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1973 Wine and Port Vintage

Vintage Summary and Recommendations:

1973 Wine and Port

A short summary of the 1973 Vintage with our top recommendations

Welcome to Vintage Wine and Port's 1973 wine page. Read on for our summary of the 1973 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 1973 vintage was generally considered better than the preceding 1972 vintage, but it still wasn't a standout year for Port or wine production in Europe. In Portugal's Douro Valley, the 1973 vintage was not widely declared by Port houses. Some Port houses did produce and release 1973 vintage Ports, but they are generally considered to be of moderate quality as they tend to lack the richness and depth of better vintages. These wines would make a fabulous 52 year old wine gift for an Anniversary or birthday.


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

  • Quinta da Devesa 1973 Finest Reserve White port in presentation box
  • Ryst Dupeyron Armagnac
  • Bodegas Toro Albala 1973 Don PX Montilla Moriles, sweet wine, Spain
  • DOliveiras Madeira 1973 Verdelho


  •  
    This Year in History: Television sitcom Last of the Summer Wine begins its first series run on BBC One.The Eurovision Winner was Luxembourg with the song "Tu Te Reconnaitras" by Anne-Marie David. Tom Kerridge, Chef, was born in this year and features on the reality culinary programs MasterChef, Saturday Kitchen, and Great British Menu.
    Top Grossing Movie: The Exorcist
     
    Bordeaux: Bordeaux 1973 wines are the product of a cold, wet summer, which was made worse by a rain in late August which bloated the grapes just before harvest. When released they were light, early drinking wines and time has not improved them! If you’re seeking a gift to celebrate a birthday or anniversary, we would recommend a bottle of colheita Port or a 1973 Montilla Moriles.

    The 1973 wine vintage produced an enormous crop of easy drinking wines full of succulent fruit. The best examples from vineyards that adopted good selection are still drinking well today, although wines from Pauillac and Graves stand out. The weather was dry and warm throughout most of spring, providing good conditions for flowering. Heavy rain fell during much of July, but the month that followed was hot and dry. September began fine, but wet conditions returned from the middle of the month onwards.
     
    Italian: Only a small crop of 1973 wine was produced in Italy and the wines are now very rare. The growing season was held back by inclement weather in the main Italian wine regions of Piedmont and Tuscany. Tuscany produced a small crop of Brunello and Chianti, generally characterised as having good colour, high acidity and some dryness. The best of the vintage originates from the more southerly regions.
     
    Portugal: 1973 was not declared and very little Port exists from this year. A wet winter followed by an inconsistent summer led to a small crop. In 1973 there was a lack of quality spirit to fortify the grapes resulting in very little Port being made. Remarkably, we discovered a cask of 1973 white colheita Port at Devesa and persuaded them to bottle it exclusively for us.

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    69 products found.

    Corvo, 1973

    Salaparuta

    Corvo, a classic Sicilian wine, is produced from Sicilian vines cultivated on warm, sunny hills. Aged in oak barrels it is distinguished by its round, full-bodied and persistent flavour. Together with Corvo Bianco, Corvo Rosso was the first wine to be bottled in Sicily, back in 1824, and is now the best known red wine in Italy thanks to its excellent quality/price ratio and consistent quality. Extremely versatile, it goes well with grilled and roast meats and medium-aged cheeses.
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    Price: £69.00
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    D'Oliveiras Madeira, 1973

    Verdelho Madeira

    Rich and complex Madeira from the brilliant D’Oliveiras reserve.
    A complex Madeira with a spicy-citrus nose and hints of marmalade. The wine has a rich palate, with a refreshing acidity balancing this medium dry wine to perfection. Excellent served slightly chilled as an aperitif but is also exceedingly good with soups, oysters, feathered game and patês. It has been bottled ready for drinking and will keep for several months after opening.
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    Price: £325.00
    Stock: 25 in Stock

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    Fiorano, 1973

    Ludovisi Principe di Vinosa

    Made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes, the wine ages in old 10-hectoliter Slovenian barrels. It has a bright, intense ruby color of medium concentration. The aromas are truly complex and pronounced with austere notes of tar, slightly smoky as well as balsamic tones along with accents of cassis and blueberry that merge into a broad aromatic spectrum of extraordinary elegance. The mouthfeel is silky, harmonious and full-bodied with just a hint of very fine tannins while there I absolutely no woodiness. The finish is agile and subtle with an excellent persistence.
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    Price: £129.00
    Stock: 2 in Stock

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    Fonseca Port, 1973

    Crusted Port - Bottled in 1973
    Badly Damaged labels

    A very rare bottle of 1973 crusted port.

    Crusted Port is a very small category, named because of the 'crust' of sediment that it forms in the bottle. Invented by the British-owned Port houses predominantly for the British Port drinker, it is intended to be a more economical alternative to Vintage or Late Bottled Vintage. Crusted is a blend of several harvests, which are bottled without being filtered and laid down to mature like Vintage wines. Using this approach allows the manufacturer to use some of the lesser harvests but still produce a good rich full bodied wine at an economical price.
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    Price: £225.00
    Stock: 4 in Stock

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    Frecciarossa, 1973

    G. Odero

    The Frecciarossa estate sits above the small town of Casteggio, in the hills of Oltrepò Pavese, at the same latitude as Piemonte, Burgundy and Bordeaux. Like these other famous regions, Oltrepo Pavese has been a wine growing area since the days of Ancient Rome. Its particular combination of soil (clay and lime), wine-making tradition and local climate account for Frecciarossa's unique terroir.
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    Price: £69.00
    Stock: 2 in Stock

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    Gattinara, 1973

    F.lli Francoli
    Clearance Offer | Was £119 | Now £79

    Gattinara is a red Italian wine produced from Nebbiolo grapes grown within the boundaries of the commune of Gattinara which is located in the hills in the north of the province of Vercelli, northwest of Novara in the Piedmont region. The wine is made from a minimum of 90% Nebbiolo grapes and is renowned for its longevity. Notes: a meaty, chunky wine with a subtle, clean nose. Hints of tar and bark, with undertones of cherries and rose petals. Light tannins.
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    Price: £79.00
    Stock: 2 in Stock

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    Grignolino, 1973

    New

    Marchesi Villadoria

    The Grignolino wines have a light ruby red color, tending to orange with aging. Have a characteristic odor and delicate in the mouth are dry, slightly tannic, bitter pleasant, with a characteristic aftertaste.
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    Price: £99.00
    Stock: 4 in Stock

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    Grignolino, 1973

    Bruzzone *** RARE BIG BOTTLE 3,75 Liter ***

    The Grignolino wine have a light ruby red color, tending to orange with aging. Have a characteristic odor and delicate in the mouth are dry, slightly tannic, bitter pleasant, with a characteristic aftertaste.
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    Price: £329.00
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Grignolino, 1973

    Mascarello Natale fu Maurizio
    Special Offer Was £119 | Now £35

    The Grignolino wines have a light ruby red color, tending to orange with aging. Have a characteristic odor and delicate in the mouth are dry, slightly tannic, bitter pleasant, with a characteristic aftertaste.

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    Price: £35.00
    Stock: 4 in Stock

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    Grignolino, 1973

    Castello di Gabbiano

    The Grignolino wine have a light ruby red color, tending to orange with aging. Have a characteristic odor and delicate in the mouth are dry, slightly tannic, bitter pleasant, with a characteristic aftertaste.
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    Price: £59.00
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Grumello, 1973

    Pellizzati
    Clearance Offer | Was £89 | Now £30

    Grumello is one of five viticultural sub-zones specifically identified as producing Valtellina wines of particularly high quality: the other four are Inferno, Sassella, Maroggia and Valgella.

    Grumello is a sub-zone under Valtellina Superiore DOCG, and the vineyards are named after a castle from the 1300s, that is located between the cities of Sondrio and Montagna in the Valtellina valley. Grumello is not a village but an area immediately east of Sondrio, and covers the slopes immediately above the town.

    The wines from this area are typically made from the Nebbiolo grape (locally known as Chiavennasca).
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    Price: £30.00
    Stock: 8 in Stock

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    Inferno, 1973

    Cantina Coop. Villa
    Clearance Offer | Was £89 | Now £40

    Inferno is one of five viticultural sub-zones specifically identified as producing Valtellina wines of particularly high quality: the other four are Grumello, Sassella, Maroggia and Valgella. Inferno means 'hell' in Italian, and refers to the slopes between Sondrio town and the village of Tresivio. Although DOC laws do not explain the origins of this name, it has been suggested that in summer the slopes here get noticeably hotter than the rest of the valley. Just across Sondrio to the west is Sassella, the finest of the Valtellina sub-zones.
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    Price: £40.00
    Stock: 3 in Stock

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    Lessona, 1973

    Sella - Tenuta Sebastiano allo Zoppo

    Lessona is a red wine-specific DOC of the Piedmont wine region in north-western Italy. It is one of several Piedmontese wines to be based on the region's native Nebbiolo grape variety, the most famous of which are Barolo and Barbaresco
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    Price: £89.00
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Merlot, 1973

    Conte d'Artimis

    Merlot can also produce a delightful and intriguing pure varietal wine. While Merlot has a long history of use as a blending wine, pure Merlot wines have been relatively slow in gaining momentum in Italy. That too has changed and today some of the world’s best Merlot wines bear Italian labels.
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    Price: £59.00
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Mombrione, 1973

    Cavazzana

    Very forward nose of leather and cherries, liquorice wild strawberries, ripe plums and pencil .The palate is very nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.
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    Price: £69.00
    Stock: 3 in Stock

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    Montepulciano, 1973

    d'Abruzzo, Casal Chaulero Consorzio Aprufino

    Montepulciano is a red wine grape variety grown widely in central Italy, most notably its eastern Abruzzo, Marche and Molise regions. The variety was named after the Tuscan parish of Montepulciano, but, confusingly, is not used in the famous wines produced there (see Vino Nobile di Montepulciano). Globally appreciated for their soft flavors, strong color and gentle tannins, Montepulciano wines are typically best consumed in their youth and with food. The deep-purple juice of Montepulciano grapes is used in varying proportions to produce wines under roughly 50 of Italy's DOC and DOCG titles. Although sometimes used on its own,
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    Price: £119.00
    Stock: 9 in Stock

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    Nebbiolo, 1973

    Giacomo Borgogno
    Clearance Offer - Last Bottle | Was £99 | Now £60

    The Nebbiolo has a lovely earthy bouquet. The nose has cherries, dark cherries, tar and slight dried rose notes. Complex and layered. Nice acidity. Medium tannins still present. Cherries on the palate too. Nice finish. Great food wine. Nebbiolo is a fickle grape famed as much for its pale appearance as for its tannic character and produces some of the most perfumed and richly flavored wines. Though generally only medium-bodied, the wines possess rose and anise scented aromatics and deep flavors of cherry, orange peel and subtle green herb tones.
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    Price: £60.00
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Nebbiolo, 1973

    Marchesi di Barolo

    The Nebbiolo has a lovely earthy bouquet. The nose has cherries, dark cherries, tar and slight dried rose notes. Complex and layered. Nice acidity. Medium tannins still present. Cherries on the palate too. Nice finish. Great food wine. Nebbiolo is a fickle grape famed as much for its pale appearance as for its tannic character and produces some of the most perfumed and richly flavored wines. Though generally only medium-bodied, the wines possess rose and anise scented aromatics and deep flavors of cherry, orange peel and subtle green herb tones.
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    Price: £99.00
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Pinot Nero, 1973

    Anton Lindner
    *** Special Offer |Was £69 | Now £39 ***

    Very forward nose of leather and cherries, liquorice wild strawberries, ripe plums and pencil .The palate is very nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.

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    Price: £39.00
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Pinot Nero, 1973

    Botter Carlo

    Very forward nose of leather and cherries, liquorice wild strawberries, ripe plums and pencil .The palate is very nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.
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    Price: £59.00
    Stock: 4 in Stock

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    Recioto, 1973

    Grasso- Recioto

    "Recioto," as in "Recioto della Valpolicella," refers to a dessert wine made from grapes that were dried on mats after picking. This process turns the grapes closer to raisins, concentrating the flavors. The wines are lovely and taste how you'd expect raisins-turned-wine to taste, rich and sweet.
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    Price: £99.00
    Stock: 6 in Stock

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    Rioja, 1973

    Torres Coronas Gran Reserva, Rioja

    The 1973 Torres Gran Coronas Reserva stands as a testament to the pioneering spirit of Miguel A. Torres and the evolution of Spanish winemaking in the 20th century. Produced in the Penedès region of Catalonia, this vintage followed the groundbreaking 1970 "Black Label" release, which had already begun to challenge perceptions of Spanish red wines on the international stage.

    While specific tasting notes for the 1973 vintage are scarce, insights can be gleaned from the characteristics of its predecessor. The 1970 vintage, composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Tempranillo, and 10% Monastrell,
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    Price: £119.00
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Rosso, 1973

    Incrocio - Manzoni - La Favorita

    Very forward nose of leather and cherries, liquorice wild strawberries, ripe plums and pencil .The palate is very nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.
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    Price: £69.00
    Stock: 1 in Stock

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    Rosso, 1973

    Colli Berici, Conti

    Very forward nose of leather and cherries, liquorice wild strawberries, ripe plums and pencil .The palate is very nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.
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    Price: £59.00
    Stock: 2 in Stock

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    Rosso del Salento, 1973

    Giuseppe Calò

    Very forward nose of leather and cherries, liquorice wild strawberries, ripe plums and pencil .The palate is very nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.
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    Price: £69.00
    Stock: 2 in Stock

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