Messias, 1968 Colheita Port
Colheita Port, Douro
96 Points- Wine Advocate (MS)
Bottle size: 75cl
ABV: 20%
Price:
$422.34 USD
Description
Ports from older vintages like the 1968 Messias Colheita are considered rare and highly collectible. They are sought after by Port enthusiasts and collectors for their rarity, quality, and historical significance.The extended aging process that colheita ports undergo allows the wines to develop a complex bouquet and a smooth, mellow character.
Tasting notes
This 1968 Colheita Port wine is a cask-aged single vintage, with a medium brown colour and amber rim. It has a clean, developed nose with notes of toffee, caramel, vanilla, hazelnuts, figs, and sweet baking spices. The palate is smooth, with medium acidity, tannins, and pronounced flavour intensity. The alcohol is reported as 20% but seems lower indicating freshness. This port is an absolutely sublime experience and is expected to last for several more years.
Serving & Food Pairing
Colheita Ports are ready-to drink and do not require decanting. Best enjoyed slightly chilled at 12-13ºC they will work wonders if pairing with treacle tart, crème brulee or nut based desserts, like hazelnut praline. Once opened colheita Port should be stored in a fridge and should be consumed within 3 months.
Messias a renowned Portuguese wine producer, has a history dating back to 1926. Located in the Douro Valley, it is known for its high-quality Port wines and a range of still wines from various regions. The company produces traditional Portuguese grape varieties and aged them in oak barrels. It also produces still wines from regions like Douro, Dão, and Bairrada. With several quintas, Messias is family-owned and committed to quality and tradition, showcasing Portugal's diverse wine regions.
Learn more about Messias
Colheita Port Storage
Colheita Port should be stored in a cool and dry place, sheltered from light and temperature fluctuations, and the bottle should remain in an upright position. If stored correctly, Colheita Ports will keep for decades in the bottle. Over time, it is natural that a little sediment will form at the bottom of a bottle of Colheita Port wine.
Learn more about Colheita Port
Condition
Excellent - Bottled in 2014
Reviews
96 Points - Wine Advocate (Mark Squires)
The 1968 Colheita Tawny Port was bottled in 2019 with a long cork. It is a field blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cão coming in with 144 grams per liter of residual sugar. The last in our subset of 1960s-era Colheitas in this report's vertical, this is deep and dark, laced with dark chocolate and caramel. Its mid-palate is elegant, but the fruit seems very concentrated and full of flavor, leaning to bitter chocolate by the time it is done. It's a classic Tawny with a big finish that is hard to forget. The firmness and full-bodied feel on the finish are superb. Its brightness and acidity serve it well, too, making this lively and not just concentrated. By comparison, the 1967 seems even darker, with even more dark chocolate, but this has more lifted fruit and a fresher feel. They are both excellent in their own styles. Pick 'em, but I personally had a mild preference for this better balanced 1968, even though the 1967 and 1965 were often more striking. It's fair to say that the 1960s Colheitas have performed extremely well this report as a group. Reasonable minds might differ.
95- Points Cellar Tracker Review by TannicBeast.
Pretty amazing, especially considering it is a 50-year old wine. Bottom of the neck fill and some serious moisture through 4/5 of the cork. This is essentially a cask aged single vintage Tawny Port. Medium brown with an amber rim and cloudy, it definitely would benefit from a decant. The nose is clean and developed, with toffee, caramel, vanilla, hazelnuts, figs, and sweet baking spices. The palate is consistent with the nose and extremely smooth, with medium acidity, medium tannins, medium (+) to pronounced flavor intensity and a very long finish. The alcohol is reported as 20% but seems much lower. Overall, this is a sublime experience by itself, with an aged cheese or Marcona almonds. No reason to think that it would not last for several more years.