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1973 Wine and Port Vintage

Vintage Summary and Recommendations:

1973 Wine and Port

A short summary of the 1973 Vintage with our top recommendations

Welcome to Vintage Wine and Port's 1973 wine page. Read on for our summary of the 1973 vintage, our top recommendations and region reports. Scroll down to see all of our wines currently available. If you cannot find what you are looking for please call us on 01425 837177 or Contact Us. We would love to help you with your wine choice!

The 1973 vintage was generally considered better than the preceding 1972 vintage, but it still wasn't a standout year for Port or wine production in Europe. In Portugal's Douro Valley, the 1973 vintage was not widely declared by Port houses. Some Port houses did produce and release 1973 vintage Ports, but they are generally considered to be of moderate quality as they tend to lack the richness and depth of better vintages. These wines would make a fabulous 52 year old wine gift for an Anniversary or birthday.


Our Wine Expert currently recommends the following wines for this year:

  • Quinta da Devesa 1973 Finest Reserve White port in presentation box
  • Ryst Dupeyron Armagnac
  • Bodegas Toro Albala 1973 Don PX Montilla Moriles, sweet wine, Spain
  • DOliveiras Madeira 1973 Verdelho


  •  
    This Year in History: Television sitcom Last of the Summer Wine begins its first series run on BBC One.The Eurovision Winner was Luxembourg with the song "Tu Te Reconnaitras" by Anne-Marie David. Tom Kerridge, Chef, was born in this year and features on the reality culinary programs MasterChef, Saturday Kitchen, and Great British Menu.
    Top Grossing Movie: The Exorcist
     
    Bordeaux: Bordeaux 1973 wines are the product of a cold, wet summer, which was made worse by a rain in late August which bloated the grapes just before harvest. When released they were light, early drinking wines and time has not improved them! If you’re seeking a gift to celebrate a birthday or anniversary, we would recommend a bottle of colheita Port or a 1973 Montilla Moriles.

    The 1973 wine vintage produced an enormous crop of easy drinking wines full of succulent fruit. The best examples from vineyards that adopted good selection are still drinking well today, although wines from Pauillac and Graves stand out. The weather was dry and warm throughout most of spring, providing good conditions for flowering. Heavy rain fell during much of July, but the month that followed was hot and dry. September began fine, but wet conditions returned from the middle of the month onwards.
     
    Italian: Only a small crop of 1973 wine was produced in Italy and the wines are now very rare. The growing season was held back by inclement weather in the main Italian wine regions of Piedmont and Tuscany. Tuscany produced a small crop of Brunello and Chianti, generally characterised as having good colour, high acidity and some dryness. The best of the vintage originates from the more southerly regions.
     
    Portugal: 1973 was not declared and very little Port exists from this year. A wet winter followed by an inconsistent summer led to a small crop. In 1973 there was a lack of quality spirit to fortify the grapes resulting in very little Port being made. Remarkably, we discovered a cask of 1973 white colheita Port at Devesa and persuaded them to bottle it exclusively for us.

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    61 products found.

    Frecciarossa, 1973

    G. Odero

    The Frecciarossa estate sits above the small town of Casteggio, in the hills of Oltrepò Pavese, at the same latitude as Piemonte, Burgundy and Bordeaux. Like these other famous regions, Oltrepo Pavese has been a wine growing area since the days of Ancient Rome. Its particular combination of soil (clay and lime), wine-making tradition and local climate account for Frecciarossa's unique terroir.
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    Price: $88.30 USD
    Stock: 2 in Stock

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    Freisa, 1973

    Giacomo Borgogno
    Half Price Clearance Offer | Was £79 | Now £39.50

    Freisa is an indigenous Italian red wine grape variety grown in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy, primarily in the Monferrato and Langhe areas, but also further north in the provinces of Turin and Biella. Freisa is a vigorous and productive grape vine with round, blue-black berries and with bunches growing in an elongated shape.
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    Price: $50.55 USD
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Gattinara, 1973

    F.lli Francoli
    Clearance Offer | Was £119 | Now £79

    Gattinara is a red Italian wine produced from Nebbiolo grapes grown within the boundaries of the commune of Gattinara which is located in the hills in the north of the province of Vercelli, northwest of Novara in the Piedmont region. The wine is made from a minimum of 90% Nebbiolo grapes and is renowned for its longevity. Notes: a meaty, chunky wine with a subtle, clean nose. Hints of tar and bark, with undertones of cherries and rose petals. Light tannins.
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    Price: $101.09 USD
    Stock: 2 in Stock

