Rozés Tawny 20 Year Old

Rozés Tawny 20 Year Old

Deep brown colour with a nose that was reminiscent of walking into a port wine cellar combining sweet fruit with old oak. There was a lovely rich warming tasted of dried Christmas fruits and nuts supported by an underlaying quantity of oak.

Porto Poças Vintage Character 2000

Porto Poças Vintage Character 2000

Judging from the packaging this was old stock that had been brought out for the millenium celebrations. As a result it was very cheap! In the glass it was an ominously murky red with a leather nose. However on tasting it was quite a revelation which I can only attribute to it having aged in the bottle over the last nine years. It was smooth and sweet with a hint of berry flavour but it was also developing tawny characteristics having also hints of dried fruits and spices. Towards the end of the bottle a significant deposit became apparent.

Rozés São Pedro das Águias Vintage 2000

Rozés São Pedro das Águias Vintage 2000

Deep purplish ruby colour with a lively sweet grapey nose. A big full bodied taste of rich grapes but still quite a lot of tannins so will probably improve over the next ten years or so.

Quinta do Tedo LBV 2000

Quinta do Tedo LBV 2000

Dark ruby colour with a fruity nose. You could easily think this was a vintage with its big fruity taste combining sweet grapes with a touch of wood. It was smooth and soft with some residual tannins.

Quinta da Peça LBV 1999

Quinta da Peça LBV 1999

Dark ruby colour with a fruity nose. There was a full and rich flavour combining both fresh and dried fruits with a hint of wood and a distinct softness.

Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas Vintage 2001

Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas Vintage 2001

Classic deep purple colour of a young vintage with just a light nose. The taste was full and smooth giving a big mouthful of fresh berries and youthful tannins.

Kopke Colheita 1988 (Bottled 2007)

Kopke Colheita 1988 (Bottled 2007)

Reddish amber and smelling like a port cellar. There was a big satisfying mouthful of rich dried fruits with a long complex woody after taste marked by a good balance of sweetness and dry oak.

Offley Colheita 1994

Offley Colheita 1994

Brownish red colour with a markedly nutty nose. This was a lovely big port with sweet sultanas and raisins balanced by a long lasting oakey finish giving rise to a complex combination of flavours.

Offley Tawny 10 Year Old

Offley Tawny 10 Year Old

Clear brownish red colour with a slight nutty nose. On tasting a good full mouthful of dried fruits and nuts was revealed.

Offley Cachucha

Offley Cachucha

Golden colour with a honey nose. This was characterised by a full bodied grapey sweetness. A great medium dry white which was not too sweet but sweet enough to allow the grapey flavours to develop. A hint of wood gave it extra richness and depth.

Quinta das Lamelas Tawny 10 Year Old

Quinta das Lamelas Tawny 10 Year Old

Clear amber colour with a warm nose. This was markedly sweet combining old fruits with oakey robustness.

Quinta Santa Eufêmia Tawny 10 Year Old

Quinta Santa Eufêmia Tawny 10 Year Old

Clear reddish brown with a rich nutty nose. This port had a lovely fruity and mellow taste combining old fruits and wood. A real pudding of a port.

Graham's Quinta dos Malvedos Vintage 1998

Graham's Quinta dos Malvedos Vintage 1998

Intense deep purple colour with a slightly fruity nose. This port had a full and fruity flavour which was smooth and soft.

Dow's Quinta do Bomfim Vintage 1998

Dow's Quinta do Bomfim Vintage 1998

The colour was a deep intense purple and ruby with a hint of brown. The nose was full and plummy. This was reflected in the taste which was predominated by a smooth and plummy grapiness.

Warre's Quinta da Cavadinha Vintage 1989

Warre's Quinta da Cavadinha Vintage 1989

Slightly oxidised brownish red colour with a big fruity nose. This port was marked by a big satisfying mouthful of fruit flavours being grapey, smooth, soft and complex. Very quaffable.

Taylor's Reserva

Taylor's Reserva

Rich plummy ruby colour with a nose to match. This was rich with plummy fruits and little harshness considering its youth.

Dalva Tawny 20 Year Old

Dalva Tawny 20 Year Old

Well oxidised brown colour with a light nose of old fruit. There was a lingering taste of dried fruits and oak in a well balanced structure.

Feist Tawny 10 Year Old

Feist Tawny 10 Year Old

Well oxidised brownish red with a light nose. This came across as competently made if not very complex combining fresh dried fruits with oakey notes.

Croft Quinta da Roeda Vintage 1995

Croft Quinta da Roeda Vintage 1995

There was a rich dark plummy purple colour with a full nose of ripe grapes. This filled the mouth with fruit and had a lingering after taste. Despite the body it was soft and approachable.

Croft LBV 2003

Croft LBV 2003

Deep plummy colour with a warm fruity nose. This port delivered a big fruity mouthful with hints of wood coming through.

Quinta de Val da Figueira Tawny 10 Year Old

Quinta de Val da Figueira Tawny 10 Year Old

The colour was a deep reddish brown with a pleasantly nutty nose. There was a great combination of dried fruit sweetness combined with spicey old wood. The richness and depth of this port was class leading.

Royal Oporto Ruby Reserve

Royal Oporto Ruby Reserve

Deep ruby colour with a good fruity nose. There were good sugary fruit flavours with a little softness and depth. I found this pleasant and approachable.

Caves Santa Marta Tawny 10 Year Old

Caves Santa Marta Tawny 10 Year Old

We carried this back from our visit to the winery and decided to broach it whilst away rather than lug it home.

It had a golden brown colour with a rich nutty nose. The flavour was a good combination of sweet dried fruits and oak, which made it a pleasant drink if not particularly complex.

Restaurante Velodouro White

Restaurante Velodouro White

Golden brown colour with a honey nose. This port was a lovely combination of rich fruits in a full body.

Rozés Tawny 10 Year Old

Rozés Tawny 10 Year Old

Clear reddish brown colour with a lightly nutty nose. This was a well balanced and competent ten year old combining the usual elements of sweetness, oak and fruit in an enjoyable product but for me it lacked any distinctive character.

Fonseca Tawny 10 Year Old

Fonseca Tawny 10 Year Old

This chilled port was cloudy with a well oxidised brown with a hint of amber. The nose was nutty and warm. The taste was predominantly of sweet dried fruits, sultanas, with a moderate oakiness. There was a softness making this very approachable.

Fonseca LBV 2003

Fonseca LBV 2003

Deep plummy ruby colour with a fruity nose. This had good body, smoothness and a good dose of grapey fruitiness.

Fonseca Sirocco

Fonseca Sirocco

Pale yellow colour with little nose. Quite dry so little grapiness. A pleasant apperitif at this time of the morning though.

Niepoort Tawny 10 Year Old

Niepoort Tawny 10 Year Old

Clear brown colour with a nutty nose. This had a big full bodied flavour that was a well balanced combination of sweetness contrasting oakiness and a touch of dried fruits.

Quinta da Peça Reserva

Quinta da Peça Reserva

Deep plummy red colour with a good fruity nose. This had a quite satisfying taste marked by a soft sweet fruitiness.

Quinta do Portal Reserva

Quinta do Portal Reserva

With and oxidised reddish brown colour this had a distinctively nutty nose. It was well bodied for a youngish tawny combining sweet dried fruit with an astringent contribution from its oakiness.

O Maleiro Restaurante Tawny

O Maleiro Restaurante Tawny

After walking to Caves Santa Marta and back from Peso da Regua we were worn out and well in need of a glass of port to fortify us. Fortunately the owner of the restaurant (José at O Maleiro Restaurante) had spotted us early in the afternoon on our walk. He couldn't believe how far we had been and promptly proffered the following.

The colour was quite red with only a little oxidation. The woodiness was quite striking on the nose. Tasting revealed sweet sugar and dried fruit flavours balanced with a moderate contribution from the oak. In addition there was a herbal component with more than a hint of thyme.

Caves Santa Marta Tawny

Caves Santa Marta Tawny

Well oxidised reddish brown in colour with a warmish nose. This was a competent port showing a good balance between the oak and fruit contributions.

Caves Santa Marta Ruby

Caves Santa Marta Ruby

Deep plummy red colour with a lightly fruity nose. This was a competent and straightforward red port balancing a moderate amount of fruit with tannins.

