Gilbert's

Gilbert’s is a Port wine brand based in the Douro Valley in northern Portugal. The brand was founded when Karl Gilbert (born 1875) married Nanni Burmester of the Porto wine‑merchand family, and in 1952 his sons acquired a Port house originally founded in 1914 by Alcino Correia Ribeiro—thus establishing Gilbert’s as a Port house. In 1962 “Gilberts & Co.” was formally established alongside the Burmester brand. Later, ownership transferred: the Amorim family acquired the brand around 1999, and subsequently it became part of the portfolio of Sogevinus Fine Wines (which holds multiple historic Port brands). Gilbert’s produces a range of styles including Vintage Port, Colheita (single‑vintage tawny) and Tawnies of varying ages; for example there is a 10 Years Old Tawny Port bottled in 2001. The brand has notable older bottlings: a 1940 Gilbert’s Colheita Port is listed for sale and indicates a heritage of long‑aged tawny style production. Critical reception: For example the 1994 Gilbert’s Vintage Port from the Douro was rated 86 points by Falstaff in 2016. The production method follows the Douro tradition of fortified wine: grapes grown in the Douro region are harvested, fermentation is stopped by addition of grape spirit, aging in oak casks, and subsequent blending/aging before bottling. (While not specific only to Gilbert’s, this is confirmed for their 10 years old Tawny description). Gilbert’s sits somewhat apart from the largest “house” names in Port, offering a combination of history, aged stocks, and historic tawny/colheita styles, which may appeal to collectors and those exploring non‑mainstream houses. The availability of very old vintages (e.g., 1900, 1940) suggests serious cellar potential.