Kopke Port – Sip History, Savor the Future

When was your last glass of Port? I hesitate to admit it, but before lunch with Gonzalo Pedrosa, CEO or Sogevinus Group and Tania Oliveira, its Public Relations and Communications Director, my last sip of Port was over a year ago. Imagine my intrigue when I received the invitation to revisit a style of wine that has always fascinated me, thanks to its unique history (see note at the end of this article) and palate profile. The bonus? I was going to taste Kopke Port, Portugal’s premier brand now owned by Sogevinus.

The Sogevinus Group  

How does the Sogevinus Group fit into the regional and international market?

Gonzalo Pedrosa and Tania Oliveira explained that the Sogevinus Group engages in the production and sale of Douro DOC wines (from Kopke, Casa Burmester, Burmester, Curva, Barros, and Tavedo), quality Port wines with an emphasis on oak-aged Colheita Ports (from Kopke, Burmester, Barros, and Cálem), and business tourism at the incredibly popular Cálem Cellars that boasts space for meetings, weddings, and cultural events.

As a leader in the Portuguese market of Port wine, the Sogevinus Group is responsible for producing a total of 8.25 million bottles, with 7.05 million bottles of Port wine alone. Sogevinus exports 60% of its total wine production to more than 60 countries; its five main markets are the Netherlands, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Denmark. Their estates include 889 acres of vineyard and fruit trees in the Douro region.

 

 

Sip History with Kopke Port  

The House of Kopke is Portugal’s oldest Port wine export company. This iconic brand was founded by a German family with the same name in 1638, before the demarcation of the Douro wine region in 1756. (After 1756 true port wine could come from only the Douro, following stringent rules of production.) Through the years, the Kopke brand has become synonymous with prestige and is considered the leading producer of Colheita Ports.

In June 2006, Kopke was bought by the Sogevinus Group who has pledged to maintain the extraordinary quality in this established brand.

If time is marked by special moments, the history of Kopke falls in exceptional years. These are years’ worth preserving in memory, to be revived and celebrated any time. When we recover years of history, we’re recreating another: the average age determines the age at which these Kopke wines are cataloged.

 

The profile of the wines I sampled was magnificent and, dare I say, extravagant. With each sip, I tasted a bit of history.

The 10 Years Old White Port ($25) was structured and balanced with notes of orange peel, dried fruits, spice, and nuts on the finish. Aged for 10 years in a combination of large wooden vats and stainless steel tanks, you may want to pair this beauty with foie gras or a curry dish…don’t forget to serve it cold. The 30 Years Old White Port ($100) was aged for 30 years in seasoned oak casks and boasted a round mouthfeel with lip smacking acidity and a long, balanced finish. I found elements of nuts and dried figs on the nose and palate.

I was excited to try the Colheita Port 1981 ($104). Until that day, I hadn’t been given the opportunity to taste this highly touted and rare style, best known in Portugal. Colheita is from a single vintage and aged for a minimum of 7 years in seasoned oak casks, then bottled to order. I found vibrant notes of dried fruit and spice in this concentrated Port that exuded depth and character. For a variety of reasons, this was my favorite: the wine was exceptional as was the year – in 1981 I became engaged to my husband.

What was I doing in 1967? When I had a taste of this superb wine, Colheita Port 1967 ($240), I wasn’t thinking of the latest Beach Boys album. Intensely amber in color with a hint of green, indicating age, the 1967 was enticing. On the nose and palate, I discovered dried fruit, hazelnuts, caramel, and chocolate. Paired with a slice of southern pecan pie? Good vibrations all around.

Last, but clearly not least, I tasted the Colheita Port 1941 ($400) that had been bottled only three weeks prior to our lunch. The Kopke family still owned the company in 1941 and although the technology of wine production was much different, the quality was the same as today. I explored astounding complexity with concentrated notes of wood, nuts, and vanilla on the nose and palate. The finish was persistent and begged for further reflection as to world events at that time; it was an incredible honor to taste a Port from the 1941 vintage.

The Future?

During our tasting and conversation, I realized that Port, in particular those from Kopke, Portugal’s most luxurious brand, should be enjoyed and shared on a regular basis with food and friends. Whether it’s enjoyed as a starter when guests arrive, with an entrée, with a cheese course, as an accompaniment to dessert (peanut butter pie, decadent chocolate cake…), or in a cocktail, there’s a place on the table for a sumptuous glass of Port. Frankly, I was amazed that the Port wines I tasted had the ability to pair with a variety of foods. Those I tasted were delicious and complemented my luncheon salad that included baby kale, rosemary, bosc pears, smoked blue cheese, and walnuts. Perfection.

The Sogevinus Group’s vision statement, to be “the keepers of historic and high-quality Portuguese brands and vineyards” and to be “committed to making them thrive for future generations”, aligns with that of Gonzalo Pedrosa who remarked frequently during lunch that “if we don’t do something about the consumer appreciation of Port, the production will decline”.

Currently, Pedrosa and the team at the Sogevinus Group are committed to preserving the heritage of their brands, maintaining quality as the foundation, adapting to change as an opportunity to improve, and investing in relevant and modern research and development strategies. They are mindful of history and are already embracing the future.

It’s time to pour a glass from Kopke, treasure each sip of history, and savor the future.

 

 

Cheers ~ Cindy

In the event you were wondering… 

Port was created in the 17^th century by British merchants. Rumor has it that the process was devised accidentally when two brothers ended up stopping the fermentation of a still wine by adding grape brandy. Because fermentation was halted, the alcohol level was raised and the sugars were un-fermented, resulting in a sweet wine. The bonus was that the wine was able to survive the arduous ship voyage from Portugal to the United Kingdom. Thanks to consumer appreciation at home, the British tweaked and perfected Port wine production; grapes were cultivated in the wine regions of Portugal then transported to Port houses in the neighboring cities of Porto and Vila Nova da Gaia, for fermentation and ageing.

More than 29 grape varieties are recommended and over 80 are authorized to use in Port production. However, the top five black varieties include Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Cao, and Tinta Barroca. White Port grape varieties include Sercial and Malvasia, among others.