This superior wine comes from Quintas which produce the great Cockburn vintages in the upper Doura Valley of of the Demarcated Douro Region.It has been aged in lodges and bottled in Vila Nova de Gaia, accross the river from Oporto, and softened into the smooth, mellow, distinctive character demanded by the discerning palate.Cockburn's Special Reserve is the world's most popular premium port. Special Reserve is a medium dark ruby colour, with a deep garnet edge. The blend has a clean aroma, showing maturity and finesse, with a hint of dried plums. Off dry to medium sweet, Special Reserve has a rich, mellow texture and smooth tannin structure, with a long, satisfying finish. The classic way to serve Special Reserve is with aged Stilton cheese after dinner. Or enjoy with roasted almonds or walnuts and squares of rich, dark chocolate for a simple but elegant dessert.

Special Reserve is a "vintage character" port, intended to reflect a shipper’s Vintage Port style. Vintage Character ports are matured before release and ready to enjoy when bottled, without the need for decanting. These offer the taste of a vintage port with about 5 years of bottle age. Vintage character ports are a blend of fine ruby ports from various years and vineyards, aged in large vats to retain their ruby red color and bottled ready to drink after filtration.

Cockburn’s focuses much of its expertise on maintaining the quality of Special Reserve. Special Reserve fruit is picked at the peak of ripeness from single varietal vineyards in the finest vineyard areas. Slightly longer fermentation produces a less sweet finish, highlighting fruit and tannin structure, known as "grip." A higher percentage of older wines in the Special Reserve blend creates a complex, layered wine that is the Cockburn’s signature style. Only the five best port grapes are used in Special Reserve: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tintã Cão, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca. Special Reserve is a "vintage character" port, intended to reflect a shipper's Vintage Port style. Vintage Character ports are matured before release and ready to enjoy when bottled, without the need for decanting. \nThese offer the taste of a vintage port with about 5 years of bottle age. Vintage character ports are a blend of fine ruby ports from various years and vineyards, aged in large vats to retain their ruby red colour and bottled ready to drink after filtration.