1981 Wine and Port Vintage
Vintage Port: No vintage port was made in 1981. Our recommendation would be for a 1981 Colheita port from 1981. Kopke are renowned for their colhietas and this would make a wonderful gift for a 40th Birthday or Anniversary
Italian: The good 1981 Italian vintage produced a large crop of consistent wines. The best examples from Tuscany and Piedmont are now at their peak of their maturity, and will offer a good drinking experience.
Bordeaux:

Spain: 1981 was considered one of the great vintages for Rioja, and this wine is at its peak of maturity.
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63 products found.
Palmer Port
Sale
40 Year Old Tawny Port
Special Offer | Was £79.95 | Now £67.95
Exclusive to VWP.
Tasting Notes: The Palmer 40 Year tawny is a careful blend of many traditional grape varieties from selected vineyards in various areas of the Douro Demarcated Region, patiently aged for 40 years in old oak casks. The 40 Year old has a pronounced aroma intensity that is very rich with nuts and baked cherry. There is further complexity of nutmeg and cream. On the palate the wine is very balanced between acidity and sweetness that gives a luxurious mouthfeel. Lovely richness of fruitcake, fig, baked plum, caramel and toffee. There are also notes of plum, cherry, cooked strawberry. …
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Price: $94.34 USD
Stock: 38 in Stock
1981 Chateau Leoville Barton
St Julien 2eme Cru Classe
Damp affected labels
This Léoville-Barton Barton 1981 red wine is a fine mature claret with an impressive freshness. clear garnet colour with subtle aromas of cherry and green tobacco. This wine shows vivid fruit flavors with mineral undertones and a fine silky texture of tannins. Delicious now.
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Price: $165.22 USD
Stock: 8 in Stock
1981 D'Oliveiras Madeira, 1981
Sercial Madeira
Raisins, plums, walnuts and a hint of prunes in this wonderful Madeira. The scent fills the room as soon as it is open. Pouring it into the glass you notice the crystal clear golden brown color with hints of red. You swirl and smell, noticing the raisins and the walnuts. You take a sip, the flavors of raisins and plums fills the front of your mouth, not too sweet. You swish and swallow, the walnuts taking over in the back of the mouth. The taste lingers…
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Price: $222.07 USD
Stock: 42 in Stock
1981 Kopke Single Harvest Port, 1981
Colheita Port
Kopke Port is the oldest port house. Established in 1638 by Christiano Kopke and his son, Nicolau Kopke who came to Portugal as representatives of the Hanseatic League, the House of Kopke is the eldest Porto wine export firm. Through many generations, the Company was run by several representatives of the Kopke family, obtaining an excellent reputation for its wines.
Review:
Vibrant amber colour. Complex and perfumed bouquet of dried fruits well integrated with the exuberance of the spices notes. Massively concentrated, powerful, rich and with an incredible depth. A wine of great character and with a delicious and endless finish. …
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Price: $180.42 USD
Stock: 83 in Stock
1981 Ryst-Dupeyon Armagnac, 1981
Ryst Dupeyron Reserve Joseph Millesime vintage Armagnac
50cl bottle
The 1981 Dupeyron Armagnac is the expression of a single year and has a unique character associated with the year and the cask in which it has been stored. These vintages are bottled at the alcohol level in which they naturally come out of the cask. There is a wonderful contrast between the sweet and sour flavours of wood, amplified by the strong alcoholic degree. Rich palate feeling the alcohol and the concentration of dry plums, spicy with persistent flavour of rancio and of spices, but round, soft and long in the finish. The tannins are very present, but full-bodied and round.
The Maison Ryst-Dupeyon was founded by Joseph Dupeyron in 1905. …
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Price: $123.56 USD
Stock: 34 in Stock
1981 Barbaresco
Tenuta Carretta - Poderi Bordino
Nice bright crimson. Nose of cherries, cigar box and leather. Full body with good acidity and long tannin finish. A very nice wine ready to drink now.
Pair this wine with rich meat focused dishes like braised short ribs, beef roasts, lamb or veal chops. Here you'll find that the smoke and earthy qualities of the wine are complemented by the dish. Feathered game, such as duck, goose, partridge, or quail are also excellent.
