Offley, Vintage Port

Offley is famed for its association with James Joseph Forrester, the 19th-century visionary who played a key role in expanding the Port wine industry. Since its acquisition by Sogrape in 1996, the house has undergone a quality renaissance, led by winemaker Luís Sottomayor, the International Wine Challenge’s ‘Fortified Winemaker of the Year’ 2022. Today, inspired by Forrester’s innovative spirit, Offley is renowned for its modern, fruit-driven styles of Port made with fruit from prime vineyard sites in the Cima Corgo.

In 1737, the house was founded in London by William Offley, and, by 1787, was described as ‘one of the most considerable English houses at Porto’. In 1831, Joseph James Forrester came to Porto to join his uncle in what was then Offley, Forrester and Webber. Entrepreneurial, charismatic, and pioneering, Forrester took the company from strength to strength and by the 1850s, Offley was the third largest exporter of Port.

Forrester was the first person to map the Douro Valley. He researched viticulture extensively, wrote several essays on the Port trade and painted many of the Douro’s stunning landscapes. In recognition of his vast contribution to the Douro, the King of Portugal granted him the title of Baron of Forrester in 1855. Tragically, he died in a boating accident on the Douro River in 1861. Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, a great friend of Forrester, was also aboard the fateful boat, but miraculously survived as her skirts ballooned and kept her afloat.

Offley is recognised for its vibrant, approachable styles of Port, from the benchmark Ruby Port and quirky Rosé Port to the Late Bottled Vintage and Vintage Port. The latest 2022 vintage declaration, only the seventh declaration in almost a quarter of a century, was described by Luís Sottomayor as “a very difficult year, one of the toughest in memory”, producing a Vintage Port of “exceptional volume and remarkable structure”. The Offley range of Aged Tawnies is equally impressive and beautifully balances the evolved dried fruit flavours of oxidative ageing in barrel with a refreshing acidity. The Colheitas 2004 and 2006, Tawnies from a single vintage, are also a feat of balance.