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1966 Wine and Port Vintage

Vintage Summary and Recommendations: Welcome to Vintage Wine and Port’s 1966 wine page. Read on for our summary of the vintage, our top recommendations and region reports, or scroll down to explore all available wines.

The 1966 vintage is widely regarded as one of the standout years of the twentieth century, delivering exceptional quality across several key regions. In Bordeaux, the vintage produced structured and long-lived wines that have now developed into beautifully mature clarets with depth and complexity. In Italy, the best wines from regions such as Piedmont show classic, evolved character, while in Portugal the year is considered outstanding for Port, with most major houses declaring the vintage.

In key regions such as Portugal and Bordeaux, well-stored wines from 1966 are now at a superb stage of maturity. Vintage Ports from this year are particularly sought after, offering richness, balance and remarkable longevity, making them an outstanding choice for a 60th anniversary or birthday gift.



1966 wine gifts
Our Recommended Wines from 1966
Scroll down to explore our full selection. If you would like personal advice, please call us on 01425 837177 or contact us.

Top Recommendation: Kopke 1966 Colheita Port
A superbly aged single harvest tawny Port from one of the oldest Port houses, offering exceptional depth, balance and complexity. Fully matured in cask and bottled ready to enjoy, this is a standout choice for a 60th anniversary gift.

Best Value: Rivesaltes 1966
A wonderfully mature fortified wine offering excellent value for a 60-year-old vintage. Long ageing has created rich notes of dried fruits, caramel and spice, making it a delicious and accessible alternative to Port.

Vintage Port Choice: Messias Cachão 1966 Vintage Port
A rare and prestigious Vintage Port from Messias’ flagship Cachão vineyard, offering impressive concentration, structure and depth. Now fully mature, it delivers complex flavours of dark fruit, spice and cedar, making it a superb choice for collectors and special occasions.

Classic Italian Choice: Barbaresco Giordano 1966
A mature Barbaresco showing classic Nebbiolo character, with developed notes of dried cherry, leather, herbs and earthy spice. Now fully evolved, it offers elegance, savoury complexity and a beautifully refined drinking experience at over 50 years of age.

Fine & Rare Selection: Château d’Yquem 1966 Sauternes
A legendary sweet wine from one of Bordeaux’s most iconic estates, offering extraordinary complexity, honeyed richness and remarkable longevity.


 
This Year in History: Fun Fact: The Beatles play their last conventional live concert in Britain, at the Empire Pool (Wembley) on the bill alongside The Rolling Stones and The Who.
Eurovision Winner: Austria with the song "Merci Cherie" by Udo Jurgens
Top Grossing Movie: The Bible
 
France: 1966 was a very good vintage in Bordeaux, producing structured wines that have matured into elegant and long-lived examples.
Read full Bordeaux vintage report

The 1966 vintage in Bordeaux was initially characterised by firm tannins and relatively high acidity, giving the wines a structured and somewhat austere profile in their youth. Over time, however, these elements have softened and integrated, allowing the wines to evolve into more approachable and harmonious expressions.

Today, many 1966 Bordeaux wines display classic mature characteristics, including notes of cedar, tobacco, leather and gentle dark fruit, with softened tannins and balanced acidity. The vintage is particularly noted for its longevity, with well-stored examples continuing to offer a refined and enjoyable drinking experience.

The best wines from leading châteaux — such as Latour and Palmer — remain in excellent condition and are still drinking at or near their peak, with the structure to continue evolving for years to come. Other well-kept Bordeaux from the vintage can also provide very good drinking, offering a traditional and elegant style of mature claret.

In Sauternes, 1966 also produced some excellent wines, with favourable conditions allowing for good ripeness and concentration. At full maturity, these wines show rich, honeyed notes alongside dried apricot, marmalade and spice, balanced by freshness that keeps them lively and complex even after many decades.

Overall, 1966 is regarded as a reliable and rewarding Bordeaux vintage, where quality and provenance remain key to selecting bottles that are drinking well today.


 
Italian: 1966 was a good vintage for Italy, particularly in regions such as Piedmont and Tuscany, where the best wines have matured into elegant and characterful examples.
Read full Italy vintage report

The 1966 vintage in Italy produced some very successful wines, especially in northern and central regions. In Piedmont, conditions were favourable for Nebbiolo, resulting in structured wines with the balance and acidity needed for long-term ageing. These wines have now evolved into classic mature examples, showing developed notes of dried cherry, leather, tar and earthy spice, with softened tannins and a refined, savoury profile.