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Price: $165.22 USD
Stock: 12 in Stock
40 Year Old Burmester
“TORDIZ” Tawny Port
Includes branded Gift Tube
UK Exclusive to VWP
*** Gold Medal at the 2015 International Wine Challenge ***
Bright brown 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. This wine overflows seduction and an enormous refinement. A feeling that is extended in the long and complex finish.
This 40-year-old wine owes its name, Tordiz, to the confluence of the Torto and Mendiz rivers. It is obtained from wines that have been carefully aged in small oak casks and later blended in a small upstanding oak vat dating from 1864. …
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Price: $192.98 USD
Stock: 67 in Stock
40 Year Old Graham's
Sale
Tawny Port
Includes Presentation Tube
Graham's 40 Years Old is made from wines of the very highest quality which, following careful selection, are matured in seasoned oak casks of until their peak of maturity is reached. These are among the most demanding and challenging styles of Port to produce requiring great skill and years of experience from the winemaker and blender. It is essential to strike the correct balance between the delicacy and elegance which results from prolonged cask ageing while retaining the fruit quality which lends this old Tawny its structure and longevity.
Golden amber with a pale green tinge at the rim which denotes great quality and class. …
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Price: $179.10 USD
Stock: 49 in Stock
40 Year Old Messias
Tawny Port
Very pale amber/tawny/orange colour. Fine and delicate aromas of hazelnuts and candied citrus. Quince marmalade character, delicate in style, with finesse and poise. Seemingly quite dry in style towards the finish (not as obviously rich as some here), and supremely refined.
Bottle Size 75cl
ABV 20%
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Price: $123.56 USD
Stock: 25 in Stock
Barbera, 1981
New
Rossello - La Castella
Barbera is a wine of prestige, rich colours 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: $95.80 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Barbera d'Asti, 1981
Poderi Giovanni Scanavino
Barbera d'Asti is a wine of prestige, rich colours 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: $95.80 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Baron de Lustrac, 1981
Vintage Armagnac (Comes in original Lustrac Box as illustrated)
Baron de Lustrac is a small traditional éleveur specialising in fine old Armagnac vintages. Their extensive range is sourced from neighbouring estates in the Tenereze and Mas Armagnac regions and they keep an ageing and bottling chais near Magnan, in the Bas Armagnac region.
All Baron de Lustrac Armagnacs are aged in 420ltr oak barrels and sold as single vintages. The grapes used are all harvested from the one particular year, and will only be distilled if the conditions were particularly good. Perfect for big birthdays or as a special drink for the connoisseur as they truly are a fine example of the very best Armagnacs around. …
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Price: $192.98 USD
Stock: 3 in Stock
Baron de Sigognac, 1981
Armagnac
Includes original Sigognac gift box
The company behind this Armagnac owns one of the most important stocks of old vintages in the whole region. They are growers as well as distillers and specialise in sourcing and ageing old casks of Armagnac.
The Armagnac is made from a blend of Baco and Ugni Blanc, the predominant grapes used in the production of Armagnac. The distillation takes place in a column still to an alcohol strength of about 54%. The spirit is then aged in local black oak casks. The alcohol content then reduces naturally to about 40% after about forty years. In presentation case.
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Price: $192.98 USD
Stock: 4 in Stock
Blandys Madeira, 1981
Malmsey Madeira 75cl BOTTLE
Includes Blandy's gift case
Reviews
Deep amber-red in colour; lifted, toasted and singed on the nose, really rather wonderful, this sings from the glass; gentle honeyed sweetness, super-concentrated mid-palate, so pure yet complex too with a toasty-savoury back drop, rich (100g/l residual sugar) but the acidity running through leads to a vibrant finish. Nothing soupy about this: wonderful precision and definition.
