Producer
W. & J. Graham's
Historic Port house founded in Porto in 1820, specialized in Vintage Port, aged Tawny, LBV and reserve; owned by Symington Family Estates since 1970 and with maturation headquarters at Graham's Lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia.
- Vila Nova de Gaia · Douro · Portugal
- Since 1820
- 15 products
The story
Founded by brothers William and John Graham in 1820 in Porto after the family received a consignment of port as payment for a debt, W. & J. Graham's grew rapidly and acquired its main estate, Quinta dos Malvedos, in 1890. In the same year Graham’s Lodge was built in Vila Nova de Gaia, still the primary maturation site for their ports. In 1970 the house was acquired by Symington Family Estates, which revived and developed production (including the celebrated 1970 Vintage Port). In 2020 Graham’s celebrated its bicentenary with commemorative releases.
Production philosophy
Combine tradition and innovation to best express the characteristics of individually owned vineyards; strong focus on quality in the vineyard and winery, attentive wood ageing and artisanal coopering (internal cooperage).
Territory
Douro Valley (owned quintas: Quinta dos Malvedos, Quinta do Tua, Quinta da Vila Velha, Quinta do Vale de Malhadas); maturation and lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia (Port area).
Awards and recognition
Royal Warrant (official supplier to the British Royal Household: granted to Queen Elizabeth II in 2017 and subsequently referenced/recognized in the warrant linked to King Charles III).
Production method
Graham’s winemaking is carried out primarily in the boutique winery at Quinta dos Malvedos, which uses modern lagares designed to replicate the press and heat of foot treading. Grapes are hand-selected and harvested, lightly destemmed and fermented in the lagares; fermentation is stopped by fortification with aguardente, then wines are transferred to tonéis and matured in Graham's Lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia. Graham’s maintains its own team of coopers for cask maintenance.
Ageing
Ageing both in seasoned wood (tonéis and oak casks) for Tawny and Reserve, and short wood ageing followed by extended bottle ageing for Vintage Port; primary maturation carried out in Graham's Lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia.
Characteristics
- Type
- Producer
- City
- Vila Nova de Gaia
- Categories
- port
- port house
- fortified wines
- producer of Vintage Port
- producer of aged Tawny
- Raw materials
- grapes (traditional Douro varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Sousão, Alicante Bouschet, Tinto Cão)
- aguardente (wine distillate used for fortification)
- Casks and ageing vessels
- tonéis (large oak barrels)
- botti/casse in rovere stagionato (seasoned oak casks)
- Representative products
- Six Grapes Reserve
- Quinta dos Malvedos Vintage Port
- The Stone Terraces Vintage Port
- The Tawny (10, 20, 30, 40 years etc.)
- Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)
- Single Harvest Tawny
What makes it distinctive
- Founded in Porto in 1820 by brothers William and John Graham
- Acquisition of Quinta dos Malvedos in 1890, core estate for Vintage Port
- Graham's Lodge (1890) in Vila Nova de Gaia: historic maturation site
- Owned by Symington Family Estates since 1970
- Production using modern lagares (installed 2000) that replicate foot treading
- In-house team of coopers and artisanal approach to ageing
- Broad range: Vintage, LBV, Reserve (Six Grapes), Aged Tawny, Single Harvest Tawny