In December, an exciting “new” Port will be released by the port house Taylor’s after 150 years of aging in cask.

Scion, a “perfect condition” port dating back to 1855, is one of the rarest in the world as it dates back to the pre-phylloxera period.

The port which has been classified by the Port Institute as Very Old Tawny will cost £2,500 per bottle and the entire stock of Scion, amounts to 1,400 bottles.

At a tawny port masterclass held in central London recently, the managing director of Taylor’s, explained why the wine was so “exceptional”.

“No one else has ever done this, this is something totally exceptional. We have scoured the valley for old wines that could be used in our blends but normally, when you find something old, the aging process has been so intense the wines are too cloying,” he said.

“But with Scion we wouldn’t blend because the wine’s perfect; it’s got everything,” adding that the wine has been kept in a basement cellar in conditions which he described as perfect. Taylor’s purchased the port from a distinguished Douro family who had kept the wine in a private family reserve.

“The port house had previously entered into discussions with the heiress owner about acquiring some of her wine but was not able to conclude. But, following her death, Taylor’s was contacted about the prior discussions and new negotiations were re-established and a deal was agreed upon in January this year.” Scion will be offered in a bespoke collector’s presentation box which pays homage to the period in which the 155-year-old port was made. The wine itself will be contained in a bespoke crystal decanter and included in the presentation box will be a limited edition book detailing the historical journey of the liqueur wine.