Score: 18.5 Richard Mayson, richardmayson.com, January 2019
For 200 years, Blandy’s Madeira has been synonymous with quality Madeira wine. The Blandy’s are unique in being the only family of all the original founders of the Madeira wine trade to still own and manage their own original wine company. …
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Price: $359.59 USD
Stock: 3 in Stock
Blandys Madeira, 1981
Malmsey Madeira 37.5cl HALF BOTTLE
Reviews
Deep amber-red in colour; lifted, toasted and singed on the nose, really rather wonderful, this sings from the glass; gentle honeyed sweetness, super-concentrated mid-palate, so pure yet complex too with a toasty-savoury back drop, rich (100g/l residual sugar) but the acidity running through leads to a vibrant finish. Nothing soupy about this: wonderful precision and definition.
Score: 18.5 Richard Mayson, richardmayson.com, January 2019
For 200 years, Blandy’s Madeira has been synonymous with quality Madeira wine. The Blandy’s are unique in being the only family of all the original founders of the Madeira wine trade to still own and manage their own original wine company. …
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Price: $206.87 USD
Stock: 4 in Stock
Chateau Beychevelle, 1981
St Julien 4me cru classe
Magnum (1.5L)
The 1981 is significantly lighter than either the 1982 or 1983. Forward, quite fruity, with a straightforward, oaky, fruity bouquet, medium bodied, with a healthy color, this is a supple, soft, charming wine that provides pleasant drinking.
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Price: $409.57 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Chateau Cantemerle, 1981
Haut-Medoc
Mature and complex nose with leather, cigar box and just a little red berries. On the palate it is surprisingly fresh but rather lean. Not much fruit, as earthy notes have taken over. On the palate it has a relatively high acidity and smooth tannins. Enjoyed best accompanying food.
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Price: $124.88 USD
Stock: 6 in Stock
Chateau Certan-de-may, 1981
New
Pomerol
Reviews
"Textbook pomerol - smooth, ripe, blackcurranty, obviously mellow and very mature at nearly 40 years old, but still full of life and sumptuous. This was gorgeous." Cellar Tracker 2020 93 Points
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Price: $234.63 USD
Stock: 10 in Stock
Chateau Clerc Milon Rothschild, 1981
Pauillac 5th Growth Classification
Still some fruit left in this 1981 wine from Pauillac in Bordeaux. Complex aromas derived from ageing have now started appearing: mushroom, leather, earth. On the palate it shows good acidity and fine tannins with a long aftertaste. Leave it half hour or more in the decanter to express itself.
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Price: $179.10 USD
Stock: 8 in Stock
Chateau Cos d'Estournel, 1981
St Estephe, 2nd Growth Classification
Magnum (150cl)
The 1981 Cos d'Estournel is a deep ruby colour, with a spicy, rich, briery, tightly knit bouquet, this wine is deeper and more promising than the 1983, but relatively light, compact, and lean. Served from Magnums this wine will be fresher than a 75 cl bottle.
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Price: $345.70 USD
Stock: 5 in Stock
Chateau de Lacaze, 1981
Bas Armagnac
The Chateau de Lacaze was distilled in 1981 it was then shipped in cask to the United Kingdom two years later where it was stored in damp cellars, perfect for slow ageing. Bottled 23 years later it is a smooth spirit with dark chocolate and vanilla aromas and hint of lavender, marzipan and spices.
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Price: $137.45 USD
Stock: 23 in Stock
Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, 1981
St Julien, 2eme Growth Classification
Robert Parker writes...."One of the Medoc's more successful wines, the 1981 has reached full maturity. It exhibits a dark ruby/purple color, and a moderately attractive nose of minerals and jammy cranberry fruit intermixed with black currants. In the mouth, this wine has lost its baby fat, revealing medium body, and an elegant, measured personality. Pure, with well-integrated tannin, this is a stylish, graceful Ducru-Beaucaillou."
Rating 88 Points
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Price: $206.87 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Chateau Lynch Moussas, 1981
Pauillac, 5th Growth classification
This 1981 wine from Chateau Lynch Moussas still has a fresh nose, lively with classic cigar-box, farmyard and pencil-lead aromas. The palate is quite tannic with a rustic edge. Very firm though not austere. Medium depth but good fresh acidity.
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Price: $137.45 USD
Stock: 6 in Stock
Chianti, 1981
Villa Antinori - Riserva
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: $109.68 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Chianti, 1981
Fattorie Le Bocce - Riserva
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: $95.80 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock