Kopke is the oldest Port house in the world, founded in 1638 and thriving nearly four centuries on. It is the name to reach for when you want Colheita, the single-vintage tawny Kopke has done better than anyone, so if you love mature, nutty, cask-aged Port, start here.
Nearly four centuries of Port from the Douro
Nicolau Kopke shipped his first wine in 1638, decades before the Douro was mapped out as a demarcated region. The house later bought Quinta de São Luiz and built its lodges across the water in Vila Nova de Gaia, where the barrels rest in the cool and slowly turn amber. Kopke now belongs to the Sogevinus group, but its patient, oxidative style has never wavered. It sits at the heart of any serious Port selection and the broader family of fortified wine.
Colheita, aged tawny and white Port explained
Colheita is Kopke's calling card: a tawny from a single harvest, aged in cask for at least a decade and often far longer, until it turns deep and complex. Expect walnut, dried apricot, caramel, orange peel and warm spice on a long nutty finish. Alongside the Colheitas sit the classic aged tawnies at 10, 20, 30 and 40 Year Old, plus a fine white Port in both fresh apéritif styles and old cask-aged bottlings, all from the terraces of northern Portugal.
Kopke Port FAQ
What is Colheita Port?
A Colheita is a tawny Port from a single year, aged in barrel rather than bottle. The wood softens the fruit and builds those nutty, caramelised notes. Kopke bottles old vintages, so you can often drink a Port from your birth year.
How should I serve Kopke tawny and Colheita?
Serve lightly chilled, around 14 to 16 degrees. Once open it keeps for weeks, so there is no rush. It loves nuts, hard cheese, pecan tart or dark chocolate.
Is Kopke worth the money?
For the age in the glass, yes. A forty-year-old Colheita costs a fraction of a comparably aged still wine, which makes Kopke one of the best-value routes into serious aged Port.