Sandeman rarities are full of poetry and exclusivity. These extremely limited releases are occasionally available, selected from the company’s long cherished and extensive old wine library.
Sandeman rarities' date back to the foundation years. The 1797 is described by George Sandeman over a glass with the Duke of Wellington in 1809, as “THE FINEST PORTO WINE EVER KNOWN”. Other early Sandeman vintages include the 1811 ‘Comet’ and 1815 ‘Waterloo’ alongside, the 1822 and the 1834. Sandeman’s 1847 was tasted by Michael Broadbent in 1956 and recorded in his Great Vintage Wine Book as having “a beautiful autumnal colour” and “unbelievable on the palate”. George Sandeman decants a 1982 Sandeman Vintage Porto. Watch the video.
Below is a list of Sandeman Vintage Portos tasted over the years. Comments are from Michael Broadbent of Christies and from Vintages of the Century.
1797: “The best Porto Vintage the world has ever known”. George Sandeman, writing in 1809.
1847: The greatest 19th century Porto vintage: Very pale but still with a tinge of pink – a beautiful autumnal colour, unbelievable on the palate – still though faded, no hardness, little fruit but still a fine delicate drink. (Tasted April 1956 – 5 stars, my top rating for a great experience).
1894: An even, light brown colour; delicate, liquorice-like nose, very good and holding remarkably well; sweet, light in body but a lovely, rounded, well balanced flavour. Very lively and firm for age. (Tasted January and March 1966 – 3 stars).
1896: A great and prolific end of century vintage, but alas, Sandeman only tasted once: a Harveys of Bristol bottling with a mushroomy nose and a musty flavour. ‘Over the top’. (Noted February 1967).
1897: Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Vintage. Shortage of brandy for fortification so Scotch Whisky used instead! A three-bottle magnum from Tim Sandeman’s cellars. Fine, medium deep colour: spicy, fragrant bouquet – remarkably good; drying out a little, fine cob-nut flavour, very rich. Fabulous perfect condition – one of the finest Portos ever drunk. No flavour of whisky noticed. (Tasted at Waterloo dinner – September 1976 – 5 stars).
1900: The declaration of the 1900 vintage is, globally, considered the first of 4 declarations of high quality vintages before the 1st World War. At Sandman’s the late maturing vineyards produced the best wines, due to the fact that they avoided being diluted by the rains in September. Sandeman’s 1900 Vintage Porto is a unique and precious wine.
1904: A Harvey bottling; also a magnum of Avery’s. Medium pale, mature colour; sweet, fruity bouquet – lovely, hint of vanilla; still quite sweet, medium light and fading but very flavoury. Very good. (Tasted Harvey’s January 1967 and Avery’s July 1978 – both 4 stars).
1908: Bottled by A. & E. Hunter Bury St. Edmunds in 1908. Original embossed lead capsule , original cork, crumbly, branded (SAND)EMAN 1908. At 6.50 p.m., prior to decanting: medium pale, warm amber, very little red; deep, sweet, high toned, slightly varnishing bouquet; still sweet, delicious flavour, good length lovely warm finish. (Dining at home, July 2000 – 5 stars – my top mark!).
1911: King George V’s “Coronation” Vintage, shipped only by Sandeman. Pale tawny with amber rim, and ‘beeswing’; beautiful bouquet though brandy showing through; still quite sweet, light body and style though firm. Lovely flavour reminiscent of crystallized violets. Tasted several times in the 1960’s. (Last tasted in November 1964 – 4 stars).
1912: An excellent Vintage Porto. A good harvest with ideal weather took place in Sandeman before the rains started. The wine has a very interesting complex bouquet that still reveals some freshness.
1917: Tasted in mid 1960’s: lovely amber red: beautiful bouquet; sweet smooth and silky. A decade later, bottled in 1919 by Lockets of Liverpool: lighter, more mature; touch of Spanish root (liquorice) on the nose. (Last tasted in March 1973 – 2 stars).
1920: The year produced good grape maturation making good wines, robust and intense. The production was small but the quality “was definitely above average”. The wine is balanced and mature, well aged and full of flavour.
