Producer Description:

Offley is a historic Port wine producer founded in London in 1737 by William Offley. Initially established as a wine trading company, Offley soon began exporting and producing its own Port wines, gaining international recognition for high-quality and innovative offerings. A pivotal figure in the company's history is Joseph James Forrester, who joined in the 1830s and was later honoured with the title of Baron by the King of Portugal for his significant contributions to the Port wine industry. Forrester devoted his life to improving Port production and mapping the Douro region, leaving a lasting legacy on both Offley and the broader Port wine industry.
 
A Brief History of Port Wine:
Port wine is a fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. Its origins date back to the 17th century when English merchants began adding brandy to Portuguese wines to preserve them during long sea voyages. This fortification process resulted in the sweet, rich flavours characteristic of Port. Over time, Port wine gained popularity, leading to the establishment of numerous Port houses, including Offley, which have played a significant role in its development and global appreciation.
 
Tasting Note for Offley Boa Vista 1963 Vintage Port:
The 1963 Offley Boa Vista Vintage Port is a testament to the exceptional quality of that vintage. In the glass, it presents a beautiful pale red hue with distinct bricking, indicative of its age. The nose is complex, offering aromas of tropical fruits intertwined with fresh mint notes. On the palate, it delivers a sweet brown sugar impact, leading to a hot mid-palate and a sweet late palate full of stewed plums. The wine exhibits significant acidity and a pronounced warmth, culminating in a gentle finish of dry espresso that is very long, with lingering plum flavors.
Additional notes highlight its bright and vibrant appearance, with a superb dried fruit and nut nose reminiscent of Christmas cake, complemented by concentrated spicy black fruit streaks with tar. On the attack, it shows good fruit concentration and remarkable freshness, being very smooth and rich, and is considered very classy indeed. This vintage is drinking beautifully now but can continue to evolve with further cellaring.