Kopke’s Library Collection
Kopke, who lay claim to being the world’s oldest port house, has launched The Library Collection, a trio of bottlings from 400 litre barrels set aside around the beginning of the 20th century. There are just 385 sets available containing a 50 cl bottle each of a Very Very Old Tawny, a Vermouth and a Quinine, the latter two clearly based on Port. Being something of a purist, I am not normally a fan of wines that have been adulterated with extraneous flavours but these wines are beautifully integrated and absolutely unique. The Library Collection, presented in a beautiful leather-bound box, will be available to buy for around £3,000. The wines were bottled in 2024 and launched at a tasting and dinner in London on 7th March 2024 and my notes (presented in the order the wines were tasted) read as follows:
Kopke Very Very Old Tawny Port *****
Records show this to be a blend of wines from 1937 back to 1890: deep tawny-mahogany with a green rim; glorious, quintessentially tawny aromas - rich, concentrated and sublime with just a hint of earth and tobocco; wonderful textural richness on the palate, dried figs, medicinal sweetness (167 g/l residual sugar), but not cloying and a long mellifluous finish. Seamless from start to finish. 19.5
Kopke Vermouth *****
Very similar in colour to the Port (above); fragrant citrus on the nose along with vanilla, herbs and a touch of wet earth, light and floral but all on a base of old tawny Port; lemon and orange peel on the palate with rich medicinal sweetness (215g/l residual sugar), just a touch cloying mid palate but totally redeemed by a fresh bitter-sweet finish. Wonderful integration of flavours – this is unlike anything I have tasted before. 19
Kopke Quinine *****
Porto Quinado used to find a ready market in Brazil and the Portugal’s African colonies. This wine based on old tawny Port has a very similar colour to the VVOP, perhaps slightly darker, with aromas of old leather, vanilla and a reassuring touch of autumn bonfire emerging; more astringent on the palate with exotic, bitter-sweet flavours (more bitter than sweet mid-palate despite 200g/l residual sugar), glorious texture and a long astringent, quinado finish. All the aromas and flavours are beautifully and perfectly integrated. Again, this is unique. 19.5
