1940 Wine and Port Vintage
1940 was a very good year for Bordeaux, but wines are in very short supply.
The French, took great care of their vines during the wartime era; the damage in general was substantially less than during the war of 1914-18 and was extensive only in Alsace, around Colmar. The town of Chablis was badly hit in 1940, but the vines escaped injury. a few chais(wine-making plants) and cellars in Bordeaux were wrecked by Allied bombings; the village of Comblanchien on the Côte d'Or was burned to the ground by the Germans in 1944.
Furthermore, France was exceedingly fortunate in the matter of weather during the war. Never, certainly, in the last half century have the French vineyard districts known a comparable succession of dry summers or a higher average of good or creditable vintage years.
Lastly, of course, the French did an extraordinary job of hiding and protecting their stocks, walling up portions of their cellars, burying their more precious bottles, bilking, cheating, duping, and deceiving the Germans on every possible occasion and in every possible way
Bordeaux: Most of France was hit hard by the German Occupation from 1940 to 1944, but down in Bordeaux the wine business thrived. 1940 was a classic year that marked the end of a poor run of vintages during the late 1930s. Some of the best wines of the century originated from the war years. The long hot summer of 1940 produced well-rounded wines that have withstood the test of time.
Portugal: In Portugal, the Tawny (Colheita) Ports that were produced are drinking well. 1940 ports produced a small crop.
This Year in History: Fun Fact: Woody Woodpecker makes his debut in the animated short, Knock Knock. It is not until 1941 that his current name is adopted.
Born in this Year: Ringo Starr, Drummer, musician, actor, and singer who was a member of the English rock band The Beatles until their breakup in April 1970. He wrote "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden."
Top Grossing Movie: Pinocchio
Buy with confidence
All of our wine gifts are available for immediate delivery from our own cellars. Your gift is backed up by our 5-star Trusted shops customer service rating.- Free standard UK delivery for orders over £100
- Free tasting notes and personal message (add at the checkout)
- Three month replacement guarantee
- Choice of Gift Boxes
- Winner 2022, 2021 and 2019 IWC UK Fortified Wine Merchant of the Year
- Winner Decanter 2022 and 2020 Fortified and Sweet WIne Retailer of the Year
- 5 Star Trusted Shops Rating
8 products found.
Palmer Port, 1940
White Port, Douro
50cl Bottle
1940 Colheita Port - 50cl Bottle. Exclusive to VWP.
The grapes for this wine were being harvested when Europe was at war and the Battle of Britain was raging in the English skies. This beautiful rare port-wine has been stored in seasoned oak casks since the 1940 harvest until it was bottled this year.
Tasting Notes: A deep, dense light oak colour and, as befits its age, a light emerald halo on the rim. Powerful, racy nose with very complex aromas of spices, an ethereal peaty quality like a single malt. Notes of almond, walnut with a citrus zest. Clean acidity on the palate in balance with a harmonious sweetness. …
more >>>
Price: $506.47 USD
Stock: 14 in Stock
Kopke, 1940
Colheita Port, Douro, Limited Edition (Night)
In Limited Edition Presentation Box
97/100- Wine Enthusiast
1940 Kopke Single Harvest Tawny Port
The year is 1940, we are in the Douro valley,in the ancient Quinta de São Luiz. 1940 was a difficult year, but the quality of the berries suggested a long life for the wines of this harvest.Over the next decades and generations,there were many opportunities and sustained pressure to launch this nectar onto the market. The world changed and societies evolved. Despite all this, this wine was kept for 80 long years in a cellar that resisted time. But all good things come to those who wait. That patience, together with the terroir and the mastery of ageing wines in wood has transformed this wine into a unique experience. …
more >>>
Price: $960.38 USD
Stock: 4 in Stock
Kopke, 1940
Colheita White Port, DOC Douro. Limited Edition (Day)
In Limited Edition Presentation Box
95/100, Wine Enthusiast
Limited Edition | Only 200 produced.
VINIFICATION AND AGEING
Hand-picked at the optimum time, the grapes are then destemmed, crushed and converted into wine through a process of careful skin maceration and constant churning during fermentation aimed at producing white wines full of colour and structure, with enough phenolic compounds to support a long ageing in wood. This fermentation takes place in vats (lagares) until the right degree of sweetness (baumé) is achieved. At this point, grape brandy is added to create the final fortified wine. A wine of high quality, made from one single harvest. …
more >>>
Price: $1,147.58 USD
Stock: 4 in Stock
Chateau La Tour Blanche, 1940
Sauternes
Sweet White Wine
Price: $634.69 USD
Stock: 2 in Stock
Chateau La Tour Blanche, 1940
Sauternes
Label damaged and stained
Sweet White Wine
Price: $506.47 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Graham's Port, 1940
Single Harvest Tawny Port, DOC Douro
Graham's, the port company owned by the Symington family, has announced the release of a Single Harvest Port from 1940. The launch of the “extremely rare” Graham's 1940 Single Harvest pays tribute to three generations of master blenders, who have tended to the wine over eight decades.
This wine pays tribute to three generations of Master Blenders who contributed to its prolonged ageing in the cellars. Across eight decades, generations of Master Blenders have left their mark on this extraordinary 1940 Single Harvest Tawny Port.
As the first grapes of the 1940 vintage were being picked in the peaceful Douro Valley in late September, …
more >>>
Price: $2,147.70 USD
Stock: 2 in Stock
Madeira, 1940
Justino's - Sercial
Founded in 1870, Justino’s is one Madeira’s oldest producers. This mature 1940 Sercial madeira wine is made from the noble sercial variety with grapes sourced from all over the island. The wine is fortified with neutral distilled grape spirit and aged in wood where it’s gently heated in a process known as estufagem to create the signature style.
This 1940 vintage Sercial Madeira resembles a Tawny Port in colour, yet the nose has pronounced citrus aromas, and as the wine ages the aromatic profile becomes similar to old dry Rieslings. The palate is dry, starts with lemons and oranges and develops nutty flavours with maturity. …
more >>>
Price: $506.47 USD
Stock: 24 in Stock
Niepoort Port, 1940
Garrafeira Port, DOC Douro
A very rare bottle of 1940 Niepoort Garrafeira Port Bottled 1945 - Decanted 1970.
Stored undergound at constant temperature for several decades in a private cellar.
A unique masterpiece from Niepoort.
Currently, Niepoort is the only Port house which produces Garrafeira-style Ports.
The second generation of the Niepoort family, in the late 19th century, had the fortunate idea of buying from a german glass factory in Oldenburg about 4000 glass balloons (in the form of old apothecary bottles) of dark-green glass with varying capacities from 8 to 11 litres. Eduard Marius van der Niepoort, Dirk’s grandfather, gave purpose to the demijohns by bottling the best wines of the 1931 harvest, thus creating the type “Garrafeira Niepoort”. …
more >>>
Price: $1,442.49 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock