Review: NV Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Porto

Graham’s Six Grapes is one of the most widely bottled Ports and a wine I’ve tasted on many occasions over the years, simply because it’s everywhere. Somehow we have never reviewed it, until today.

The story of the name goes like this:

Originating in the 19th century, Graham’s winemakers would mark each barrel of port using grape symbols to rate the wine from one to six. The symbol of six grapes denoted complexity, structure, and balance. Wines destined for Vintage Port. But not all of them.

By the early 1900’s, Graham’s started bottling wine selected from these barrels to produce a reserve port like no other: Six Grapes. Over a century later, the wine continues to be Graham’s signature reserve port.

In the bottle today you’ll find nonvintage ruby Port aged for two years. It’s an absolutely no-nonsense, straightforward experience, bursting with raisin notes along with some blackberry and blueberry elements, both dripping in syrup. Honey and chocolate elements give the wine even more sweetness, and crushed maraschino cherry notes add the proverbial garnish on the top. It’s sweet and fruity and sometimes a bit cloying, and that’s that.

I’m still happy to sip a glass of it with dessert, but only when serious thinking about the experience is not required.

B / $27

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