Port

[nerissa]

Any Port drinkers out there? I did a search and couldn't find anything. If I am duplicating another thread, please let me know.

When did you first have your first sip of Port?

Do you drink Port often? Or on special occasions?

Do you drink Port with specific crowd/people only?

Do you serve anything special?

Any memorable bottles or nights?

[David De Silva]

I absolutely love port. I enjoy it after a nice dinner, with a good cigar, or just by itself in a contemplative quiet moment. I have found that it's not a drink everyone enjoys. It's often too alchoholic, strong or sweet for non-wine drinkers. I may actually like a good 20 yr (or older) tawny port better than a vintage but both are incredible.

The best bottles I've ever had were a bottle of 20 yr old Sandemans Tawny and a 1983 Grahams vintage. The latter was thick, unctous, sweet, and like velvety heaven! You have to search hard to find a better, more complex, and just completely enjoyable drink than port. Actually, I have a bottle of Smith Woodhouse 1983 vintage port in the cellar that is due for opening, maybe I'll uncork it soon and enjoy!

[Robin Meredith]

My first experience with Port was a glass of Graham's Six Grapes in the upstairs lounge at the Old Faithful lodge in Yellowstone. Memorable setting, OK wine...

If you're curious about Port, you may want to start by getting acquainted with the three basic styles: Ruby, Tawny, and Vintage (there are others, but I'd start with these three).

Ruby Ports are blended wines without vintage dates designed for immediate consumption. Some are labeled with proprietary brand names (Fonseca Bin 27, Sandeman Founder's Reserve, Graham's Six Grapes). They are straightforward, grapey, and sweet, and should not cost more than $20 (preferably under $15).

Tawny Ports have been aged in wood casks for an extended period of time prior to bottling. They are much lighter in color and more complex than Ruby Ports. Some simpler Tawny's don't carry an age designation, but most tell you their minimum age right on the bottle (typically between 10 and 40 years). You can spend a lot on an old Tawny, but you should be able to get a decent 20 year old for $50 or less.

Vintage Ports are bottled after a relatively brief period of aging in wood, so they pick up most of their complexity from extended bottle age. Many people think drinking a Vintage Port with less than 10 years of bottle age is infanticide (I'm not so sure about that, myself). Most bottles that carry a vintage date are Vintage Ports (as long as they don't something else like "Late Bottled Vintage" or "Colheita", two other categories of Port that you may want to pass on for now). The big names are Graham, Fonseca, and Taylor, but there are at least half a dozen other excellent producers. The 2000 vintage has just been released, but I would try to find something older, which isn't that hard with Port - with a bit of luck you should be able to find something from the mid eighties for $40 to $80.

I would consider buying one bottle from each category and comparing them over an extended period (great thing about Port - it holds quite well after being opened, so you should be able to enjoy the bottles over a period of a week or so). See what you like and then experiment some more!

I used to like to serve Port with something (blue cheeses, chocolate, etc.), but these days I find that I enjoy it most on it's own, after dinner or before bed. Unfortunately, Port has just caught up with the rest of the wine market from a pricing standpoint - for the last several years it has been a tremendous value, but the release prices for the 2000 vintage are at an entirely new level.

Good luck!

[Tonyfinch]

Many people think drinking a Vintage Port with less than 10 years of bottle age is infanticide (I'm not so sure about that, myself).

I'd amend that to most people. No-one should be drinking vintage port that is younger than 1985 at the moment, and they will still improve with keeping. 1983s are the best value around in vintage port right now with many commentators rating them higher than 85s, although they are generally cheaper.

77s are wonderful. They are drinking beautifully but they are pricey. I recently tasted several 63s and they've moved on to a new level of maturity,making up in subtlety and elegance what they lack in power and vigour.

The label can be confusing. Ignore "Vintage Character". if buying "Late Bottled Vintage" look for one which says "traditional unfiltered" on the label and decant it. It's worth the faff for five times the quality.

[nerissa]

I like to have a glass occasionally.

When I was 14, my father gave me a Dow '77 Vintage port as a birthday present. How did he know I would like port? Needless to say, I had no concept of how great a gift it was. I opened it in May--for my boyfriend's birthday. After serving bittersweet chocolate cakes with espresso cream on a bed of raspberries for dessert from Gourmet, I set out celery, blue cheese, and walnuts. I have had the same vintage (different month) before and it was divine--I felt like I was drinking elegance.

The 2000s got a great rating. I envy those who have the proper conditions to store port. Robin, those are great suggestions above about getting to know port-- I want to start cooking with it so having various bottles around would facilitate port glazed lamb...hmmmm.

Thanks for the suggestions on 83's and 85s.

[dlc]

I recently tasted several 63s and they've moved on to a new level of maturity,making up in subtlety and elegance what they lack in power and vigour.

Last week opened a 63 Taylor that was fantastic. Tony, you are correct about the lack of vigour but the sensuality and velvet like sweetness was superb.

[porkpa]

Nerissa,

I have heard that port is virtually indestructible under ordinary conditions. Whereas whites and reds require cool temperatures for long storage periods, port will stand up to temperatures that could negatively affect regular wines. Of course all wines will be harmed by extreme temperatures. Please advise if I'm incorrect.

Porkpa

[Tonyfinch]

Well Port is a wine that has been fortified so it is definitely more robust than table wine. However, unlike spirits, it is still a living product and it can and does go out of condition if improperly stored for any length of time. Also it deteriorates rapidly once opened.

There's no reason to store port any differently from any other good wine and every reason to drink the whole bottle once you've opened it.