Description

✨ Overview
It was a markedly dry and hot year, beginning with the winter. Spring saw some rain; however, the high temperatures in June meant that the dryness and heat significantly affected the vines. The harvest took place with sunny days and very cool nights, which allowed for good final ripening. The world witnessed the outbreak of the Vietnam War, the deaths of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, and the infamous month of May 1968.

🍇 Region : Douro

👨‍🔬 Winemaker : Cristiano van Zeller

🌱 Grapes : Created 100% from over 30 red grape varieties, this Very Old Tawny Port ages in very old barrels until bottling.

🛠️ Winemaking : All grapes are foot-trodden in traditional granite lagares until fermentation is stopped with the addition of grape brandy. These wines are carefully aged in old oak barrels for many years. This slow aging process over time causes the wine to transform its vibrant red color into more amber and coppery tones, thus creating a Tawny Port. The longer the wine spends in barrels, the more it concentrates flavors of honey, toffee, caramel, tobacco, dark or white chocolate, ripe or dried fruits such as raisins, dried figs, and plums. The wines are bottled only to order. As the harvest is kept separate throughout its aging and is not blended with any other year, this wine is bottled as a Very Old Tawny Colheita.

🧪 Analysis :

Alcohol content: 20%
pH: 3.64
Total acidity: 5.3 g/l
Volatile acidity: 1.12 g/l
Total SO₂: 46 mg/l
Baumé: 4.8

👃 Organoleptic Test
Naturally, the 1968 Colheita displays complex and evolved aromas, demonstrating the fabulous capacity of Port wine to transform itself, year after year, into a wine of extraordinary expressiveness. Woody aromas, nuts and a diversity of spices. Intense and persistent on the palate. Perfect with crème brûlée, almond tart or buttery cheeses. Serve chilled. WINEMAKER Cristiano van Zeller www.vanzellersandco.com 1968 COLHEITA VERY OLD TAWNY PORTO

⏳ Potential for Evolution : Excellent aging potential, evolving in the bottle with greater aromatic complexity.

🍽️ Serving suggestion : Serve slightly chilled (12–14ºC). Once opened, keep tightly closed in a cool, dark place.