Graham's, the Port wine house owned by Symington Family Estates, has just released the 1997 Single Harvest Tawny Port. Under the name The Apprentice, this is the latest release to join the trilogy of Single Harvest Tawny Cellar Master Ports, which also includes The Artisan – 1974 and The Master – 1950.
The release recalls the early career of Charles Symington, the current head winemaker at Graham's and a fourth-generation member of the Symington family. In 1997, Charles Symington began his apprenticeship alongside his father, Peter. Working together for over 10 years (before Peter's retirement), he learned the complexities of winemaking before taking on the role of production director at the family business. The 1997 harvest produced exceptional wines, which father and son decided to bottle as Vintage Port; some were also selected for long aging in oak casks.
Single Harvest Tawny – The Apprentice
After 25 years of monitoring the evolution of this wine, Charles Symington selected the remaining casks for limited bottling and subsequent release. The Single Harvest Tawny – The Apprentice 1997 thus celebrates “the expertise and experience required to age Graham's wines in cask over decades, as well as the knowledge passed down from generation to generation .”
The wine still displays the freshness of youth, in harmony with the refinement that comes from aging in seasoned casks. “ This wine is particularly close to me and marks the beginning of my own journey as a winemaker ,” says Charles Symington. “ After two and a half decades of aging, this wine is impeccably smooth and balanced. It has aromas of quince with notes of vanilla, soft caramel and raisins. It also has fresh red fruit flavors, with a citrusy acidity in the background. It is a perfect expression of the youngest of the three Graham's Single Harvest Tawnies that make up the Cellar Master's Trilogy ,” he concludes.
The 1997 Single Harvest Tawny replaces the 1994 edition, the last cask of which was bottled and released to the market. It should also be noted that Graham's "The Cellar Master's Trilogy" collection won the Best Design for Fortified Brand Award at the 2020 Wine Design Challenge.
