2019 Maynard's - Vintage Port (750ml)

Maynard's takes its name from Walter Maynard, born in 1652, one of the first traders to export Port to England and an ancestor of the van Zeller family through marriage. Today it is the flagship brand of the family's Vinihold company, made by Barão de Vilar, which was established in 1996. The van Zeller family previously owned Quinta do Noval, where winemaker Alvaro van Zeller began his career.

Barão de Vilar draws Port grapes from estates across the Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo, and Douro Superior, mainly from Quinta do Saião and Quinta de Zom in the Douro Superior. The 2019 harvest followed two very small crops and delivered yields closer to average. Winter and spring were dry and summer stayed cooler than in 2018, with late-August rain helping the grapes ripen fully over a six-week harvest. The vintage is widely regarded as fresh and elegant.

Ports from 2019 are typically lively, with good natural acidity and a little less concentration than the 2017 and 2018 vintages. Bottled unfiltered in recent years, Maynard's Vintage Ports are made with long cellaring in mind, and this bottle rewards those who can wait.