Cockburns 1997 Vintage Port

Cockburns 1997 Vintage Port. Cockburn’s was established by a Scottish soldier named Robert Cockburn in 1815. The company grew in strength throughout the 19th and 20th centuries but, like many other Port firms, struggled in the challenging years after World War Two. In 1962 the business passed into corporate ownership and, most recently, in 2006 was parftly acquired by Symington Family Estates (owners of Dows, Grahams, Warres et al.). In 2010 the Symingtons acquired Cockburns outright and Cockburns 2011 is the first vintage Port released under their stewardship. Cockburns 1997 Vintage Port is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, very old mixed vines and Sousão primarily from vineyards at Quinta dos Canais and Quinta do Vale Coelho both which have been supplying grapes for Cockburns for over 100 years. Vintage Port is aged for two years in (old) wood and bottled unfiltered. It usually demands at least 10-15 years of bottle age to soften its powerful tannins and permit the robust fruit elements to marry and harmonize. Vintage port is usually considered fully mature after 30 years.