Kopke Colheita Port 1966
€ 278.00
| Producer | Kopke |
| Region | Douro |
| Grapes | Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca |
| Ageing | Colheita (single harvest), at least 7 years in French oak casks |
| Alcohol | 20%vol | pH: 3.51 |
| Serving | 14°C, like a white Burgundy, in small white wine glasses Keeps 4-6 months once opened, with the original stopper and at a constant 12°C |
| Scores | 97/100 Decanter 96/100 Robert Parker 95/100 Wine Enthusiast |
A 1966 Colheita, the year of ‘Revolver’ and the bridge over the Tagus.
Tasting note
Intense brown with a brick rim that betrays its long ageing. Dried fruit and clear smoky notes from the casks on the nose. Silky and delicate on the palate, with remarkable structure and elegance. Plum, dried fig and vanilla are well balanced, giving the wine a unique, distinctive style.
The story
Every wine tells a story, but Kopke’s Colheitas tell a unique one: tasting a wine is tasting history. This 1966 Colheita recalls ‘Revolver’, the Beatles’ seventh album, and the opening of the Ponte 25 de Abril over the Tagus, linking Lisbon with the south of Portugal.
A Colheita is a very high-quality tawny from a single harvest, aged for at least seven years in French oak casks of about 550 litres. That contact with oxygen makes the Port lose some of its colour and gives it aromas of vanilla, spice, raisins, figs and caramel. Colheitas account for less than 1 per cent of total Port production, and like a Vintage, a Colheita is only released after approval by the IVDP (Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto).
The grapes are hand-picked at the right moment, destemmed and crushed. They ferment in lagares at 28-30°C, with careful maceration and constant stirring to extract colour, tannins and aromas from the skins. Once the desired sweetness (baumé) is reached, grape spirit is added. The wine then ages in oak casks, never for less than seven years, and is bottled according to demand.
Store the bottle upright in a cool, dry place, away from light and temperature changes. Over time a little sediment naturally forms at the bottom.
Food pairing
Delicious with lightly sweet desserts such as crème brûlée, with dried fruit and as an aperitif. Also good with a handful of nuts, caramel pecan pie, milk chocolate or aged Dutch cheese.
The producer
Kopke was founded in Porto in 1638 by the German merchant family Kopke, representatives of the Hanseatic League, and is the oldest Port house in the world. In 1922 the house bought Quinta de São Luiz, on the left bank of the Douro between Régua and Pinhão, with old vines of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinto Cão. Kopke is best known for its Colheitas and old tawnies, drawn from one of the deepest stocks of old Port in the Douro.
Since 2006 Kopke has belonged to the Sogevinus group, renamed Kopke Group in 2025. Since 2022 Carla Tiago has been winemaker and master blender for all Kopke Ports.
Critics & Awards
97/100 Decanter World Wine Awards | Tasted: Jan 2020
96/100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate | Tasted: Mar 2016
Drinking window: 2016-2060
Drinking window: 2016-2060
95/100 Wine Enthusiast | Tasted: Jan 2016
From a great Port vintage, dark in colour and very concentrated. Its intense acidity comes as much from the wood ageing as from the remaining fruit. Spice, dried fruit and perfect balance give this great wine elegance and surprising freshness. Drink now.
From a great Port vintage, dark in colour and very concentrated. Its intense acidity comes as much from the wood ageing as from the remaining fruit. Spice, dried fruit and perfect balance give this great wine elegance and surprising freshness. Drink now.