Warre’s most iconic Ports (Otima 10, Warrior, Bottle Aged LBV and Vintage) won a Gold medal and 10 Silver medals in the International Wine Challenge, Decanter World Wine Awards and International Wine & Spirit Competition.

The oldest British Port company, founded in 1670, rests its reputation on a pioneering strength and innovations in viticulture and winemaking. Warre’s Ports are wines of great elegance with fresh, fragrant aromas.

The 2011 Vintage Ports are of an exceptional quality and are expected to age superbly over the coming decades. The weather is the decisive factor in creating outstanding wines in the Douro and the strong winter rains in late 2010 were crucial. April and May 2011 were unusually warm and, combined with some rainfall, resulted in a reduction in the overall production of the region.

In 1809 William Warre, a 25 year old soldier from a Port producing family, fought with the Duke of Wellington in the famous battle that liberated his home town of Oporto. He was awarded Portugal’s highest military honour, the Ordem de São Bento d’Aviz for his bravery.

Exactly 200 years on, the Oporto-born Symington family made a Warre’s 2009 Vintage Port in honour of this young warrior and resolved to donate the profits to today’s soldiers through Help for Heroes.

On 16th February Paul Symington and his cousin Clare, presented a cheque for £18,240 to Help for Hero’s at Tedworth House in Wiltshire, the new Personal Recovery and Assessment Centre.

The Symington Family Estates and The Fladgate Partnership are pleased to announce the 2011 Autumn Master Classes of the Vintage Port Academy at the Grand Hyatt in Hong Kong on October 25th & 26th 2011.

The Vintage Port Academy was formed in 2010 to promote the appreciation and knowledge of Vintage Port by the classic Port houses, Croft, Dow's, Fonseca, Graham's, Taylor's and Warre's. These historic firms, all family owned and some dating back to the origins of Port trade over 300 years ago, have come together to develop the understanding and enjoyment of Vintage Port among wine consumers, collectors and professionals around the world.

This year, the Master Classes will be hosted by Euan Mackay (Symington Family Estates) and Nick Heath (The Fladgate Partnership). In addition to the Seminars, the Vintage Port Academy is now launching its internet site (www.thevintageportacademy.com) to serve as a center for information about upcoming and past events as well as an ongoing contact platform for Vintage Wine enthusiasts.

For more information on the Vintage Port Academy, please contact info@thevintageportacademy.com

Oporto, October 21st, 2011 

Sunday Express, October 2011

Warre's Otima 10 Year Old Tawny Port , Portugal
Ideal as an aperitif or a versatile dessert tipple, this tawny port has lovely sweet fruitiness combined with some spicy complexity. Serve chilled, and it will keep in good condition for weeks after opening. Try it with the chocolate and raspberry cheesecake.

Jamie Goode, Sunday Express, October 2011

The Symington family are delighted to announce that Graham’s, Cockburn’s, Warre’s and Dow’s Ports have once again left the competition far behind, having been awarded a total of 14 Gold Medals at the 2011 editions of the most prestigious international wine contests.

Outstanding results just announced from the International Wine Challenge, the Decanter World Wine Awards and the International Wine & Spirit Competition, further consolidate the impressive performance over the last 20 years, during which the various Port houses owned by the family have consistently dominated the medals’ tables, clearly positioning Symington Family Estates as the leading producer of premium quality Port of every category.

......

1809-2009
On the 12th May 1809, one on the major actions of the Peninsular War took place, the liberation of Oporto by the Anglo-Portuguese army led by the Duke of Wellington. A young officer serving in this army was Major William Warre, who had been born in Oporto into the Port family of the same name in 1784. This 25 year old soldier had been sent north of Oporto on his own to try and prevent the escape of the French army under Marshal Soult. At the Salamonde Bridge on the Cavado river...

"The first Warre's vintage to be made entirely from its own vineyards. Fine, fragrant, great aromatic purity yet restrained. Rich, full style, even fleshy. Not as big as some but fine and expressive. Lovely grip, with elegance and poise."
 

Richard Mayson, Decanter Magazine, 01-08-2009
 

Score: 18 Drink 2020-35
Liquorice and richness on the nose. Lots of spice and sweetness and very complete. Perhaps the wine closest to classic vintage port of all the 42 wines tasted here. Biding its time, all in place. Not at all showy. Dry finish. Great balance and integration.
 

