Port ProDuCers anD shiPPers 223Martinez Gassiot became a public company in 1902. In 1961 it was taken over by Harvey
of Bristol. A year later Harvey acquired Cockburn and two of the keenest rivals in the
Port trade found themselves together under the same umbrella. Both companies formed
part of Allied Domecq before being taken over by the Symington Family in 2010. The
Symingtons intend to retain Martinez as a specialist Port brand in certain markets.
Under Allied Domecq, Martinez was largely relegated to a vehicle for ‘own label’ sales.
Nevertheless, a small amount of Port was bottled under the Martinez label including
some good aged tawnies and middle-weight vintage. Past Martinez vintages (like 1963)
were relatively lightweight, but wines from 1994, 1991 and 1985 score more highly than
those from its sibling Cockburn in comparative tastings. Until 2007 Martinez had the
additional support of Quinta da Eira Velha, which was also bottled as a single-quinta
vintage Port.
Messias
Sociedade Agricola e Commercial dos Vinhos Messias SA
Rua José Mariani, 139, apartado 1566, 4401-901 Vila nova de Gaia
tel. (351) 223 745 770
http://www.cavesmessias.pt
The Messias family entered the Port business in 1934 and run it in tandem with a winery
in Bairrada. The company has a substantial vineyard holding in the Douro with two
properties, Quinta do Cachão and Quinta do Rei at Ferradosa in the Douro Superior,
adding up to 130 hectares of vines. The company’s main markets are Belgium, Holland
and Portugal and, reflecting demand, the majority of its wines tend to be light and
insubstantial young tawnies. Messias has a rather quirky approach to vintages, declaring
years like 1979, 1984 and 1989. From 1989 to 1994, Quinta do Cachão underwent
substantial replanting and no vintages were declared. In the 1970s and 1980s, Messias
vintage Ports have proved to be very variable in quality but I have tasted some attractive
wines from the 1960s, among them the fresh, floral Cachão 1960. Messias also produce
a range of Douro wines from Quinta do Cachão.
Morgan
Morgan dates back to 1715 and the company remained in family hands until 1952 when it
was bought by Croft. The company had a strong reputation for tawny Port in the nineteenth
century and the old Morgan brand of ‘Dixon’s Double Diamond’ is mentioned by Dickens
in Nicholas Nickleby. When Croft was sold by Diageo to the Fladgate Partnership in 2001, it
was a requirement of the sale that the Morgan brand name should no longer be used, owing
to the fact that Captain Morgan rum is owned by Diageo.