Single quinta vintage ports are relative newcomers to the world of port, dating back to the early 1980s. Created from a single vineyard property (or quinta), they are usually produced during undeclared years. The port house may deem that wine from a particular estate is of exceptional depth and character, due to site, micro-climate, etc., then a single quinta wine bearing a vintage date may be released. A single quinta wine provides consumers a vintage-style wine derived from a good but undeclared year.

Wine maker notes

Cockburn's Quinta dos Canais is a traditional, terraced Upper Douro river quinta that has been producing superior wines for many years. The property has consistently provided the grapes that are the backbone of Cockburn's declared vintages. Considered the "jewel in the crown," the property was purchased in 1989, and consists of some 740 acres (300 hectares) of vineyards on the North bank of the Douro. The plantings here face South, and therefore benefit from long hours of sunlight. Under the regional classification system, the vineyard has been awarded the highest possible rating. Originally five separate quintas, Canais was combined into a single large property around the turn of the century. Its abundant water supply, conserved from run off and channeled around the upper elevations, gave the property its name; canais is the Portuguese word for canals. The vineyard is currently undergoing further development. Varietal blocks are being planted, a practice pioneered by Cockburn's in the region.