Six Grapes Reserve Port

About this wine

Six Grapes Reserve is scented with ripe blackberry, black cherry and cassis, with clear notes of liquorice and a touch of dark chocolate. On the palate the wine is full bodied and fruit driven, showing concentrated black fruit, a firm backbone of fine tannins and a bright thread of acidity that keeps the sweetness balanced. The texture is smooth and generous, with layers of fruit and a subtle toasted note from short ageing in seasoned vats. The wine is made principally from Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca, fermented by variety and parcel to preserve each component. Graham’s typically ages Six Grapes for around one to two years before bottling, and it is bottled at about 20 percent alcohol, reflecting traditional Douro reserve Port methods.

About the grape

Touriga Franca is a widely planted Douro variety known for floral aromatics and reliable yields, and in Six Grapes it often provides the perfume and mid palate lift while being fermented in single variety lots before blending. Touriga Nacional is a Portuguese native prized for its thick skins and concentration, historically rare but now prized in top Port blends for structure and aging potential from old schist terraces. Tinta Roriz is the local name for Tempranillo, an early ripening variety that brings red fruit and backbone, and it is commonly grown on Douro slopes to add frame and acidity to the blend. Tinta Barroca was traditionally planted on warmer valley sites for its ability to ripen fully and add softness and sweetness, and in this bottling it helps round the texture after a short maturation in seasoned vats.

Quick facts

• 🏷️ The name and label come from a 19th-century practice where coopers stenciled barrels with up to six grape symbols and six grapes meant the wine had vintage potential.
• 🛳️ Six Grapes was chosen for the maiden Gala Dinner of the ocean liner Queen Mary in 1936 and was served again on the Queen Mary 2’s maiden gala in 2004.
• 🏡 A limited ‘Vila Velha’ edition was bottled as a tribute to James Symington and is made solely from grapes at Quinta da Vila Velha.
• 🎩 Winston Churchill reportedly ordered Graham’s Six Grapes as his only brand of Port, making it a favorite of one of the 20th century’s most famous statesmen.
• 🍇 Although rich and full-bodied like a young vintage, Six Grapes is intentionally bottled after brief ageing so it tastes approachable and vibrant straight from release.

Palate profile

Producer

Graham’s was founded in 1820 by brothers William and John Graham, who moved from trading textiles into Port after accepting 27 barrels of Port in settlement of a debt. The house grew quickly in reputation, and in 1890 it acquired Quinta dos Malvedos in the Douro and built its famous lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia to mature wines in a cooler maritime setting. Andrew James Symington began working with the company in 1882, starting a long family association with the brand. The Symington family acquired Graham’s in 1970 and has continued to develop its range and global presence as a leading Port producer. In 2020, Graham’s marked its bicentenary, celebrating 200 years of Port making heritage.