Graham's LBV 2003
Time to revisit an old friend, especially as 2003 was a classic vintage year. The colour was a dark ruby. I found the nose to be quite striking with a strong smell reminiscent of the inside of a port lodge. There was a good dollop of fruit in the taste combined with an oaky contribution. I wasn't sure about this at first but it really grew on me.
Taylor's LBV 2002
Rich dark ruby colour with a fruity nose. The taste was of soft fruitiness with contributions from tannins and oak. Consistent but perhaps a bit more body than the 2001. Good but predictable.
Sainsbury's Tawny 10 Year Old
Reading the label I saw this had come from Graham's so I bought it as I have always found Graham's tawnies to be among the best. I was not disappointed and was pleasantly surprised at the quality to be found for the price of this own label offering. The colour was a pale brownish red whilst the taste was sweet and nutty combining raisin flavours with oak. Overall a smooth tipple but not as much depth as some 10 year olds.
Dow's Midnight Port
This port is widely available in the UK around Christmas time. I found it to be a pleasant enough if not spetacular basic ruby port. I certainly enjoyed it more than the same brand's Trademark offering.
Niepoort Junior Tinto
Lightly plummy coloured deep ruby. This was sweet and rich with hints of fruitiness. A pleasant enough port but not particularly outstanding.
Fonseca BIN 27
Good deep red colour with a fruity nose. This was very fruity but with a hint of wood preventing it from becoming too mawkish. It was youthful yet full and enjoyable having a definite hint of vanilla contributing to its smoothness.
Smith Woodhouse Fine Tawny
Brownish red well oxidised colour. Tannins and fruit on the nose. This port was a well mellowed and balanced combination of wood and fruit flavours.
Sainsbury's Quinta do Crasto Vintage 2000
I couldn't believe my luck when this appeared on the shelves of our local supermarket under their own label as I was well aware of Quinta do Crasto's reputation. This had a dark ruby but not particularly intense colour. The nose was rich and fruity above the alcohol. On tasting it was pleasantly sweet and fruity with lots of tanin, which became softer after 24 hours in the decanter. In view of the special offer price and using up all my Nectar points, I bought as much of this as I could the following year for the cellar. I will look forward to enjoying it in another 5 years or so when the tanins have mellowed out.
Fonseca Tawny 20 Year Old
I bought this in Fortnum and Mason's in London but was sadly disappointed with it. The colour was a clear brownish red; the amount of redness surprised me in a tawny of this age. I detected hints of oak on the nose. It tasted pleasantly nutty and sweet but with not much depth or complexity. Perhaps it was a little oversweet for me which overwhelmed the contribution from the oak.
Niepoort LBV 2003
Deep ruby colour. This port gave a smooth tasty and fruity mouthful without any harshness.
Vasconcellos Reserve Tawny
Brown colour with an oaky woody nose. This port was a complex and harmonious combination of sweetness, wood flavours and vanillas.
Vasconcellos Tawny
Brown colour with a hint of red and a nutty nose. This was pleasantly sweet and oaky with vanilla tones.
Vasconcellos Branco
This had a light yellow colour with little to note on the nose. This tasted like a typical medium white port being both grapey and pleasant.
Vaconcellos Branco Leve Seco
Very pale colour with a light nose. This tasted grapey but lacking depth it came across more like a white wine that a port.
Graham's Tawny 20 Year Old
Brown colour with a hint of redness. The nose was nutty and woody. This port tasted sweet, smooth and woody matched with a degree of complexity.
Graham's Tawny 10 Year Old
Brown colour with a light nose. This port was typical of its class being smooth, sweet and nutty.
Graham's Tawny
Rich brown colour with a hint of red. The nose was marked by woody nutty scents. This distinctive port had a lovely rich taste of toffee and nuts combined with fruit flavours and a contribution from the oak.
Graham's LBV 2001
Deep ruby colour without much to distinguish on the nose. This was rich and fruity with hints of oak.
Quinta da Romaneira Vintage 1985
Typical rich ruby colour and fruity nose. This was smooth, grapey and very quaffable but didn't carry a lot of complexity.
Quinta do Vallado Tawny 20 Year Old
Clear brown colour with a sweet woody nose. This one harmoniously combined sweet dried fruits with nutty and woody characters.
Quinta Santa Eufêmia Tawny 20 Year Old
Clear brown colour which smelt just like the port wine cellar it had come from. The rich wood flavours were balanced by the fruity sweetness to give a harmonious port but without huge depth.
Ferreira Tawny 20 Year Old (Duque de Bragança)
Clear rich brown colour with a complex nose of tary woodiness. There was a well developed balance of complex flavours like nuts, oak and sultanas in this warmingly rich port.
Ferreira LBV 2000
Deep ruby colour with a sweet fruity nose. This was pleasantly fruity with no harshness, a well crafted port.
Ferreira White
Golden colour. Honeyish grapiness on the nose. This had a pleasingly fresh fruitiness being grapey with hints of honey.
Quinta Seara D'Ordens Vintage 2005
Lovely deep purplish ruby colour. Well as it had only been in the bottle for a year I was surprised at how drinkable this was. It came across as very fresh and fruity but without a lot of depth so I would have my doubts about its cellaring potential.
Quinta do Crasto LBV 2001
Good deep purplish ruby colour with a grapey nose. Deliciously complex and full fruity flavour with well balanced sweetness ensuring that it was not too much like a fruit cordial. However the fruit was quite fresh tasting with noticeable tannins. This was the first tasting of what has become one of my favourite LBVs. It is usually a bit more expensive than most but well worth the extra.
Quinta do Javali LBV 2001
Deep rich purplish ruby colour with a rich and fruity nose. There was a big grapey mouthful with satisfying floral notes and a hint of oak in the finish.
Andresen White 10 Year Old
Light golden colour. There was a lovely blend of grapiness and wood with a distinctive character. I thought this had more complexity than the Quinta Santa Eufêmia equivalent.
Quinta Santa Eufêmia White 30 Year Old
Clear deep brown colour with a sweet and nutty nose. This was sweet, smooth and noticeable complex. The big contribution from the oak gave it a warming depth.
Quinta Santa Eufêmia White 20 Year Old
Mid brown colour with a nose of honey and oak. The flavour was marked by a sweet astringency with only a small contribution from fruit flavours. The oak came through even stronger in the aftertaste.
Quinta Santa Eufêmia White 10 Year Old
Light brown with a tawny like nutty nose. This tasted of dried fruits like sultanas with gentel oakiness and a long after taste.
Royal Oporto Tawny 20 Year Old
Moderate clear brown colour with a hint of redness. Sweet and nutty nose. Sweetness balanced with dry oak flavours giving a complex, interesting and satisfying wine.
Royal Oporto Tawny 10 Year Old
Dark reddish brown with a sweet and nutty nose. Not very fruity but pleasantly complex with a long aftertaste. Good balance of grapey sweetness and oak.
Real Companhia Velha Tawny
Red colour with just a hint of amber. Sweet and grapey, straightforwardly pleasant.
Real Companhia Velha Extra Seco Dry White
Golden colour and nicely grapey without being over dry. To appreciate it at its best do not over chill it.
