APICIVS 1971 opens with a quiet amber glow that deepens into polished mahogany, edged by a rare olive-green rim. Its aromas unfold with poise: eucalyptus honey, balsamic fennel, honeysuckle, beeswax and dried tangerine zest.
Hints of curry, black pepper and tobacco leaf bring gentle spice, wrapped in cedar resin and soft floral notes. On the palate, freshness lifts the richness. Honey, butterscotch and caramelised figs emerge with silken grace.
The finish is long and refined, echoing crème brûlée, wild herbs and citrus peel, in a final note of depth and light.
In stock
450,00 €
Bottled on its jubilee, this Colheita Port stands as a testament to time, mastery, and the unyielding quest for perfection. Each bottle captures a unique, unrepeatable moment, reserved for those who understand that some experiences are beyond acquisition – they are destined.
ORIGIN: Portugal | REGION: Douro | APPELLATION: Port (Protected Designation of Origin) | CATEGORY: Single Harvest | STYLE: Tawny |
COLOR: Red | VINTAGE: 1971 | BOTTLED IN: 2021 |
NUMBER OF BOTTLES: 500
SOILS: Predominantly schist soils.
GRAPE VARIETIES: Due to the viticultural practices of the time, it is impossible to accurately identify all the grape varieties present in this Port wine. Back then, field blends were the norm — vineyards were often planted with numerous varieties side by side, sometimes even mixing white grapes among predominantly red varieties — and many indigenous varieties that remain unclassified or yet to be identified. Nevertheless, available records and empirical knowledge allow for the following composition to be suggested: the first five varieties account for over 60% of the blend, while the following six together represent at least 15% — Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, Touriga Francesa (Touriga Franca), Touriga Nacional, Bastardo, Donzelinho Tinto, Malvasia Preta, Mourisco Tinto (Marufo), Tinta Amarela, Tinta Francisca, among others.
OENOLOGY: Exclusive blend of Port wines from the 1971 harvest, preserved in cask until 2021 — ageing for nearly 50 years in three second-use French oak pipes. Virtually unfiltered, it was bottled in October 2021.
SERVICE: 12 – 16ºC / 54 – 61ºF
PHYSICOCHEMICAL ANALYSES
ALCOHOL CONTENT (% vol.): 19,68%
pH: 3,61
TOTAL ACIDITY (g/L as TARTARIC ACID): 5,8
TOTAL SUGARS (g/L): 174
PACKAGING LOGISTICS
BOTTLE CAPACITY (mL): 750
EMPTY BOTTLE WEIGHT (g): 772
FILLED BOTTLE WEIGHT (g): 1350
BOTTLES/GIFT-BOX (unit): 1
GIFT-BOX GROSS WEIGHT (g): 1725
GIFT-BOX DIMENSIONS(mm): 99,5 x 322 x 99,5
GIFT-BOXES/CASE (units): 6
CASE GROSS WEIGHT (kg): 10,8
CASE DIMENSIONS (mm): 332 x 342 x 210
UPC (EAN-13): 5606545719718
SCC (EAN-14): 15606545719715
PACKAGING MATERIALS / SPECIFICATIONS:
BOTTLE: glass / labeled – fine paper, printed and embossed
CLOSURE: natural cork stopper – cylindrical, custom sized, top-grade cork, individually smelled prior to finishing
CAPSULE: sealing wax
GIFT-BOX: cardboard – coated with printed and embossed fine paper
CASE: corrugated fiberboard – printed
A bright mahogany core gives way to a broad amber rim tinged with discreet olive-green hues — a quiet prelude to what follows.
The nose opens with a balsamic lift, where sawn oak and cedar set a noble tone. Beneath, a dense core of brown sugar, cane honey, roasted coffee beans and walnuts emerges, enriched by subtle buttery accents and a delicate saline trace. Gentle notes of curry and sweet-and-sour wild honey mingle with green tea, all building in a graceful crescendo of aromatic complexity. Nuances of wildflowers, pollen and dry herbs unfold gradually, each wrapped in a refined balsamic breath. A faint echo of cardamom, black pepper and tobacco leaf drifts throughout, adding dimension and warmth.
On the palate, it is full and sweet, immediately unctuous and vibrant. Distinct flavours of walnut, dried tangerine peel, coffee and cardamom rise in layers, held aloft by striking acidity.
The finish is remarkably long — a lingering fusion of freshness and depth, where wild honey and dried physalis bring a final sweet-and-sour flourish to a near-endless aftertaste.
“The 1971 APICIVS Colheita Tawny Port is a field blend bottled September 29, 2021, with a long cork after about 50 years in barrel. It comes in with 166 grams of residual sugar. Initially closed, indeed, in hibernation not long after bottling, this needed the extra couple of days I gave it to wake up. Then, it was a different beast. Rich, smooth and creamy, this is a succulent Tawny that is a bit sugary, but it also has compensating freshness and complexity. It’s concentrated in terms of unctuous texture but is otherwise quite elegant, even understated. There’s not a lot of energy, but it has gentle harmony. The fruit is certainly mature, but the brightness and the sugary decadence make it seem a lot younger. For those celebrating a birthday and even for those who are just looking for a good drink, this will be a pleasure. This release contains 500 bottles, which is all the producer has left. There will be no more. As of yet, there is no importer, but that may change, and there were plans for export. Check in at https://apicivs.com/ for subsequent updates there. It runs about 553 euros in Portugal.
Note: The brand here is actually “Apicius,” but the label looks like “APICIVS,” with the “u” looking like a “v,” as in olden days. It’s still meant to be “APICIUS” since the “v” is not really a “v”; that’s just a design issue. The company representative says: “The brand in use is APICIUS, but we recently also registered the brand APICIVS….We thought it would be interesting to have the spelling of the brand name in Latin, i.e., a “V” for a ”U,” on the label; the new logo of the brand is actually with a “V”. The landing page is apicivs.com but if you go to apicius.pt you’ll be redirected to the same domain ‘apicivs.com.'”
At this point, it’s a coin flip as to which makes more sense to use in a tasting note, but I’ve stuck with what the producer wants, which is also what is on the label. So, that probably makes the most sense in terms of avoiding consumer confusion.
DPWEA stands for Douro and Port Wine Export Agency, d.b.a. exPort. They started exporting lesser-known Port brands in 2013, then started buying and selling bulk Port wines, ‘but we focus on old and rare Port; we find and buy Port wines and prepare batches, some ready for bottling, some almost finished (just in need of fining), very old Port wines and rare vintages (Colheitas/Single Harvests). This year, we decided we should start bottling and selling some of these Ports under our own brand, which we redirected toward the premium and luxury markets….The 1971 vintage is more than a very rare vintage (harvest); these will be (most probably) the very last bottles of a 1971 Single Harvest Tawny Port to be put in the market.’“
Published in October 2021, Week 2 Issue on RobertParker.com
