Colheita Port is, in effect, a single-vintage Tawny Port. It is similar to Tawny Port in appearance and flavor because, like good quality Tawny, it is aged in wood for at least seven years, giving it a nutty, oxidised character. The key difference, however, is that Colheita is the product of a single vintage, and can show considerable variation from year to year.
The word colheita is Portuguese for 'harvest' or 'vintage', but Colheita port is stylistically quite different from Vintage Port, which is typically more robust, and is barrel-aged for no more than a few years. Colheita port, although legally required to spend seven years in barrel, often spends as long as 20 years. During this time, the wine undergoes oxidative aging, making it closer in style to aged tawny than any other port style.
Both the vintage year and the date of bottling are included on front and back labels respectively, and should serve as a consumption guide: generally, Colheita Port should be consumed within a year of bottling.