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    Grignolino, 1973

    Marchesi Villadoria

    The Grignolino wines have a light ruby red color, tending to orange with aging. Have a characteristic odor and delicate in the mouth are dry, slightly tannic, bitter pleasant, with a characteristic aftertaste.
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    Price: $126.69 USD
    Stock: 4 in Stock

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    Grignolino, 1973

    Bruzzone *** RARE BIG BOTTLE 3,75 Liter ***

    The Grignolino wine have a light ruby red color, tending to orange with aging. Have a characteristic odor and delicate in the mouth are dry, slightly tannic, bitter pleasant, with a characteristic aftertaste.
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    Price: $421.01 USD
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Grignolino, 1973

    Mascarello Natale fu Maurizio
    Special Offer Was £119 | Now £35

    The Grignolino wines have a light ruby red color, tending to orange with aging. Have a characteristic odor and delicate in the mouth are dry, slightly tannic, bitter pleasant, with a characteristic aftertaste.

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    Price: $44.79 USD
    Stock: 7 in Stock

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    Grignolino, 1973

    Castello di Gabiano

    The Grignolino wine have a light ruby red color, tending to orange with aging. Have a characteristic odor and delicate in the mouth are dry, slightly tannic, bitter pleasant, with a characteristic aftertaste.
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    Price: $95.97 USD
    Stock: 3 in Stock

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    Grumello, 1973

    Pellizzati
    Clearance Offer | Was £89 | Now £30

    Grumello is one of five viticultural sub-zones specifically identified as producing Valtellina wines of particularly high quality: the other four are Inferno, Sassella, Maroggia and Valgella.

    Grumello is a sub-zone under Valtellina Superiore DOCG, and the vineyards are named after a castle from the 1300s, that is located between the cities of Sondrio and Montagna in the Valtellina valley. Grumello is not a village but an area immediately east of Sondrio, and covers the slopes immediately above the town.

    The wines from this area are typically made from the Nebbiolo grape (locally known as Chiavennasca).
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    Price: $38.39 USD
    Stock: 11 in Stock

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    Inferno, 1973

    Cantina Coop. Villa
    Clearance Offer | Was £89 | Now £40

    Inferno is one of five viticultural sub-zones specifically identified as producing Valtellina wines of particularly high quality: the other four are Grumello, Sassella, Maroggia and Valgella. Inferno means 'hell' in Italian, and refers to the slopes between Sondrio town and the village of Tresivio. Although DOC laws do not explain the origins of this name, it has been suggested that in summer the slopes here get noticeably hotter than the rest of the valley. Just across Sondrio to the west is Sassella, the finest of the Valtellina sub-zones.
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    Price: $51.19 USD
    Stock: 4 in Stock

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    Lessona, 1973

    Sella - Tenuta Sebastiano allo Zoppo

    Lessona is a red wine-specific DOC of the Piedmont wine region in north-western Italy. It is one of several Piedmontese wines to be based on the region's native Nebbiolo grape variety, the most famous of which are Barolo and Barbaresco
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    Price: $113.89 USD
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Merlot, 1973

    Conte d'Artimis

    Merlot can also produce a delightful and intriguing pure varietal wine. While Merlot has a long history of use as a blending wine, pure Merlot wines have been relatively slow in gaining momentum in Italy. That too has changed and today some of the world’s best Merlot wines bear Italian labels.
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    Price: $75.50 USD
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Mombrione, 1973

    Cavazzana

    Very forward nose of leather and cherries, liquorice wild strawberries, ripe plums and pencil .The palate is very nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.
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    Price: $88.30 USD
    Stock: 3 in Stock

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    Montepulciano, 1973

    d'Abruzzo, Casal Chaulero Consorzio Aprufino

    Montepulciano is a red wine grape variety grown widely in central Italy, most notably its eastern Abruzzo, Marche and Molise regions. The variety was named after the Tuscan parish of Montepulciano, but, confusingly, is not used in the famous wines produced there (see Vino Nobile di Montepulciano). Globally appreciated for their soft flavors, strong color and gentle tannins, Montepulciano wines are typically best consumed in their youth and with food. The deep-purple juice of Montepulciano grapes is used in varying proportions to produce wines under roughly 50 of Italy's DOC and DOCG titles. Although sometimes used on its own,
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    Price: $152.28 USD
    Stock: 9 in Stock

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    Nebbiolo, 1973

    Giacomo Borgogno

    The Nebbiolo has a lovely earthy bouquet. The nose has cherries, dark cherries, tar and slight dried rose notes. Complex and layered. Nice acidity. Medium tannins still present. Cherries on the palate too. Nice finish. Great food wine. Nebbiolo is a fickle grape famed as much for its pale appearance as for its tannic character and produces some of the most perfumed and richly flavored wines. Though generally only medium-bodied, the wines possess rose and anise scented aromatics and deep flavors of cherry, orange peel and subtle green herb tones.
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    Price: $126.69 USD
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Nebbiolo, 1973