In Tuscany, the vintage also performed well, with traditional Sangiovese-based wines developing into elegant and fully mature styles. While not as powerful as the greatest vintages, the best examples offer charm and balance, with flavours of dried red fruits, herbs and subtle spice.

At over 50 years of age, the finest Italian wines from 1966 are best appreciated for their tertiary complexity and finesse rather than fruit intensity. Wines such as Barolo and Brunello from respected producers can still be drinking well today, offering a distinctive and rewarding experience for those who enjoy fully mature wines.

Overall, 1966 is considered a reliable and enjoyable Italian vintage, where careful selection and good provenance are key to finding bottles that continue to show well.


 
Portugal: 1966 is widely regarded as one of the finest post-war vintages in Portugal, producing exceptional Vintage Ports of great longevity and balance.
Read full Portugal vintage report

The 1966 vintage in Portugal is considered outstanding, with most of the major Port houses declaring the year. Although it was long overshadowed by the legendary 1963 vintage, it is now widely recognised as one of the very best post-war years for Vintage Port.

The wines from 1966 are characterised by their structure, balance and remarkable longevity. In their youth they showed firm tannins and concentration, but with extended ageing they have developed into beautifully integrated and complex wines. Today, the best examples display rich flavours of dark fruits, spice, chocolate and dried fig, alongside refined notes of leather and cedar.

One of the defining features of the 1966 vintage is its ability to age gracefully over many decades. Well-stored bottles remain in excellent condition and continue to offer depth, balance and freshness, with many expected to outlast their 1963 counterparts and evolve further in the years ahead.

Overall, 1966 stands as a benchmark Vintage Port year, producing wines of exceptional quality that make an outstanding and meaningful choice for a 60th anniversary or birthday gift.

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54 products found.

Burmester

60 Years of Port Collection
A 40 Year Old Tawny and a 20 Year Old Tawny
Presented in our Double Wooden Gift Box

A wonderful gift to celebrate a 60th anniversary. This double gift box contains two 75cl bottles of Rich Tawny Port.

Burmester blends its magnificent Tawny Ports from its extensive reserves of old cask aged Ports matured in the firm’s cool and tranquil cellars, (known as ‘lodges’) in Oporto on Portugal’s Atlantic coast.

Burmester 40 Year Old Tawny:
*** Gold Medal at the 2015 International Wine Challenge ***
Bright tawny colour, with greenish nuances. Presents a bouquet with intense aromas of dried fruits, delicate spices notes and a sweet touch of honey. In the taste it is full, unctuous and velvety.
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Price: £169.00
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Kopke, 1966

Colheita Port in Presentation Box
🏅 Decanter 2025 Gold Award Winner
£245 Now £209 Save £36

Decanter Review for the 1966 Kopke Colheita Port
Gloriously rich and savoury, with rich dried fig and apricot aromas, and the weight and texture of wood ageing. Dates, caramel, leather and thyme on a steely palate with brazil nut hints and roasted spices.

With amber colour and greenish hints. Refined and elegant, reveals richness in the aromatic diversity with noted of nuts, cocoa and wood splashed by a subtle vinegar denoting a great style.Full-bodied, round and concentrated mouth. The quince jam and vanilla flavours are blended with the dried fruit and the candied orange peel. Ends long and with an irresistible freshness.
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Price: £209.00
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Barbaresco, 1966

G. Troglia - RARE FORMAT of 2,1 Liters

The 1966 Barbaresco from G. Troglia, presented in an exceptionally rare 2.1-liter format, is a remarkable collector’s piece from one of Piedmont’s most historic wine regions. Barbaresco, crafted from the noble Nebbiolo grape, is famed for its elegance, aromatic complexity, and ageing potential—and in a vintage like 1966, considered classic for the area, these qualities are elevated to an extraordinary level. The large-format bottling adds further intrigue, as wines age more slowly and gracefully in bigger bottles, preserving freshness and complexity over decades.

In the glass, this mature Barbaresco shows a brick-garnet core with an orange-brown rim, a hallmark of fully developed Nebbiolo.
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Price: £389.00
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Bordeaux, 1966

Maison Paul Dubois

Bordeaux DOC 1966 Maison Paul Dubois is a historic red wine from Bordeaux, France, produced by the traditional house Maison Paul Dubois. This bottling represents a classic mid-1960s Bordeaux blend, crafted in a traditional style for long-term aging and gradual development of tertiary complexity.