Jancis Robinson, jancisrobinson.com, 21-05-2009
 

 An evocative mélange of sweetscented wild flowers, Rainier cherry, cocoa and cool eucalyptus pack a punch to the nose. A tale of two Ports: one side is soft and exudes feminine stylishness and immediate approachability, while the other is endowed with power and massively concentrated fruit. Rich and chewy, showcasing a sweet entry with black cherry, ripe plum and blackcurrant flavors, enhanced by an exemplary level of acidity. The persistent finish is a showstopper while the impressively firm grippy tannins show up in time for the curtain call, allowing this 2007 VP to age effortlessly for three decades minimum, and possibly five. But there’s no reason to wait as it shows lots of charm now, too. 6,500 cases produced (12 x 750s). Simply put, this is the best Warre’s Vintage Port I’ve ever had, at this early stage of its evolution
 

Roy Hersh, For the Love of Port, 01-11-2009
 

"Violets and dried flowers overlay the black fruits on the nose. Blackcurrant and bramble underpinned by sloe give a seductive richness and this is emphasised by the dark chocolate and liquorice. The mid palate is dense packed with fruit power. The polished tannins all add to the seductive feel and the elegance of the finish."
 

Derek Smedley, , 01-05-2009
 

"…a ‘typical cistus nose’…the most intensely dark of all the Symington’s ‘94s. Very sweet, lovely flavour, perfect balance, good length… Great future."
 

Michael Broadbent, Vintage Wine, 01-01-2002
 

"This is a perfect example of the incredibly well-balanced and concentrated 1985 Vintage. This wine is packed with fruit on the nose and palate with a tight firm structure."
 

The Wine Spectator, 01-10-1988
 

"This is like a delicious fresh bowl of fruit. Medium red-ruby with a garnet rim, a nose of cranberries and cherries, full-bodied, with sweet cranberry flavors and a lovely balance of round tannins. A wonderful glass of Port."
 

James Suckling, Vintage Port, 01-01-1990
 

"Offers lovely perfumed aromas and beautiful raspberry and blackberry character, turning to tar, black truffle and wet earth. Full-bodied and medium sweet, with a balance of very chewy tannins and sugary fruit at the finish. This goes on and on. The great 1994 again?"
 

James Suckling, Wine Spectator, 06-05-2009
 

"I have several notes, all good…like all the top ‘27s, it was lively looking with ruby tinge; gentle, fragrant, classic bouquet of great depth; very sweet, full-bodied."
 

Michael Broadbent, Vintage Wine, 01-01-2002
 

WINE SPECTATOR’S 1998 TOP 10 DESSERT WINES
"Warre’s makes back-to-back appearances on our top 100, this time with its single quinta Vintage Port. The Quinta da Cavadinha was purchased by the Symington family in 1978, and in years that it is not bottled as a single quinta, it forms the backbone of Warre’s Vintage Port."
 

James Suckling, Wine Spectator, 31-12-1998
 

"Chocolate, spicy and dark fruit nose. Very concentrated; very silky tannin; fruity finish."
 

International Wine Challenge, 01-10-2007
 

"Warre’s Otima 20 Tawny Port. This 20-year-old is elegant in looks and taste. Its almost translucent copper colour and nutty nose is followed by a rich, smooth and delicate taste. Three was a crowd when I opened the bottle because I wanted it all to myself. It was gone in 20 minutes, It’s not bingeing, it’s bliss."
 

Bernadette Costello, OLN, 04-06-2004
 

91 Warre’s NV Otima 10-Year-Old Tawny Port; $27
An aged tawny that manages effortlessly to combine the freshness of a 10-year-old with the dry, cask-aged flavors of an older tawny. It has dried apricot flavors and orange marmalade, but there is also dryness from wood aging and good concentration.
 

Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast, 01-02-2009
 

The "contemporary" vibe is admirably captured by the clean, elegant clear glass bottle and minimalist labeling, making for an aesthetically pleasing addition to your bar without sacrificing any of the wine's sophistication. On the palate it presents pleasing notes of honey, raisins, nuts and dried fruit. If you've never tried port before we suggest starting here.
 

Jared Paul Stern, Luxist, 23-07-2008
 

"Sweet and rich and well balanced by bright acidity. There is great integration of layers of flavour – marzipan and nuts, dried fruits and raisins, coffee and caramel. Heady stuff."
 

Wine International, 01-10-2004
 

"Oldest of British Port shippers (since 1670)…Fine, elegant, long-maturing vintage wines…excellent LBV; 10 Year old Otima has been huge success."
 

Hugh Johnson, POCKET WINE BOOK, 01-01-2005