1972 was a declared Port vintage, but PortDB records it thinly. It was a limited declaration — Dow's shipped a general Vintage Port, and PortDB rates that wine good, which stands as the year's rating here — but it rests on a single record, so treat it as provisional rather than a survey of the vintage. The dataset holds 1 wine from the year. Windows open 1994, with decline modelled from 2062.
- Rating
- Declaration
- Limited
- Houses declaring
- 1
- Wines in PortDB
- 1
- Windows open
- 1994
- Tiers
- 1 good
Every 1972 Port
-
Dow's Vintage Port
Partial/limited Dow declaration in an off year
1972 prime 1994–2027 2062Opens 1994 · prime to 2027 · declining from 2062
SourceWineWiki: 1972 partial declaration, Dow essentially the only major house
1972 in context
See every year rated on the Port vintage chart, the greatest years ranked in best years for Port, or compare the shippers on the Port houses.
Common questions about 1972 Port
Was 1972 a good year for Port?
1972 was declared, so the house that shipped it — Dow's — judged the year outstanding. But PortDB holds only 1 general declaration for 1972, which is too thin to rate the vintage as a whole, so the good rating here is provisional. Tier judgements reflect critic consensus and are editorial; which houses declared is public record.
Which houses declared 1972?
Dow's. PortDB's dataset is not exhaustive — it holds the houses it has been able to verify against primary sources.
When should you drink 1972 Port?
Every 1972 in the dataset has its own modelled window above. Across all 1 wine, windows open 1994 and decline is modelled from 2062. There is no spread to speak of: every 1972 here comes from a structured house, a build that takes about 22 years to open — stretched by the strength of the vintage. To check a specific bottle against today's date, use the maturity tool. These are modelled windows, not measurements: storage and bottle variation move the goalposts.