    Marchesi di Barolo

    The Nebbiolo has a lovely earthy bouquet. The nose has cherries, dark cherries, tar and slight dried rose notes. Complex and layered. Nice acidity. Medium tannins still present. Cherries on the palate too. Nice finish. Great food wine. Nebbiolo is a fickle grape famed as much for its pale appearance as for its tannic character and produces some of the most perfumed and richly flavored wines. Though generally only medium-bodied, the wines possess rose and anise scented aromatics and deep flavors of cherry, orange peel and subtle green herb tones.
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    Price: $126.69 USD
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Pinot Nero, 1973

    Anton Lindner
    Special Offer | Was £69 | Now £39

    Very forward nose of leather and cherries, liquorice wild strawberries, ripe plums and pencil .The palate is very nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.

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    Price: $49.91 USD
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Recioto, 1973

    Grasso- Recioto

    "Recioto," as in "Recioto della Valpolicella," refers to a dessert wine made from grapes that were dried on mats after picking. This process turns the grapes closer to raisins, concentrating the flavors. The wines are lovely and taste how you'd expect raisins-turned-wine to taste, rich and sweet.
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    Price: $126.69 USD
    Stock: 7 in Stock

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    Rosso, 1973

    Incrocio - Manzoni - La Favorita

    Very forward nose of leather and cherries, liquorice wild strawberries, ripe plums and pencil .The palate is very nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.
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    Price: $88.30 USD
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Rosso, 1973

    Colli Berici, Conti

    Very forward nose of leather and cherries, liquorice wild strawberries, ripe plums and pencil .The palate is very nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.
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    Price: $75.50 USD
    Stock: 2 in Stock

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    Rosso del Salento, 1973

    Giuseppe Calò

    Very forward nose of leather and cherries, liquorice wild strawberries, ripe plums and pencil .The palate is very nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.
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    Price: $88.30 USD
    Stock: 2 in Stock

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    Rosso Piceno, 1973

    Sciarra
    Clearance Offer - Last Few | Was £89 | Now £37

    Rosso Piceno is the largest DOC of the Marches region located in central Italy. It includes most of the hilly territory ideally suited to viticulture in the provinces of Ancona, Macerata and a limited area in Ascoli Piceno, but excludes the smaller zones of Rosso Conero and Lacrima di Morro d’Alba. The vineyards are situated on the upper hills at an altitude of up to 2296ft (700m). The wine must be made from a minimum 60% Sangiovese, balanced by smaller portions of Montepulciano.
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    Price: $47.35 USD
    Stock: 2 in Stock

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    Sassella, 1973

    A. Pelizzatti
    Clearance Offer - Last Few | Was £79 | Now £30

    Valtellina Superiore Sassella wines are made under the Valtellina Superiore DOCG, specifically from grapes grown in the village of Sassella. Sassella is one of five viticultural sub-zones specifically identified as producing Valtellina wines of particularly high quality: the other four are Grumello, Inferno, Maroggia and Valgella. Sassella is considered to be the finest of these, and the pinnacle of the Valtellina viticultural zone.
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    Price: $38.39 USD
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Sforzato, 1973

    Villa Bianzone

    This is the most representative and prestigious wine of the entire Valtellina region. It can be produced in all valleys (from Ardenno to Tirano), but only in hilly, well exposed vineyards having with loose soil and gravel. This wine is obtained from hand-made selection of the best bunches of Nebbiolo-Chiavennasca grapes, which are dried on wooden racks in a well ventilated and dry room, a "Fruttaio", for at least 110 days until late January. During this winter time the climate of the Valtellina region does all the work, drying the grapes. By late January the grapes have lost about 40% of their weight, the berries are dry and their concentrated juice has developed specific and very intense aromatic substances.
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    Price: $177.87 USD
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Sfursat, 1973

    Nino Negri

    The Sfursat di Valtellina wine is a dry red “Passito” style wine and is made by making wine with dried grapes. The best bunches of Chiavennasca are selected and laid out on specially made mats in aerated purpose-built cellars to dry (similar to the process in Valpolicella for Amarone). The “breva” wind which blows through this region has historically assisted the production of the Sfursat wines. The grapes spend about 3 and a half months drying like this and towards the end of January (once the main winery tasks for the other wines are all finished) the grapes will have lost about 40% of their own weight, the sugars will have concentrated and the signature passito aroma will be present.
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    Price: $165.08 USD
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Sgreben, 1973

    Vinicola Sociale Aldeno


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    Price: $101.09 USD
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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