From the Vine - Pass the Port

My trigger for visiting Oporto was a bottle of Cockburn’s 1963; a classic year, but at £150 well past its best. No-one had warned me about the hills and it took considerable stamina to taste 55 ports in just three days. I returned with 17 different ports from 13 different producers, having barely scratched the surface.

Port, a fortified wine produced in Portugal’s Douro valley, is ranked alongside the world’s finest. Grape spirit is added during production to stop fermentation early, retaining some sugar, producing a sweet wine around 20%abv alcohol.

Although 18th centurywine growers and landowners were Portuguese, we British bought the wines,
aged them in Oporto, and handled their export; familiar names are Grahams, Taylors, Sandeman
and Cockburns. As many port producers are now owned by conglomerates I sought out smaller
producers, with styles and prices to suit everyone.

The main styles are Ruby, Tawny and White, with Rosé being a recent innovation. Most ports are made from a blend of wines from different years, the exception being Colheita, using grapes from a single year’s “vintage” harvest.

Within each port style there are a number of categories:
Aged (10yr, 20yr); Reserve; Late BottledVintage (LBV); Crusted; Single Quinta (single vineyard).

Although over 100 grape varieties are approved for Duoro wine making, five varieties are usually
used for port – Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Touriga Francesa, and Touriga
Nacional. White port is a blend of white grapes.

Several port houses now offer ports made from a single grape variety, blends such as Graham’s
“6 Grapes”, or Quinta do Portal’s “29 Grapes”.

Colour can vary fromlight brown to rich ruby red, dependent upon age and use ofwood; a comparative tasting can be enlightening as the taste can vary from very sweet to extra dry.

Vintage years are only declared in exceptional years. For those wishing to invest in port, the 2011
vintage is said to be stunning, with the classic character of a good vintage year, with finesse and
polish. Ready for drinking in the next five years, it will keep for another 20. At under £100 a bottle,
prices are not steep for this quality.
Each style has an optimum serving temperature:

Quinta De La Rosa, 10 yr. Old Tawny – £21.50 (The LittleWine Shop, Taunton) – creamy on the
palate, with oodles of chocolate, berries and nuts.
Quinta De La Rosa Finest Reserve – £21 (Tim’s Wines, South Petherton) – deep ruby with plenty
of forward fruit, full bodied with a long dry finish.
Churchill’s LBV 2005 – £21 (Ilminster Book Shop) – herbal, pine notes on the nose, with
pomegranate and chocolate on the palate.
Krohn Colheita 2001,Wiese & Krohn – £18.84 (Rodney Fletcher Vintners – David Hinmer 01460
66165) – award-winning, like soft toffee on the nose, caramelised berries and dried figs on the palate.
Burmester Extra Dry White – £8.75 – strawcoloured, with tropical fruits and citrus. Dry, fruity and smooth.
Quinta Santa Eufemia, 20yr. OldWhite – £27.20 (50cl.) – great complexity from wood ageing, yet
fresh in the mouth.
Quinta Do Estanho Special White Reserve – £15 – Golden amber, with tropical crystallised
fruits and spice on the nose. Balanced sweetness and acidity, long and delicate.
Kopke – the oldest port house still operating, whose speciality is Colheita ports.

Article as seen in Somerset Living Page 46| Living FOOD & DRINK - Feb 2018