1927: One of the great Vintage Portos of the Century. According to reports at the time “all wines have very beautiful colours, good body and considerable aroma/taste, (…) reminding us in several ways of the wines from 1912 but with more flavour”. The colour is of medium intensity and the magnum and tregnum bottles show more concentration. Smooth, delicate bouquet, intense and very aromatic.
1931: Fairly deep, mature; very rich, sort of mulberry-like fruitiness; sweet, fruity, lovely flavour, tannic finish. (Tasted 1971 and 1975 – 4 stars).
1934: Full, fat and chocolatey in 1955, sweet and absolute perfection in 1967. More recently, still fat but loosing its lustre. (Not taste since 1971 – 3 stars).
1935: A great vintage. Last tasted from a “tregnum” or “cock” (three-bottle magnum): medium colour; excellent, gentle candle-wax bouquet, sweet, soft, perfect flavour and condition. (Last tasted January 1977 but probably still excellent – 4 stars).
1943: Very limited quantity. The wine reveals a very slight amber colour, typical of the tawny Portos and is very well balanced in fruit richness and maturity.
1945: Great vintage, small crop. Several notes. In the late 1950’s, even in 1970: fullish; chocolaty sweet nose and flavour; fine, chunky wine. Most recently in war time green bottle. Labelled. Level into neck but protruding cork, drawn 6.15 p.m. Lovely, medium pale, rosy hue; attractive bouquet but showing age; sweet, mature, lovely old flavour, good taste, dry finish. (Last tasted dining at home, November 2000 – 4 stars).
1946: (Not officially ‘declared’). Depth of colour; gentle, old, spicy bouquet; sweetness and weight, very flavour and pleasant. (Tasted only once, in June 1977 – 2 stars).
1947: Variable. A Harvey bottling: light, fair, fruity in 1958. In 1961 another (unknown) bottler: fullish ruby colour; dull nose; sweet, fullish, some softness – but a good “officer’s mess” Porto. Most recently fully labelled, bottled 1949, wax seal over remains of lead capsule, embossed Sandeman& Co. 1947 vintage. Medium pale, fully mature, little red; lean, spicy, spirity, lacking fruit; medium sweet, light, spirity, lacking flesh, fruit faded (Last noted at a classic vintage Porto tasting in Miami in March 1998 – 3 stars).
1948: A very good Vintage year although frequently underestimated.
1950: Tasted five times since 1962 but none recently. By the late 1970’s: medium, plummy, mature colour; distinctly sweet nose with a sort of pasty vanilla character; still quite sweet on the palate, light style, pleasant, full of flavour, with a very slightly bitter finish. (Last tasted May 1978 – 3 stars).
1953: An unstable year. Not declared. Dry and excessively hot in August, but with good weather conditions during the harvest Two pipes were made to celebrate the births of Carl and George Sandeman (7th generation). The wines has reached maturity, and is both aromatic and delicate.
1954: A good Vintage, somewhat underrated, especially when 1955 was declared. Unstable weather conditions but saved by very good harvest conditions. The wines display medium colour density and a very pleasant and stable maturation.
1955: An excellent vintage. Residual sugar 2.9º. Price £150 per pipe. Tasted and enjoyed a dozen times since 1958 (when it was very deep in colour, though displaying signs of early maturing), not counting a bad bottle affected by cork weevil in 1969. Sandeman’s own bottling (in Oporto) seems lighter and more mature in colour, perhaps softer (in 1977) than a more recently tasted English bottling: medium deep colour; soft, sweet bouquet with some depth; very good flavour, firm, well balanced. (Not tasted since 1978 but will still be excellent. At least – 4 stars).
1957: An uncertain climatic year with some good wines. Was foreseen, correctly that this wine would have a rapid maturation and would become an attractive and delicate Porto.
1958: Sweet, soft and full of flavour from the first tasting in 1966. A good colour; complete, fruity, slightly peppery nose; sweet, gentle, attractive and nearing peak in 1980. More recently, paler colour, fully mature; surprisingly sweet, drinking well. (Last noted at a Distillers Court luncheon in June 1996 – 3 stars).
