1961 Wine and Port Vintage
Vintage Summary and Recommendations: Welcome to Vintage Wine and Port's 1961 wine page. Read on for our summary of the 1961 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 1961 vintage enjoyed some extraordinary moments, particularly in France. For Bordeaux, the vintage was legendary with great wines produced in Pessac-Léognan, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Pomerol and – although less uniform – Margaux. However, as is often the case when conditions are ripe for perfect Bordeaux, the year was not so conducive for the sweet wines of Sauternes, and they tended to be more of a mixed bag. The year was also excellent for both Burgundy and Beaujolais, as well as Champagne, the Rhône and the Loire Valley. Although information is limited for Alsace, what does exist suggests it was very good. Outside of France, the vintages for both Piedmont and Tuscany were excellent and the best Barolo should still be drinking well now.
Any of these wines would make a fabulous wine gift for a 65th Anniversary or birthday.
Our Wine Expert currently recommends the following wines for this year:
This Year in History: Fun Fact: The farthing coin, used since the thirteenth century, ceases to be legal tender in the United Kingdom.
Eurovision Winner: Luxembourg with the song "Nous Les Amoureux"
Top Grossing Movie: 101 Dalmations
Bordeaux: This is one of the legendary vintages of the century. Although most of the 1961 wines are now fading slowly, the top examples continue to shine through offering concentrated, ripe fruit with amazing bouquets. The crop was tiny and there are very few examples available. Provided the bottles have been stored correctly these wines should last for another few years.
Italian: In Italy, 1961 is considered to be one of the greatest vintages of the 20th century. The wines from Piedmont (Barolo, Barbaresco and Barbera) and Tuscany (Chianti, Brunello) are outstanding. Now fully mature these wines, with careful cellaring, will still keep for many years to come.
Portugal: While not generally a declared year, the hot weather produced some concentrated ports in 1961. The harvest started in extremely hot conditions at the river quinta in early September, progressing in other areas until the end of the month making it a long, drawn out vintage. The picking required a very rigorous selection which entailed picking out the burnt and imperfect grapes from the bunches before putting them in the baskets. This led to a small harvest, making bottles from this year quite rare. Making a great wine gift for any birthday or anniversary, the 1961 ports produced are still drinking well today.
7 products found.
Kopke, 1961
Colheita Port in Gift Box
Exclusive - Just 18 bottles released (worldwide) in 2026.
` Kopke 1961 Colheita Port
One of just 18 bottles released worldwide in 2026 – entirely secured by us
The 1961 Kopke Colheita is an extraordinarily rare single-harvest Port, drawn from casks that have matured for over six decades in the lodges of one of the Douro’s most historic houses.
In 2026, just 18 bottles were selected for release worldwide. We have secured the entire allocation.
This is not simply a rare wine — it is a vanishing fragment of the Douro’s past, preserved in wood for more than half a century and now bottled at its peak. Opportunities to acquire wines of this age, provenance and scarcity — particularly from Kopke — are exceptionally limited, and rarely repeated. …
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Price: £495.00
Stock: 18 in Stock
Graham's, 1961
Single Harvest Tawny Port-
The Master, from The Cellar Masters Collection
1961 SINGLE HARVEST THE MASTER
Paying homage to three generations of Cellar Masters who shaped itsprolonged ageing, Graham's 1961 Single Harvest Tawny Port embodiesa legacy of timeless tradition and craftsmanship. Emerging in the dawnof the 1960s, an era marked by profound cultural shifts, this wine hasthrived for over six decades in the seasoned oak casks of the Graham's Lodge. Each Cellar Master has left an indelible mark on its character, imparting an extraordinary depth and balance. In this edition, Head Winemaker and Master Blender, Charles Symington, unveils the meticulously chosen cask for limited release under The Master label, an exquisite testament to the Cellar Master's Trilogy collection. …
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Price: £1,195.00
Stock: 4 in Stock
Krohn Port, 1961
Vintage Port
Library release from Krohn cellars
Vintage & Background
1961 was not a widely declared vintage in the Douro, but some houses produced outstanding Ports with longevity and elegance. Krohn, a producer long respected for both Colheitas and classic Vintage Ports, crafted a wine that has stood the test of time. This bottling, released directly from Krohn’s own cellars as a library release, offers impeccable provenance and a rare opportunity to experience a perfectly matured 1961 Port.
Appearance & Nose
The colour has evolved into deep tawny at the rim with a garnet core, showing its six decades of age. On the nose, aromas of figs, dates, and raisins emerge first, followed by notes of walnuts, cedar, dried rose petals, tobacco, and subtle spice. …
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Price: £495.00
Stock: 2 in Stock
Krohn Port, 1961
Vintage Port
Clearance Offer - High Shoulder level - Was £495 | Now £345
Vintage & Background
1961 was not a widely declared vintage in the Douro, but some houses produced outstanding Ports with longevity and elegance. Krohn, a producer long respected for both Colheitas and classic Vintage Ports, crafted a wine that has stood the test of time. This bottling, released directly from Krohn’s own cellars as a library release, offers impeccable provenance and a rare opportunity to experience a perfectly matured 1961 Port.
Appearance & Nose
The colour has evolved into deep tawny at the rim with a garnet core, showing its six decades of age. On the nose, aromas of figs, dates, and raisins emerge first, followed by notes of walnuts, cedar, dried rose petals, tobacco, and subtle spice. …
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Price: £345.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Taylor Fladgate, 1961
Colheita Single Harvest Port
Includes Taylor's oak gift box
Taylor’s has an extensive and enviable library of very old Ports and this very limited 60 year old Single Harvest Port which represents the cream of their aged reserves.
Only 3,000 bottles of this phenomenal Port have been released. Nestled in a beautifully illustrated box, we think this limited-edition Port is the ultimate 60th anniversary gift. Or, with its fabulously festive flavour profile, it may well be the perfect Christmas Port.
The cool Taylor’s Cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia are home to one of the most extensive collections of very old Port casks anywhere in the world. Tucked away are a selection of Single Harvest Ports with an immense capacity to age and develop. …
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Price: £425.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Taylor Fladgate, 1961
Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port
UK Bottled by Dolamore
Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port 1961
The 1961 vintage is highly regarded in the Douro, producing Vintage Ports of great balance, elegance and longevity. Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas 1961 stands as a superb single-quinta expression from one of the Douro’s most historic vineyards.
In the glass, it shows a deep amber-tawny core with mahogany and olive highlights, reflecting its long bottle ageing. The bouquet is refined and complex, offering aromas of dried cherry, fig and raisin, layered with notes of orange peel, polished wood, spice, and subtle hints of tobacco and cocoa.
On the palate, the wine is beautifully harmonious, with integrated sweetness, gentle tannins and a fresh, lifted acidity. …
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Price: £695.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Dow's, 1961
Late Bottled Vintage Port High Shoulder level
Dow’s 1961 Late Bottled Vintage Port (Bottled 1965)
Vintage & Style Background
Harvested in 1961 and bottled in 1965 after four years in cask, this LBV represents the traditional style of Late Bottled Vintage Port. Unlike modern filtered LBVs designed for early drinking, these mid-20th century examples were often unfiltered, retaining the depth and structure of a declared Vintage Port. Dow’s, known for its firm, dry-edged house style, produced a Port of real character in this lesser-known but fascinating vintage.
Appearance & Nose
After decades in bottle, the wine now shows a tawny-garnet colour with amber highlights. …
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Price: £375.00
Stock: Out of Stock