Product Overview
91 Points - Wine Spectator
"Packs a pretty good core altogether, with bramble-laced açaí berry, boysenberry and dark plum fruit notes working nicely with anise and fruitcake flavors. The finish shows sneaky length and is underscored by a subtle tug of earth. Yummy stuff. Drink now through 2025. 1,000 cases made, 600 cases imported." -JM, 8/31/23
89 Points - Wine Advocate
"The NV Six Grapes Reserve Port (Special Vila Vela Edition) is a 56/36 Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca filtered blend, with 8% Alicante Bouschet filling out the blend. It is mostly from the 2019 and 2020 vintages. These are aged for two to three years in oak vats and come in with 98 grams per liter of residual sugar. This single-quinta Reserve comes from one of the four estates supplying Graham's Port, although this one has only been in Symington hands since 1987.
Beautifully done, this is lighter styled in the mid-palate, at least compared to wines in this price category, but textured with velvet and quite sensual. Then, it adds classic aromatics, including a little cistus, plus some plums on the finish. There is firmness on the finish but not off-putting power. That said, it was vibrant and gripping the next day, with some appealing pop. Even at this level, Ruby Reserves are meant to be drunk young, but there is no reason this can't hold a bit, if you must hold it. This is simply delicious today, though. It seems to lack the ability to develop much, and I was less happy at how it looked a couple of days later. Then, it seemed a little clumsy and more monolithic. That is ultimately a key differentiator between this and a Vintage Port or a good traditional LBV. The structure became far more interesting than the fruit. It is certainly one of the bigger and more powerful Ruby Reserves you'll encounter, as it eventually showed. It did seem sometimes to try too hard to be something it just isn't. In the context of the Ruby Reserve category, it is terrific. At the price point, I'm a bit less enthused.
Although a non-vintage wine, this is specifically identifiable by its name and also comes with the lot number L223225 on the back. There were 1,000 cases produced, 600 headed to the USA market."
89 Points - Wine Enthusiast
"This popular Port is an immediately accessible wine. From the Quinta da Vila Velha, the wine has depth and richness. With dried fruits and a finely judged spirit bite, the wine is ready to drink." -RV, 11/1/23