Tasting Notes:
Deep garnet-brick color with amber highlights. Aromas of dried blackcurrant, plum, cedar, leather, tobacco, and subtle earthy spice.
Medium- to full-bodied palate with softened tannins, balanced acidity, and elegant mature structure. Long finish with notes of dried fruit, forest floor, and gentle balsamic undertones.
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Price: £129.00
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Bordeaux, 1966

De Vial

Bordeaux DOC 1966 De Vial is a historic red wine from Bordeaux, France, produced by the traditional winery De Vial. This bottling represents a classic mid-1960s Bordeaux blend, crafted in a traditional style for long-term aging and gradual development of complex tertiary aromas.

Tasting Notes:
Deep garnet-brick color with amber highlights. Aromas of dried blackcurrant, plum, cedar, leather, tobacco, and subtle earthy spice.
Medium- to full-bodied palate with softened tannins, balanced acidity, and elegant mature structure. Long finish with notes of dried fruit, forest floor, and delicate balsamic nuances.
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Price: £119.00
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Castel del Monte, 1966

Tenuta Rivera

1966 Tenuta Rivera Castel del Monte



Overview:

A rare and historic red from Puglia's Castel del Monte appellation, this 1966 Tenuta Rivera reflects an era when southern Italian wines were produced in a firmly traditional style, emphasising local grape varieties and long maturation. Now approaching sixty years of age, the wine offers a fascinating expression of mature Castel del Monte, showcasing the savoury complexity and evolved character that can develop with careful cellaring.

Appearance:

Deep garnet in colour with brick-orange highlights at the rim, showing extensive maturation and graceful evolution.
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Price: £89.00
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Chateau Beychevelle, 1966

St julien 4me cru classe
High Shoulder | Bin Soiled & remains of label

This wine has been well stored in a cool cellar for over 50 years. Red brown colour. Very elegant mature bouquet with acidity and oak. Soft and fresh wine which has just enough body to make it interesting. Long aftertaste.

About Château Beychevelle Chateau Beychevelle is a prestigious wine estate located in the Saint-Julien appellation of Bordeaux, France. With a history that dates back to the 17th century, the estate has garnered a reputation for producing exceptional red wines. Spanning approximately 90 hectares, the vineyard benefits from gravelly soils and a favorable microclimate, ideal for nurturing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot grapes.
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Price: £199.00
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Chateau Fourcas Holsten, 1966

Listrac (Médoc) Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel

​Château Fourcas Hosten, located in the Listrac-Médoc appellation of Bordeaux, has a history dating back to the 18th century. The 1966 vintage, now approaching six decades of maturity, offers a unique opportunity to experience a wine from this era.​

Specific tasting notes for the 1966 Château Fourcas Hosten are limited. However, given its age, it's likely to exhibit tertiary aromas such as leather, tobacco, and earthy notes, with softened tannins and a harmonious palate. It's important to note that individual bottle conditions can vary, especially with wines of this age.​

When serving such a mature wine, it's advisable to decant gently to separate any sediment and allow the wine to breathe, enhancing its complex aromas and flavors.
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Price: £139.00
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Chateau Grand Puy Ducasse, 1966

Pauillac 5th Growth Classification

Château Grand-Puy Ducasse 1966 is a mature red Bordeaux from the Pauillac appellation, part of the Médoc on the Left Bank of the Gironde. Classified as a Fifth Growth (Cinquième Cru) in the 1855 classification, Grand-Puy Ducasse is known for producing structured, Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant wines that reflect Pauillac’s classic character — think power, dark fruit, and firm tannins. The 1966 vintage, while not legendary, was solid and has produced some long-lived wines, especially from top terroirs.

At nearly 60 years old, the 1966 Grand-Puy Ducasse is very much a wine of elegance and subtlety rather than fruit or power.
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Price: £149.00
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Chateau Latour, 1966

Pauillac, 1er Grand Cru Classe

*** 96 Points Robert Parker ***
*** 95 Points Wine Journal ***

Reviews
"The wine of the vintage, the 1966 Latour is a classic, old style Bordeaux that has required decades to become drinkable. A dark, opaque garnet color is followed by a fabulous nose of cedar, sweet leather, black fruits, prunes, and roasted walnuts, refreshing underlying acidity, sweet but noticeable tannin, and a spicy finish. This powerful, vigorous, immensely impressive, concentrated Latour has reached its plateau of maturity, where it will remain for another 10-20 years.

