1918 Cooperativa del Vermelha Quinta Do Conego Fortified Wine Portugal (375 mL) Half-Bottle

The 1918 Cooperativa del Vermelha Quinta Do Conego Fortified Wine Portugal is one of the greatest treasures we’ve ever offered at Wine Access. Harvested in the early autumn of 1918, aged 79 years in cask before being bottled in 1997, this is an ancient Port by another name—and a once-in-a-lifetime experience that begs to be shared with loved ones. 

A close cousin to Portugal’s most famous style of wine, it bears all the charms of an ancient Port: It’s deep amber in appearance, with aromas of dried figs, tangy spiced marmalade, crushed nuts, preserved tobacco, ripe and baked cherries, candied strawberries, plums, and apricots and an unbelievably layered and complex palate. It will cellar well for another decade at least, but why wait? 

We secured this bottle through one of our most connected importers of Portuguese wines. Effectively, it’s a century-old Port wine. But while Port must be produced in the Douro Valley, this Vinho Licoroso Portuguese comes from Estremadura province, located farther south on the Portuguese coast and named for its distance from the Douro.

Port has very defined winemaking rules, while Vinho Licoroso Portuguese—which simply means “Fortified Portuguese Wine”—gives the winemakers more leeway in terms of grape varieties, techniques, ABV, and aging. 

When this wine was vinified, most grapes were grown by family producers, who submitted them to a local cooperative to be made into wine. The exact blend is unknown, although the traditional grapes grown in the region are the same ones that thrive in Portugal now: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cão, and many more.