Waitrose No1 Tawny Reserve

 Waitrose No1 Tawny Reserve

 Here we have a tawny port put together by the Symingtons for Waitrose.

The colour was a deep brown amber with a hint of red. There was just a little nuttiness in the nose. In the mouth it was well rounded with a good body and a smooth feel. The predominant flavour was a fair amount of dry oak mellowed by a sweet fruitiness. I hesitate to refer to prunes but that was the word that sprung to mind. But yes, the fruitiness really was of a dried plum nature but in a more subtle way than you get from eating tinned prunes. All together a very approachable example of a reserve tawny port that you don't have to take out a loan for to buy.

Quinta do Crasto Vintage 2004

Quinta do Crasto Vintage 2004

Here we are with another Crasto Vintage from Sainsbury's that has been in our cellar for a good many years.

 

There was a dark ruby colour with a significant amount of oxidation. The nose was a mixture of plummy fruits and strong alcohol. The taste was rich and fruity with a long finish. A little spiciness remained from the tannins but in a beneficial way giving structure to the overall flavour.

Quinta da Romaneira Vintage 2004

 Quinta da Romaneira Vintage 2004

Despite two years in a balseiro and 18 years in a bottle this port still had a deep rich ruby colour with hardly any oxidation at all. This was probably helped by the quality of the cork which showed little sign of deterioration. The nose was redolent with rich plummy scents which led to anticipation of what was to follow.

Tasting revealed a rich and fruity port with deep plummy flavours and without any harshness or disagreable characteristics at all. It was sweet and redolent with fresh red berry tastes despite the fact that the berries had been picked twenty years ago. I raise my glass to the roga who brought these grapes in from the field so that it could bring me so much pleasure after the passage of twenty years.

Armilar 10 Year Old

Armilar 10 Year Old

This ten year old was ridiculously cheap in a certain discount supermarket. The colour was a deep amber with a hint of redness. The nose was light but contained a good mix of sweet spices and oak. Tasting revealed a full bodied richness with a good balance of sweet dried fruit flavours and astringent oak. This wasn't the most complex 10 year old port that I've tasted but it didn't disappoint. How they can sell it at such a bargain price I cannot imagine.

Fletcher's Ruby Reserve

Fletcher's Ruby Reserve

Deep ruby colour with a lightly fruity nose. This port had a soft and fruity character. It had a good balance of fruit flavours and tannins within a gentle rather than rich body.

Taylor's LBV 2017

Taylor's LBV 2017

Inky dark ruby colour with a fruity and alcoholic nose. The taste was a balance between rich fruity flavours and a marked spiciness. This was a smooth and rich port which was eminently drinkable but lacked character.

Taylor's Golden Age 50 Year Old

 Taylor's Golden Age 50 Year Old

 Deep reddish brown colour with a nose strongly reminiscent of an old wine cellar combining a sweet fruity element with a mellow mustiness. Tasting revealed a complex mouthful of flavours having a dry oakiness to the fore. This was followed by a rich fruitiness consisting of dried fruits, plums and walnuts. As you would expect the after taste was rich and long lived.