Porto Rocha
Porto Rocha – Sogevinus Fine Wines S.A.
| Founded |
1850 |
| Owner |
Sogevinus |
In 1850 António da Rocha Leão established his own Portuguese House among the famous British Port Wine Lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia across the Douro River from Oporto. He picked a fortunate time to start his own House with many fine vintages declared during the 1850’s, especially the ”Great Exhibition” vintage of 1851. Porto Rocha was well-established and survived the phyloxera epidemic that wiped out many small shippers in the late 1870’s. In 1947 Porto Rocha was acquired by the Barros Almeida group. As part of the Barros Almeida group, Porto Rocha was during some years bottled and shipped by the Douro Wine Shippers and Growers Association, which was also part of the Barros Almeida group. In 2006 Barros Almeida was acquired by Sogevinus. Porto Rocha is now under the management of the Sogevinus wine group. Today it maintains its own special character and independent cellar reserves alongside such other Sogevinus firms as Calem, Burmester, Barros and C. N. Kopke.
| Porto Rocha Vintages: | 1851, 1929, 1960, 1966, 1970, 1977, 1980, 1985, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2009 |
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Vintage Port tasting notes:
| House | Rocha | Vintage | 1970 |
| Colour | Quite beautiful, mature yellow in colour. | Number of tastings | 1 |
| Bouquet | Cacao, dark chocolate, sweet liquorice, some coffee and cardamom in the nose. | Score range | 16.90 - 16.90 |
| Taste | Medium body. Mature, peaking and on top. Balanced and quite complex and elegant. Sweet liquorice, cacao and cardamom in taste with a long and quite attractive finish. Lovely port! | Average score | |
| Last tasted | 3rd February 2018 | Point this date | 16.90 |
| Comment | At home with the family
| Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
| House | Rocha | Vintage | 1989 |
| Colour | Yellow mature in colour. | Number of tastings | 8 |
| Bouquet | Dried fruit, French plums, Christmas spiciness, cacao, roasted coffee beans, and burned sugar in the nose. | Score range | 15.25 - 16.00 |
| Taste | Medium body. Mature and peaking. Balanced but no fruit left. French plums, coffee beans, cacao and spiciness in taste. Easy to drink. A modern vintage port quite dry and with an attractive finish. Lovely port indeed | Average score | 15.58 |
| Last tasted | 25th August 2023 | Point this date | 16.00 |
| Comment | Tasted at home with the family.
In 2019 this vintage took part in a Great Tasting in the Wine Society 18%. For points and ranking see Great Tastings. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
| House | Rocha | Vintage | 1997 |
| Colour | Yellow mature in colour. | Number of tastings | 5 |
| Bouquet | Toffee, candy, cacao, dark chocolate and fudge in the nose. | Score range | 15.25 - 15.75 |
| Taste | Medium body. Mature and peaking and will not improve. Candy, toffee and fudge in flavour. Balanced but a quite dry port with a quite elegant and attractive finish. A modern port easy to drink and like. | Average score | 15.50 |
| Last tasted | 30th May 2023 | Point this date | 15.50 |
| Comment | Tasted at home in 13th International Online Vintage Tasting with our German Port Friends from World of Port.
| Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
| House | Rocha | Vintage | 1999 |
| Colour | Yellow and mature in colour. | Number of tastings | 14 |
| Bouquet | Very nice nose of cacao, chocolate, butterscotch, toffee, some coffee beans, sweet liquorice and old grocery shop in the nose. | Score range | 15.25 - 15.90 |
| Taste | Medium body. Quite mature and peaking. Balanced and quite elegant. Sweet with liquorice, toffee, chocolate and some herbs in flavour and an attractive and quite long finish. Easy to drink and like. Drink it now and enjoy it. | Average score | 15.54 |
| Last tasted | 18th January 2024 | Point this date | 15.90 |
| Comment | Tasted at a Semi-Great Tasting with the Wine Society 18% in Malmö.
| Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
| House | Rocha | Vintage | 2003 |
| Colour | Still quite dark but yellow mature in colour | Number of tastings | 4 |
| Bouquet | Dark chocolate, cacao, toffee and some candy in the nose. | Score range | 15.00 - 15.75 |
| Taste | Medium body. Mature and peaking and will not be better. Balanced and elegant, modern port with not so much backbone but easy to drink and like. Dark chocolate, cacao and liquorice in taste. Rather complex and a quite lovely finish. | Average score | 15.31 |
| Last tasted | 5th January 2024 | Point this date | 15.25 |
| Comment | Tasted at home with the family.
| Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |