By continuing to browse this site, you consent to the use of cookies as detailed in our Privacy Policy Dismiss

1980 Wine and Port Vintage

 
Vintage Summary and Recommendations:


1980-wine-gifts

Welcome to Vintage Wine and Port's 1980 wine page. Read on for our summary of the 1980 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 1980 vintage was not a great one overall, with few hits across the wine world and even then it never quite went above being strictly average. The biggest disappointments lay in the Old World, particularly in the French regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, which saw very few great wines produced. Although some good Rhône Valley, Spanish and Port wines were made. Any of these wines would make a fabulous 45 year old wine gift for an Anniversary or birthday.


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

  • Ryst Dupeyron Armagnac 1980 Reserve Joseph Millesime vintage Armagnac
  • Bodegas Toro Albala 1980 Don PX Seleccion
  • Quinta Das Carvalhas 1980 Colheita Port – with gift tube
  • Barolo 1980 Giordano

  •  
    This Year in History: Fun Fact: Tennis player Venus Williams was born.
    Eurovision Winner: Ireland with the song "What's Another Year" by Johnny Logan
    Top Grossing Movie: Star Wars Ep. V: The Empire Strikes Back
     
    Bordeaux: The 1980 wine vintage produced wines of variable quality from Bordeaux. A very wet, cool year resulted in wines that were light and diluted. Nevertheless, some producers who operated a strict selection policy still managed to produce acceptable wines.
     
    Champagne: In Champagne, the 1980 is an exceptionally fine, rich vintage.
     
    Italian: 1980 for Italian wines was a very good year. The wines are generally quite consistent and there are some great Barolo wines from Piedmont. The wines have reached full maturity but will last for a few more years.
     
    Portugal: The 1980 Port vintage is rated as outstanding and was generally declared vintage. Over time the 1980 Ports have been hugely under-rated book-ended by the great 1977 and large abundant 1983 and 1985 vintages. This vintage is ready now but will continue to develop and keep for decades, making them the perfect wine gift for a birthday or anniversary. An unusually early spring was followed by an extremely dry growing season and sugar readings were on the low side when picking began a week or so later than normal, at the end of September.

    Shop with Confidence

    All of our premium wine gifts are available for fast, immediate delivery directly from our own cellars. With no minimum order required—buy just one bottle or as many as you like!

    • Free UK standard delivery on all orders over £100
    • Complimentary tasting notes and personalized gift messages—add yours at checkout
    • Three-month replacement guarantee for complete peace of mind
    • Choose from our exclusive range of luxury gift boxes
    • Award-winning retailer: IWC Fortified Wine Merchant of the Year (2024, 2022, 2021)
    • 5-Star Trusted Shops rating for exceptional customer satisfaction

    5 products found.

    Messias, 1980

    Quinta Cachao Vintage Port

    1980 Messias – Quinta do Cachão Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal)

    A beautifully mellow, fully mature single-quinta Vintage Port from the classic Messias lodge. The colour sits between deep garnet and tawny at the rim. The nose is evocative and layered: dried fig and date, black cherry liqueur and plum conserve, orange peel, cocoa and coffee bean, with polished old-oak tones, walnut and warm spice; a gentle eucalyptus/menthol lift adds freshness.

    Silky and harmonious on the palate. Sweet black fruits fold into caramelised nut, dark chocolate and nougat; the spirit is well-knit, acidity lively, and the once-firm tannins now velvety and resolved.
    more >>>

    Price: £99.00
    Stock: 11 in Stock

    Go to Product details

    Messias, 1980

    Colheita Port

    The 1980 Messias Colheita port is well-regarded for its balanced sweetness and complex profile, making it a great choice for those who enjoy tawny and colheita style ports.

    Tasting notes:
    Pale Tawny wine, with personalized aromatic evolution, with well defined tertiary aromas, enhancing a noble wood with vanillas, good and elegant presence of the “Vinagrinho”, noble volatile acidity, and spices, mild notes of pepper and clove with a slight nutmeg touch. At taste is powerful and fresh revealing well its age, delighting us with its long after taste.

    Serving & Food Pairing
    Colheita Ports are ready-to drink and do not require decanting.
    more >>>

    Price: £119.00
    Stock: 33 in Stock

    Go to Product details

    Quinta Das Carvalhas, 1980

    Colheita Port in Gift Tube
    95 Points - Wine Spectator

    The 1980 Quinta das Carvalhas Colheita Port is a rare and exquisite wine, offering a rich taste of history. Perfect for special occasions and celebrations, especially those that call for a vintage wine. It makes an excellent gift for anniversaries, birthdays, or as a collector's item.

    Tasting Notes
    Deep amber in colour, classic for its age. On the nose, reveals immense aromatic intensity, with notes of bitter almond, toasted nuts and raisins, beautifully complexed with hints of old oak and caramel. On the palate, the wine’s age adds a complex, slightly oxidative quality that is both unique and intriguing, yet with the intensity driven by age and the acidity that creates a long, lasting finish.
    more >>>

    Price: £129.00
    Stock: 12 in Stock

    Go to Product details

    Ramos Pinto, 1980

    Vintage Port

    A 1980 Ramos Pinto Port is also likely to be a fantastic choice. The 1980 vintage is highly regarded for port wines, and Ramos Pinto is a respected producer, so you're probably in for a treat.

    Vintage ports from 1980 often display intense flavors of dark fruits, such as blackberry, plum, and cherry, along with notes of chocolate, spices, and sometimes even a hint of tobacco. These wines typically have a velvety texture and a long, satisfying finish.

    A 1980 Ramos Pinto Port would be perfect for sipping on its own after a meal or paired with rich desserts like chocolate truffles or a flourless chocolate cake.
    more >>>

    Price: £129.00
    Stock: 4 in Stock

    Go to Product details

    Warre's Vintage Port, 1980

    Vintage Port

    An outstanding 30 year old port just reaching full maturity. Reviews: Wine Spectator, October 1988 “Excellent Port from an overlooked vintage”. Malcolm Gluck, The Guardian, 23rd December 1995 “Overwhelmingly fruity and flowing. Beautiful, round and smooth. Quite exceptional”. WINE, December 2001 93 Points “The best colour thus far with a rich peppery nose and a meaty, complex long finish. Excellent”. Michael Broadbent, Vintage Wine, Published 2002 Four Stars (Very Good) “Best wine of the evening…Still very deep; fragrant; extraordinarily dense, figgy flavour and impressive, very dry finish”.
    more >>>

    Price: £89.00
    Stock: Out of Stock

    Go to Product details