This year will be the sixth declaration of the 21st century and the 2017 wines were the result of an advanced growing cycle, which led to the earliest harvest ever recorded in the Symington family’s 137-year history as winemakers. 

According to the Symington family, warmer and drier conditions than usual resulted in small, compact bunches of grapes in “excellent” condition, with yields 20% below the 10-year average.

Despite the harvest beginning in August, the maturations were said to be “perfectly balanced”.

“In my 25 years as a winemaker in our family vineyards, I have never seen a year like 2017,” said Charles Symington, head winemaker at Symington Family Estates. “The yields were extremely low, but the concentration and structure took my breath away. We have made some really remarkable wines.”

The Symingtons have produced 2017 vintage ports from across their flagship Douro estates, and will shortly be offering limited quantities of Graham’s, Dow’s, Warre’s and Cockburn’s as well as Quinta do Vesuvio, Graham’s ‘The Stone Terraces’ and Capela da Quinta do Vesuvio. 

The Symington family will be showing its 2017 vintage at a launch event in Portugal on 11 April, followed by the UK, US in May and other countries throughout the year.