1973 Wine and Port Vintage
Vintage Summary and Recommendations: A short summary of the 1973 Vintage with our top recommendations 1973 Wine and Port
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:
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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70 products found.
Grumello, 1973
Pellizzati
Clearance Offer | Was £89 | Now £30
Excluded from our guarantee
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: 2 in Stock
Corvo, 1973
Salaparuta
Clearance Offer - Last Bottle | Was £79 | Now £34.70
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: £34.70
Stock: 1 in Stock
Rosso Piceno, 1973
Sciarra
Clearance Offer - Last Few | Was £89 | Now £37
Rosso Piceno is the largest DOC of the Marches region located in central Italy. It includes most of the hilly territory ideally suited to viticulture in the provinces of Ancona, Macerata and a limited area in Ascoli Piceno, but excludes the smaller zones of Rosso Conero and Lacrima di Morro d’Alba. The vineyards are situated on the upper hills at an altitude of up to 2296ft (700m). The wine must be made from a minimum 60% Sangiovese, balanced by smaller portions of Montepulciano.
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Price: £37.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Barbera, 1973
Riccardo Ceretto
Clearance Offer - Last Few Remaining Bottles | Was £89 | Now £37.50
Barbera is a wine of prestige, rich colors that refer generally to the ruby purple, just what clothes cardinals; the bouquet is ample and composite, with fruity notes of blackberry, cherry, strawberry and red fruit jam and spicy aromas reminiscent of cinnamon, vanilla, green pepper.
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Price: £37.50
Stock: 3 in Stock
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: 2 in Stock
Valtellina, 1973
Cantina Coop. Villa
Clearance Offer | Was £89 | Now £40
Valtellina is one of Italy’s most dramatic wine regions, located in Lombardy, the vineyards are located on steep mountains. The principal grape variety is Chiavennasca (the local name for Piedmont’s Nebbiolo and an Italian grape varietal that has been cultivated since medieval times here). The DOCG wines are generally comprised of at least 90% Chiavennasca and then blended with other quality local grapes like Brugnola, Rossola, Pignola. Then there is a DOC Valtellina Rosso (also called Rosso di Valtellina DOC) which requires at least 80% of the blend be Chiavennasca and does not have minimum ageing requirements. …
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Price: £42.00
Stock: 9 in Stock
Chianti, 1973
Barone Ricasoli
Clearance Offer - Last Bottle | Was £99 | Now £43.50
Chianti, situated in Tuscany in central Italy, is home to probably the best-known and most iconic of all Italian wines. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are primarily made with Sangiovese grape whereas the Vernaccia grape is the basis of the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
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Price: £43.50
Stock: 1 in Stock
Grignolino, 1973
Mascarello Natale fu Maurizio
Special Offer Was £119
Now £45
A Rare Grignolino from a Historic Producer
The 1973 Grignolino Mascarello Natale fu Maurizio offers a truly rare opportunity to explore an aged example of one of Piedmont’s most delicate and distinctive native varieties. Grignolino is celebrated for its pale color, high acidity, and light tannins, delivering uniquely fragrant and ethereal wines. Mascarello Natale fu Maurizio, a traditional and respected producer, is known for crafting authentic wines that respect heritage and highlight varietal character.
A Vintage with Subtle Charm
The 1973 vintage in Piedmont was cooler and balanced, resulting in lighter-bodied wines with bright acidity and refined aromatics. …
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Price: £45.00
Stock: 3 in Stock
Gattinara, 1973
F.lli Francoli
Special Offer Was £129
Now £45
A Classic Nebbiolo from Alto Piemonte
The 1973 Gattinara F.lli Francoli offers a rare opportunity to experience a mature expression of Nebbiolo from one of Piedmont’s most historic northern appellations. Gattinara is renowned for its structured, mineral-driven reds that balance power and finesse, thanks to volcanic soils and a cooler alpine-influenced climate. F.lli Francoli, a respected traditional producer, is known for crafting wines that highlight authenticity and regional character.
A Vintage with Delicate Elegance
The 1973 vintage in northern Piedmont was a cooler year, resulting in wines with higher acidity, lighter body, and refined aromatic profiles. …
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Price: £45.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Pinot Nero, 1973
Anton Lindner
Special Offer Was £99
Now £45
A Rare Alpine Pinot Noir Expression
The 1973 Pinot Nero Anton Lindner offers a rare chance to explore an aged example of Pinot Noir (Pinot Nero) from Alto Adige, a region known for its cool climate and alpine elegance. Anton Lindner, based in the picturesque mountains of northern Italy, has long been respected for producing pure, site-driven wines that showcase finesse and balance. This bottle represents a traditional, delicate style of Pinot Nero that is increasingly hard to find today.
A Vintage of Classic Freshness
The 1973 vintage in Alto Adige was marked by cooler, balanced conditions, resulting in wines with bright acidity, moderate alcohol, and graceful aromatics. …
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Price: £45.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Rosso Toscano, 1973
Fattoria la Torre
Clearance Offer Was £69
Now £49
A Classic Tuscan Red from a Historic Estate
The 1973 Rosso Toscano Fattoria la Torre offers a rare opportunity to experience an aged expression of traditional Tuscan winemaking. Fattoria la Torre, nestled among the gentle hills of Tuscany, has long been known for producing wines that honor regional heritage and emphasize purity, balance, and rustic elegance. This bottle represents a style rooted in classic Sangiovese and local blending traditions.
A Vintage of Delicate Balance
The 1973 vintage in Tuscany was marked by cooler conditions, producing wines with higher acidity, moderate body, and more restrained fruit character. …
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Price: £49.00
Stock: 2 in Stock
Quinta da Devesa, 1973
Finest Reserve White Port in Gift Box
50cl Bottle
Special Offer Was £119
Now £50
Offer Ends 31st July or While Stocks Last
The Quinta da Devesa White Port is made with grapes from the 1973 harvest and matured in cask until bottling in 2022, this is a fabulous white Port that is golden in colour, with a nose of sweet spices, iodine, wood notes and candied citrus. The palate is elegant, bright and offers a nice acidity, with citrus and honey, backed with concentrated old wood notes of cedar and walnut. A stylish finish with notes of lemon zest and molasses. Highly recommended!
1973 Devesa Reserve White Port is actually a 1973 Colheita White Port but has to be bottled under 'Reserve' label as the barrel was put aside for family and friends and so was not formally registered. …
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Price: £50.00
Stock: 6 in Stock
Toro Albalá, 1973
Don PX in Gift Box
Montilla-Moriles
20cl Bottle
Special Offer Was £99
Now £50
Toro Albala 1973 PX 20cl luxury gift bottle
Toro Albala are famous for their award-winning vintage Pedro Ximenez (PX) wines. We are delighted to offer this 95 Point, 1973 PX Montila-Moriles presented in a beautiful 20cl gift pack
The dehydrated grapes fermented between 3% and 9% and then the wine was fortified and today bottled at 17%. Very perfumed and aromatic, a little exotic, with even some minty notes. The palate is very concentrated, round, with an oily texture that fills your mouth. An elegant endless finish.
Tasting Notes
With a residual sugar content of 320g/litre this is a dessert in a glass! The nose is complex with layers of dried fruits, …
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Price: £50.00
Stock: 20 in Stock
Sangue di Giuda, 1973
La Vigna
Intense crimson-red colour and purplish froth with complex aroma of violet, cherry and mixed berries, fizzy, medium bodied wine.
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Price: £59.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
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
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
Sogno di Bacco, 1973
Umberto Fiore
Sogno di Bacco is made from thelong lasting nebbiolo grape. Nebbiolo is a black-skinned red wine grape variety most famous for creating the 'tar and roses' scent of Barolo wines from Piedmont, north-western Italy. The grape's very name is evocative of its home among the misty foothills of the western Alps; the nebbia (Italian for 'fog') after which it is named frequently arrives on early October mornings, when the Nebbiolo harvest is in full swing.
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Price: £59.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
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
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
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
Chianti, 1973
Castello di Gabiano
Clearance Offer - Last Bottle | Was £99 | Now £65
Chianti, situated in Tuscany in central Italy, is home to probably the best-known and most iconic of all Italian wines. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are primarily made with Sangiovese grape whereas the Vernaccia grape is the basis of the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
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Price: £65.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Chateau Batailley, 1973
Pauillac 5th Growth Classification
1973 Château Batailley – A Mature Bordeaux for the Curious Collector
The 1973 Château Batailley is a wine from a vintage that had its challenges, yet it remains an interesting piece of Bordeaux history. As a fifth-growth estate in Pauillac, Château Batailley is known for its structured, Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant wines, built for aging. However, the 1973 growing season was marked by wet conditions later in the summer, leading to lighter, more delicate wines with softer tannins and a less concentrated profile than in stronger vintages.
Now, over 50 years later, the 1973 Château Batailley is likely well past its peak, with faded fruit and a more tertiary-driven character. …
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Price: £69.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
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
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
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