"The Latour ’66 remains one of the great wines of the vintage.
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Price: £795.00
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Chateauneuf du Pape, 1966

Chateau des Fines Roches

Château des Fines Roches, 1966

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

The 1966 vintage in the Southern Rhône produced wines of classical structure and steady ripening, shaped by warm Mediterranean conditions and the region’s distinctive galet-strewn vineyards. During this period, Châteauneuf-du-Pape was crafted in a firmly traditional style — Grenache-led blends aged in large old foudres, designed for gradual evolution rather than immediate richness. Château des Fines Roches, overlooking the appellation from its distinctive château, has long been associated with structured, terroir-driven wines capable of extended bottle ageing.
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Price: £195.00
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Chianti, 1966

Ruffino - Il Magnifico

1966 Ruffino Il Magnifico Chianti



Overview:

A rare and historic Chianti from the renowned Ruffino estate, this 1966 vintage reflects the traditional style of Tuscan winemaking during a period when wines were crafted for gradual evolution in cask and bottle. Now approaching sixty years of age, it offers a mature expression of Chianti, displaying the savoury complexity, elegance and tertiary character that develop with extended ageing.

Appearance:

Brick-ruby in colour with amber highlights at the rim, showing graceful maturity and extensive evolution.
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Price: £99.00
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Corbieres, 1966

Chateau de Villenouvette

Corbières DOC 1966 Château de Villenouvette is a red wine from Corbières, Languedoc, France, produced by Château de Villenouvette, a historic estate with centuries of winemaking tradition in the Languedoc region. The 1966 vintage exemplifies the classic southern French style: robust yet elegant, with complexity and depth developed through decades of careful aging.

Tasting Notes:
The wine presents a garnet-red color with brick-orange hues along the rim, characteristic of a well-aged Corbières. The bouquet is complex and refined, offering aromas of dried blackberries, black cherries, and subtle red fruits, layered with tertiary notes of leather, cedar, garrigue herbs, and hints of spice and earth.
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Price: £89.00
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Cotes du Rhone, 1966

Thorin

Côtes du Rhône 1966 Thorin is a historic red wine from the Rhône Valley, France, produced by the traditional winery Thorin. This bottling represents a classic mid-1960s Côtes du Rhône, crafted from Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre in a traditional style for moderate to long-term aging and gradual development of tertiary aromas.

Tasting Notes:
Garnet-brick color with amber highlights. Aromas of dried red cherry, plum, leather, tobacco, black pepper, and subtle earthy spice.
Medium-bodied palate with softened tannins, balanced acidity, and elegant structure. Long finish with tertiary notes of dried fruit, herbs, and forest floor nuances.
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Price: £129.00
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Dow's, 1966

Vintage Port
Bottled by Berry Brothers

Dow's 1966 Vintage Port – Tasting Note

Dow’s 1966 Vintage Port is a magnificent example of mature Vintage Port, combining the power and structure for which the house is renowned with the elegance that only decades of bottle ageing can provide. Produced from one of the Douro’s most respected declared vintages of the 1960s, this wine has developed extraordinary complexity while retaining remarkable freshness and balance. It is a Port that perfectly demonstrates why Vintage Port remains one of the world's greatest age-worthy wines.

Founded in 1798, Dow’s has built a reputation for producing Vintage Ports of exceptional character and longevity.
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Price: £385.00
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Fonseca Port, 1966

Vintage Port
Labelled | Excellent Provenance | high fill

Fonseca Vintage Port 1966

The 1966 vintage is one of the most celebrated in Port history, producing wines of great richness, structure and longevity. Fonseca’s 1966 stands today as a magnificent expression of both the vintage and the house’s opulent, fruit-driven style.

In the glass, it shows a deep amber-tawny core with mahogany and olive reflections, revealing its long bottle ageing. The nose is powerful yet refined, offering layers of dried black cherry, fig, raisin and orange peel, followed by notes of cocoa, spice, liquorice, polished wood and subtle floral lift.