1960: Consistently good with steady progress from first tasting in 1966. In the late 1970´s a very fine colour, medium deep, maturing; sweet, well developed bouquet; distinctly sweet, soft, fleshy. A very agreeable mouthful. Two recent notes, both bottled by Harveys. Fully matured, mellow appearance; good, ‘classic’, liquorice nose; still fairly sweet, nice weight, delicious flavour. (Last tasted at a dinner party at home, June 1999 – 4 stars).
1962: Pleasant colour; self-assured nose; nice wine but lacking a bit of flesh. (Tasted in 1974, and 1976 – 2 stars).
1963: Classic vintage. Sandeman one of the deeper coloured ’63s: full, plummy colour; good nose, fruity and peppery; very sweet when young, full-bodied with lots of grip. In the late 1970s still needing more time. Recent notes: retaining good colour; classic nose; medium sweet – drying out a little, a touch of leanness but very good flavour. Probably the best post war Sandeman. (Last noted at dinner, December 2000 – 4 stars).
1966: Medium, very mature in appearance; a little closed; rich enough, good shape, leanish, a pleasant familiar style (Not tasted since September 1978 – 2 stars).
1967: Very deep colour but maturing; sweet, soft and forthcoming bouquet; sweet, medium full, attractive, developing nicely. (Tasted November 1976, by now fully matured – 3 stars).
1970: A very good, somewhat underrated vintage. Sandeman tasted on six occasions since early 1975. During this period, consistently deep coloured, an immature plummy purple; nose sweet but closed still; sweet, full, rich, crisp, tannic. (should be at its best now say – 4 stars).
1975: For a light vintage a very deep plummy purple; nose delicate, a bit spirity; very sweet, full, soft and rich. (Not tasted since 1979. Fully mature now. Drink soon – 3 stars).
1977: “Made from “A” grape vineyards, vintaged in ideal weather conditions producing 1st class wines with impressive robustness. The excellent quality of Sandeman 1977 is indisputable and in our opinion this wine will be compared with the great wines of this century such as the 1945”. (Tim Sandeman) A great wine to be consumed now and in the future.
1980: “Due to the richness in colour intense fruit flavour and its impressive finish, Sandeman 1980 promises to be a wine of considerable character when mature. The 1980 should as was the 1960, be at maturity sooner rather than later” (David Sandeman). The wine still has great intensity of colour, aroma and flavour. It should continue to develop its potential over the next few years.
1982: “The 1982 will long be remembered for its rich colour and its intense grape aroma. It’s a firm, robust wine reminiscent of the 1966…”(David Sandeman). The 1982 Sandeman is now at its ideal moment of maturation showing great elegance and complexity. Very pleasant and at its optimum to be drunk.
George Sandeman decants a 1982 Sandeman Vintage Porto. Watch the video.
1985: Though not a great vintage, one of my favourites. Medium deep, fairly mature; classic ‘liquorice’ bouquet; sweet, nice balance of fresh and soft fruit, finishes a bit hot but drinking well. (Served at a Distillers Company Livery lunch at Vintners’ Hall, February 2001 – 4 stars)
1988: The first “Single Quinta Vintage” produced at Quinta do Vau a classified “A” vineyard from the Cima Corgo in the Douro. The viticultural year in this area produced very good and complete maturations. The final blend selected for this wine is very powerful with massive colour, rich fruit and excellent tannin structure. Good ageing potential and will develop well over the next decades.
1994: This is the most recent classic Sandeman Vintage. A deep ruby colour, very well balanced, rich and intense aromas, very complex fruit and in the mouth elegant tannins. The wine will complete its maturity in bottle over the next two decades developing elegant aromas and ever-greater concentration.
1997: Opaque; classic, “figgy” aroma; very sweet, attractive flavour. Very good future (Noted at the MW tasting of 1997 Vintage Portos, June 1999 – potential 4 stars or more).
2007: “Fantastic aromas of crushed blackberry and mineral. Amazing. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins that are mouth puckering, with dark chocolate and intense, fresh dark fruits. Long and very pretty. The best in decades. Score: 93-96”, James Suckling, Wine Spectator.