tasty and complex with a long wonderful and exciting finish. What will be? Interesting to follow. | ||
Last tasted | 4th November 2022 | Rating this date | Very Impressive |
Comment | Tasted at the Port Wine Festival in Leverkusen, Germany Port so young we evaluate only as : Good – Very good- Impressive – Very Impressive | Tasters | SAI, JB |
Old Colheita/Tawny tasting notes:
House | Warre | Colheita | 1940 |
Colour | Beautiful tawny with an apple-green edge. | Number of tastings | 1 |
Bouquet | Pharmacy, hospital and some alcoholic in the nose. | Bottled | 1986 |
Taste | Medium body. Mature and even old in taste with burned candy and some alcohol. This is a tired old port but with an elegant finish. | Score range | 15.75 - 15.75 |
Last tasted | 18th September 2008 | Point this date | 15.75 |
Comment | At the Wine Society 18% tasting in Malmö. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |