Sir Winston Churchill once said, “Wine is the drink for boys. Port for men.” Now that sounds very politically incorrect these days. After all, it’s 2018!
But there is an essence of truth in Winston’s quote. While wine is generally 12 per cent to 14 per cent alcohol, port is fortified with extra alcohol and is often 20 per cent. Not only is it a stronger drink, it is more complex, and young palates don’t appreciate all the layers of scents and flavours in port.
Last week I wrote about the bottle aged vintage port. It’s at the top of the port pile as far as aging potential, prestige, and of course price, are concerned. A 1985 Fonseca vintage port will set you back $249.99!
It’s made only from the best grapes of a single vintage, and only in years that have been “declared” vintage-worthy, which usually happens just a few times a decade. And it can take decades to age, mellow and develop its finest complexity of bouquet and flavour.
If you want to enjoy a delicious sweet red port without waiting for a decade or so, then a late bottled vintage (LBV) is your cup of tea…I mean port. At the recent Vancouver Wine Festival, I enjoyed the Dow 2011 Late Bottled Vintage ($24.99). Dow is owned by the Symington family who have been producing port for 14 generations back to 1652. They know what they are doing!
LBVs spend at least two more years aging in wood than a vintage. The result is a smoother wine that can be enjoyed as soon as you purchase it, instead of cellaring it for decades. And because it doesn’t age in the bottle for as long as a vintage port, it doesn’t require decanting where you carefully pour off the clear wine from the sediment at the bottom.
Here is how the BCLDB describes the Dow, “Supple, with intense blueberry and dried raspberry flavours that are accented by luscious notes of allspice and hints of mint. The concentrated finish features dark chocolate and white pepper.” In other words, yum! It’s available at the Brighouse and Ironwood government stores.
Another classic style of port is tawny. While vintage is bottle aged, tawny port is aged in wood for often 10 to 20 years. Once it’s bottled, it ages no further and doesn’t deposit sediment so there’s no need for decanting.
Its name, tawny, refers to its brown amber colour that develops with its contact with the wood. I describe it as crème brûlèe in a glass. Toffee, caramel, raisins, honey, apricot and nuts, oh my! Wonderful with dark chocolate, or nuts or Stilton blue cheese. In the summer chill the port as the French do and sip it as an apéritif. Some say it’s even great over vanilla ice cream!
Fonseca ($38.99) and Graham’s ($38.99) are two delicious 10-year-old tawny ports to enjoy. And Taylor Fladgate ($69.99) and Sandman ($63.99) are two elegant 20-year-old tawnys readily available.
Eric Hanson is a retired Richmond teacher and wine journalist
