1940 Kopke White Colheita

The 1940 White Colheita Port is a blend of approximately 50% Malvasia Fina, 25% Viosinho and 25% Códega coming in with 134 grams of residual sugar. It was bottled with a bar-top cork in June 2020. It's not unusual for really old White Colheitas to seem like the reds. Some producers and consumers like that, some prefer whites to be more, well, white in character. This is certainly one that leans in the direction of seeming more like a red. The color, at the outset, is very dark. It certainly looks like a Tawny, and it smells like Colheita Tawny Port. Then, you get to the mid-palate and flavor. While there are still plenty of similarities, here the white character stands out a little more. It is not quite as rich as the 1940 Tawny this issue and it seems quite elegant. This is not a hit-you-over-the-head style, but it has plenty of everything. I loved its balance. Oddly enough, and against all odds, this became my favorite of the long-aged Kopke submissions this issue. I wasn't expecting this to be my favorite when up against Kopke's lovely Tawnies, but here we are. The combination of acidity, elegance, some caramel and the juicy finish makes this a big star. There's even a nervy edge—but only a hint—as it airs and warms to the upper-50 degrees Fahrenheit. It is surprisingly fresh, though. As elegant as it is, it is still rather rich for a white, and there is plenty of power on the long finish. It became more complex than it was on opening when retasted a few days later. Of course, it had no problem holding for days. I wouldn't call it immortal, but it is certainly resistant. In that regard, it should last indefinitely under cork if there is no cork failure. The end-date drinking window is just a suggestion. At the other end, this needs no bottle age, of course, and likely won't benefit from any. It's ready to roll, and most buy it to drink in the immediate future. Some background: 1940 was the year Kopke was officially recognized as the oldest Port house. The design here and on the 1940 White Colheita is described by the winery this way: "This White Colheita 1940 was launched with the Colheita Tawny 1940 as part of a limited edition. The continuous cycle of the rising and setting of the sun has inspired the concept for this special edition. The 1940 Tawny Colheita has black and white packaging, representing the elegance of the moon, whereas the 1940 White Colheita, with its white and bronze colored packaging, symbolizes the rise and the set of the sun. When joined together, the half-moons depicted on the wines create an eclipse, which metaphorically refers to the eight decades passed until this moment, when we present these wines together."