On the palate, the wine is wonderfully concentrated but beautifully balanced.
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Price: £385.00
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Graham's, 1966

Vintage Port
Justerini and Brooks

The Graham's 1966 Vintage Port is a distinguished wine from a year celebrated for its exceptional quality. Declared by most major Port houses, the 1966 vintage has produced wines known for their richness, concentration, and longevity. Graham's 1966 Vintage Port exemplifies these traits, offering a complex and rewarding experience for enthusiasts and collectors alike.​


In the glass, this Port presents a mature tawny hue with a garnet rim, indicative of its age. The nose is rich and complex, featuring aromas of ripe plums, chocolate, and sweet red fruits. On the palate, it delivers a harmonious blend of sweet plum flavors, a fleshy mouthfeel, and a lingering finish with notes of fig and coffee.
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Price: £325.00
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Graham's, 1966

Vintage Port
Finest Reserve

Graham's is a great port house, producing one of the deepest-coloured and sweetest styles of vintage port. Along with Taylor's and Fonseca, Graham's has probably been the most consistent producer of great port in the post- World War II era. Their vintage ports are truly sublime and sumptuous. The 1966 is full, vigorous, rich and classy on the palate. Not too sweet. This is a big concentrated, very fine example. Bags of life ahead of it.
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Price: £335.00
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Graham's, 1966

Vintage Port
Finest Reserve- Damaged labels

Graham's is a great port house, producing one of the deepest-coloured and sweetest styles of vintage port. Along with Taylor's and Fonseca, Graham's has probably been the most consistent producer of great port in the post- World War II era. Their vintage ports are truly sublime and sumptuous. The 1966 is full, vigorous, rich and classy on the palate. Not too sweet. This is a big concentrated, very fine example. Bags of life ahead of it.
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Price: £315.00
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Janneau, 1966

Armagnac 1966 Vintage Armagnac

The 1966 Janneau Grand Armagnac is a distinguished single-vintage release from one of France’s most historic Armagnac houses. Aged for 29 years and bottled at 43% ABV, this spirit exemplifies Janneau’s commitment to traditional craftsmanship and long-term maturation. Produced in the heart of the Armagnac region, Janneau is renowned for its meticulous distillation and aging processes, which contribute to the depth and complexity of their vintage expressions.

On the nose, this Armagnac offers a bouquet of pleasant and lovely aromas, inviting the taster into its rich profile. The palate is characterized by a rich sensation, highlighting the concentration of dry plums and a persistent flavor of rancio and spices.
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Price: £325.00
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Merlot, 1966

Cantina Soc. Campodipietra

Merlot 1966 Cantine Soc Campodipietra is a red wine from Veneto, Italy, produced by Cantine Soc Campodipietra, a cooperative winery dedicated to traditional winemaking in the region. The 1966 vintage represents a classic style of Italian Merlot from the mid-20th century: elegant, structured, and approachable while offering subtle complexity developed over decades.

Tasting Notes:
The wine displays a deep garnet-red color with brick-orange highlights along the rim, reflecting its maturity. The bouquet is refined and layered, featuring aromas of dried plums, black cherries, and subtle red fruit notes, complemented by tertiary hints of leather, cedar, tobacco, and soft earthy undertones.
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Price: £99.00
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Taylor Fladgate, 1966

Vintage Port- Oporto bottled

The 1966 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port is a distinguished wine from an exceptional vintage. This port exhibits an intense ruby colour and an elegant, fresh nose with floral notes reminiscent of violets. On the palate, it offers a harmonious balance of intense fruit flavours, notably figs, supported by a well-structured mineral and tannic framework. The wine maintains a refreshing quality, with flavours that persist through a long finish. Notably, it still possesses the potential for further aging, indicating years of great life ahead.

Critics have praised this vintage for its elegance and complexity.
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Price: £369.00
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Warre's Vintage Port, 1966

Vintage Port

Warre’s Vintage Port 1966 is another classic from a strong declared vintage and represents the house’s elegant, understated style beautifully. The 1966 vintage overall produced structured, balanced Ports with great ageing potential, and Warre’s offering from that year has long been admired for its finesse, complexity, and gentle maturity.

By now, Warre 1966 has taken on a deep amber-tawny hue with brick-orange highlights. On the nose, it shows wonderfully evolved aromas — think dried fruits (figs, dates, and cherries), orange peel, walnuts, leather, and subtle spices like cinnamon and clove.
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Price: £295.00
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Warre's Vintage Port, 1966

Vintage Port
Plain Label

Warre’s Vintage Port 1966 is another classic from a strong declared vintage and represents the house’s elegant, understated style beautifully. The 1966 vintage overall produced structured, balanced Ports with great ageing potential, and Warre’s offering from that year has long been admired for its finesse, complexity, and gentle maturity.

By now, Warre 1966 has taken on a deep amber-tawny hue with brick-orange highlights. On the nose, it shows wonderfully evolved aromas — think dried fruits (figs, dates, and cherries), orange peel, walnuts, leather, and subtle spices like cinnamon and clove.
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Price: £265.00
Stock: Out of Stock

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