2024 - The First Universal Vintage Port Declaration Since 2017 Buy En Primeur
The stars aligned for the 2024 vintage. The first universally declared Vintage Port since 2017, this is a landmark release that combines exceptional growing conditions with a new era in Port production.
If you've ever considered buying Vintage Port, this is the vintage to look at. Not only are the wines exceptional, but the way they are being made, sold and enjoyed has evolved dramatically.
More approachable than ever
Forget the old perception that Vintage Port needs decades before it's drinkable. Advances in winemaking and subtle changes in grape blending have produced wines with softer tannins, greater elegance and remarkable accessibility from a young age. The 2024s favour finesse over sheer power.
The fortification spirit has also improved enormously. Until 1991, producers were restricted to using Portuguese aguardente. Since the rules changed, leading houses have been able to source and refine their own spirit, resulting in a much purer, better-integrated fortification that enhances the wine rather than dominating it in its youth.
So much has changed that some leading critics have even stopped including drinking windows in their reviews, recognising that these wines can be enjoyed across a far broader timescale than previous generations.
Buy En Primeur – there may be no second chance
Perhaps the biggest change concerns availability.
Symington Family Estates – including Graham's, Dow's, Warre's and Quinta do Vesuvio – have confirmed that once the initial En Primeur offer closes, they will not be releasing further UK stock. Instead, the wines will remain in their own cellars for future library releases
To put that into perspective, Symington's 1985 Private Cellar Release was launched last year at around £240 per bottle, with impeccable provenance. Today's En Primeur pricing offers a rare opportunity before these wines disappear into the producer's cellars.
Think differently about Port
Vintage Port deserves to rediscover itself in much the same way Champagne did during the 1990s. Champagne successfully moved beyond being reserved solely for celebrations to becoming a wine enjoyed throughout the year.
Perhaps it's time to think about Port differently too. Rather than saving it exclusively for the end of a meal, enjoy it as part of the meal itself – with fine cheeses, charcuterie or rich seasonal dishes. If opening a full bottle feels like too much, half bottles are an excellent alternative, offering all the enjoyment with less commitment.
In Bond or Duty Paid?
We can supply the 2024 Vintage Ports either In Bond or Duty Paid. However, with storage charges continuing to rise and these wines offering much earlier drinking pleasure than previous vintages, purchasing Duty Paid may prove the more practical option, provided you have suitable storage at home.
The 2024 Vintage Ports represent a landmark release: the first universal declaration since 2017, a vintage where the stars truly aligned, offering exceptional quality, earlier drinkability and a buying opportunity that may not be repeated once the En Primeur campaign closes.
We expect the port to land in the UK Autumn 2026 and can arrange delivery to anywhere in the UK.
This offer ends 31st July 2026
