For each Colheita release from Kopke, you can expect a fairly equal blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Barroca—four of the Douro’s famous indigenous grapes. These vines cling to the valley’s slopes, up to 600 meters, and live in a mineral dream of schist, sandstone, and granite. Fermentation takes place in traditional open-top granite vessels called lagares and is then halted after adding grape brandy, which boosts alcohol and leaves behind a goodly amount of residual sugar (generally 120-150 g/l). Then, the grapes are blended and transferred into oak casks for no less than seven years. However, Kopke is renowned for continuing to age a small portion of each declared vintage in barrel for many decades: Every colheita on offer today was bottled within the last four years!

If aging further, please store your bottles in a cool, dry, temperature-stable environment. Otherwise, pour gently into all-purpose stems or a specialty Port glass and savor it as slowly as possible. While these have the ability to last months after opening, I suggest consuming within the first two weeks for the best experience. Enjoy these rare treasures!