A unique occurrence.
A rare moment that may never
be repeated again in this lifetime.

Van Zellers & Co XIX
The Rare Port Collection

The VAN ZELLERS & CO XIX THE RARE PORT COLLECTION is a lifetime achievement.
It is the unveiling of three Very Very Old Tawny Portos,
that have silently been ageing in very old oak casks for over a century.
Cristiano Van Zeller has been keeping them alive through
a pristine balance of both art and science.

ALL THREE ARE OUTSTANDING, DIFFERENT FROM EACH
OTHER IN WAYS THAT I FOUND HARD TO DESCRIBE:
ELIXIRS OF LONG STEWARDSHIP, LIQUID HISTORY.

Julia Harding, in JancisRobinson.com, December 2023

A TRIBUTE TO LIBERTY,
FAMILY AND POETRY

Through Liberty, we have chosen them.
Through Family, we have cared for them.
Through Poetry, we are sharing them.

OPEN HERE
TO FIND MORE

CRISTIANO VAN ZELLER is the 14th generation of a family continuously working in the Douro region since 1620, producing and selling Port and Douro Wines. He has dedicated his life to Port and the Douro region. He recognizes through experience, taste and intuition the quality behind each wine. This knowledge has been acquired together with the many family master blenders (provadores, in portuguese), Cristiano met throughout his life. Through this experience, Cristiano has tasted and crafted exquisite Port blends for over 40 years. The Van Zellers & Co XIX The Rare Port Collection are three unique Ports that Cristiano has found ageing in old cellars in the Douro and has helped keep alive along many years. This is the unveiling of this long liquid history.

CRAFTED
BY LIBERTY

The first is dating from the time Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th President of the United States of America, in 1860. This Port wine is a tribute to Liberty.

97 POINTS

“It reveals fine filigree scents and flavours of esteva, black pepper, lavender and cardamom, with cedar, pine needle, safron and liquorice emerging in the mouth.”

Sarah Ahmed
in DECANTER magazine

19.5 POINTS

“But even while trying to tease out all these complex, intervowen impressions, the overriding one is elegance, refinement and remarkable freshness. Utterly mouth-watering on the finish.”

Julia Harding
in JancisRobinson.com

CRAFTED
BY FAMILY

The second, an exquisite Very Very Old Tawny Port is dating from the time and celebrates the marriage, in 1870, of two branches of the van Zeller family, the great-great grandparents of the current generation that owns Van Zellers & Co. This Port wine is a tribute to Family.

19 POINTS

“Of these three very old tawnies, this is the exhibitionist.”

Julia Harding
in JancisRobinson.com

CRAFTED
BY POETRY

The third is an exceptional Very Very Old Tawny Port, from the time one of the greatest Portuguese poets, Fernando Pessoa, who was born in 1888. Throughout time, Ports gain characteristics that are more easily felt than described. This Port wine is a tribute to Poetry.

20 POINTS

“So incredibly concentrated that it is almost, but not quite, over the top. The very long and mouth-watering finish with a touch of saltiness, keeps all that intensity in bounds.”

Julia Harding
in JancisRobinson.com

“The Van Zellers are Douro royalty. This charming family have been involved in wine production in the heart of the majestic Douro Valley since 1620. Representing the 14th and 15th generation, Cristiano Van Zeller and his daughter Francisca are also great Ambassadors for the jewels of the ‘River of Gold’. This is their latest creation which goes to the very font and soul of this ancient wine region’.”

Ben Howkins, author of Rich Rare & Red, a Guide to Port

A CAREFULLY CRAFTED OFFER

All small details have been cared for through
the choice of the most respected and
experienced craftsman.

HAND-BLOWN BOTTLES
This Rare Port Collection has three uniquely
hand-blown bottles. This is a craft known to
very few in Portugal.

VISTA ALEGRE ATLANTIS CRAFTED DECANTERS
Close work with Atlantis / Vista Alegre, with decades’ old
expertise in crystal pieces.

LEITÃO & IRMÃO SILVER NECKLACES
Three silver necklaces have been designed by
Leitão & Irmão, the official Portuguese crown
jewellers, founded in the 19th Century.

THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 75 SPECIAL COLLECTIONS MADE AVAILABLE.