Caves Santa Marta Lagrima

Caves Santa Marta Lagrima

Very pale yellow with a slight nose. This was very sweet and grapey. I found it interesting to try but too sweet for my taste.

Caves Santa Marta White

Caves Santa Marta White

Very pale yellow with a sweetish nose. This was pleasantly sweet, fruity and fresh.

Porto Reccua Tawny 20 Year Old

Porto Reccua Tawny 20 Year Old

Remarkably pale brown colour with a nose of dried fruits. This port was warming and astringent. The oak component counteracted the sweetness making the taste drier.

Porto Reccua Tawny 10 Year Old

Porto Reccua Tawny 10 Year Old

Darkish clear brown colour with dried fruits on the nose. This had a good balance of oakiness against the sweetness from the berries. However there was surprisingly little fruit flavour in the taste considering their contribution to the nose.

Porto Reccua Tawny

Porto Reccua Tawny

Well oxidised reddish colour with a light nose. This was sweet with hints of wood and dried fruits being well balanced for a youthful tawny.

Porto Reccua White

Porto Reccua White

Deep golden colour with a honey nose. The taste was fresh and fruity being pleasantly smooth.

Restaurant White Port

Restaurant White Port

Pale brown colour with not a lot of nose due to how cold it was. Fortunately it was pleasantly sweet and slightly nutty.

Quinto do Castelinho Tawny 20 Year Old

Quinto do Castelinho Tawny 20 Year Old

Well oxidised rich brown colour with little redness. The nose was impressively nutty and complex with hints of chocolate pudding. The taste was surprisingly light and lacking in complexity following on from the nosing. It consisted of a pleasantly complex caramelly sweetness.

Kopke Tawny 10 Year Old

Kopke Tawny 10 Year Old

Clear dark reddish brown with a nose of Christmas pudding. The taste gave a mellow mingling of sweetness and wood with moist christmas fruit flavours to the fore.

Kopke Colheita 1998 (Bottled 2009)

Kopke Colheita 1998 (Bottled 2009)

Clear brownish red colour with a light nose. This was not an intense tawny but was characterised by a pleasing and warming woody fruitness in a gently harmonious presentation.

Kopke LBV 2003

Kopke LBV 2003

Deep ruby with purple hints and a warm fruity nose. This port was full bodied and well balanced with plenty of rich fruit flavours in a satisfyingly rounded composition.

Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas Vintage 1978

Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas Vintage 1978

Lightly oxidised brownish red colour with a warm nose including dried fruits. This was pleasantly sweet and smooth on the palate. There was a combination of sweet nectar with a plummishness but without a lot of depth.

Cockburn's Light Dry White

Cockburn's Light Dry White

Pale gold colour with a light fruity nose. There was a rich orangey taste although the dryness prevented the grape berry flavours from coming through. Little depth.

Dow's Tawny 20 Year Old

Dow's Tawny 20 Year Old

Deep brown colour with a typically nutty nose. There was a good combination of wood and dried fruit flavours in a satisflying complex depth.

Warre's Otima Tawny 10 Year Old

Warre's Otima Tawny 10 Year Old

Light brown in colour with a nutty nose. A rich and warming mouthful with nutty elements predominating over sultana fruits.

Rozés Tawny 40 Year Old

Rozés Tawny 40 Year Old

Deep brown colour with a deliciously nutty nose. This was still quite sweet, rich an nutty having a long and complex after taste.

This tasting was a memorable occasion in a restaurant in Vila do Conde. My wife spotted the unopened bottle in its smart wooden box on the shelves behind the counter. She expressed so much interest that the owner opened it up and gave her a little taste. This made my sister and I very jealous so we asked how much a glass was. At €9 a glass we couldn't refuse. The next thing we knew practically every one in the restaurant had bought a glass too and the bottle was almost empty. Which just goes to show what a lovely port it was!

The restaurant is still there. It is the Adiga Gavina (Tripadvisor Reviews) and I can recommend it for the excellent charcoal grilled fish cooked outside and the sauce they provide for your boiled potatoes.

Ferreira Tawny

Ferreira Tawny

Reddish brown colour but unable to nose due to the smallness of the tasting glass. However the taste deliciously combined the typical rich sultanas with hints of oakiness.

Taylor's LBV 2003

Taylor's LBV 2003

Intense purplish ruby with a good fruity nose. The taste was moderately fruity with hints of tannins and as consistent as ever.

Taylor's Chip Dry

Taylor's Chip Dry

Clear pale yellow colour with a light grapey nose. The slight sweetness allowed a little bit of the grape flavours to come through the dryness.

Rozés Vintage 2000

Rozés Vintage 2000

Deep ruby colour with a hint of plummy purple and lost of fresh fruit on the nose. This wine was big and fruity having a satisfying amount of body. Surprisingly little tannin considering its youth so easily drinkable now but will it have staying power?

Dalva Colheita 1975

Dalva Colheita 1975

Clear dark brown with a woody alcoholic nose. This wine was pleasantly sweet and oaky in a light body without any great complexity.

Dalva Colheita 1985

Dalva Colheita 1985

Light brown in colour with a hint of nuts on the nose. On tasting nut and wood components predominated over the sweet dried fruits.

Dalva Colheita 1995

Dalva Colheita 1995

Oxidised brown colour with a hint of red combined with a nutty nose. The taste was pleasantly sweet with the characterstics of driend fruits.

Sandeman Tawny 20 Year Old

Sandeman Tawny 20 Year Old

The appearance was a clear bright shiny reddish brown similar to a fox's coat. On the nose oak and fruit could be discerned. The taste combined a dryness from the oak with the sweetness of dried fruits in a relatively light body.

Sandeman Imperial Reserve Tawny

Sandeman Imperial Reserve Tawny

Red colour without much sign of oxidation combined with a sweet nose. Despite the colour this tasted like a typical young tawny combining hints of wood with a mature sweet fruitiness.

Sandeman White

Sandeman White

Typical golden colour with a fruity nose. This was sweet and grapey. Back in the '70s we often had a bottle of this one on the go.

Kopke Vintage 1985

Kopke Vintage 1985

Deep ruby colour with a fruity nose. There was an intense and complex flavour combining fresh grapes with dried fruits and a hint of vanilla.

Kopke Tawny 20 Year Old

Kopke Tawny 20 Year Old

Slightly turbid brown colour with a woody fruity nose. This port was deep and warming combining the sweetness of dried fruits with a dry contribution from the oak.

Kopke Tawny Reserve

Kopke Tawny Reserve

Light reddish brown with a sweetish nose. This wine was sweet with finely balanced contributions from the wood and the fruit.

Kopke Ruby Reserve

Kopke Ruby Reserve

Deep plummy purple with a fruity nose. This tasted of fresh blackberry type fruits, which is a characteristic of only a few examples of this type of port and is a pleasant enough experience when encountered.

Kopke White

Kopke White

Golden colour with a sweet floral nose. The taste was distinctively sweet and fruity allowing the flavour of the white grapes to be clearly discernible.

Cálem Velhotes Tawny

Cálem Velhotes Tawny

Light red colour with a fruity nose hinting at oak. Rich fruity taste with a contribution of oakiness.

Porto Poças White

Porto Poças White

Pale yellow colour with a light fruity nose. Quite sweet and fruity on the palate.

Ferreira Tawny 10 Year Old

Ferreira Tawny 10 Year Old (Quinta do Porto)

Light brown colour with a light nose. Dried fruit taste but without much complexity.

Croft Tawny 20 Year Old

Croft Tawny 20 Year Old

Well oxidised orangey amber colour with dried fruits on the nose. The taste experience was warming with dried fruits and woodiness harmoniously combined into a long caramelly finish.

Croft Pink

Croft Pink

Bright pinkish red colour with a slightly fruity nose. The taste was delightfully fresh being both light and fruity.

Croft Ruby Reserva

Croft Ruby Reserva

Deep red colour with a fruity nose. This was sweet and warming with hints of oak but not very fruity.

Croft Branco

Croft Branco

Golden yellow colour with a honeyish nose. The taste was fresh and grapey.

Quinta da Romaneira Colheita 1970

Quinta da Romaneira Colheita 1970

Deep rich brown colour with a light nutty nose. The flavour was deep rich and complex with a good degree of nuttiness. This was a delicious well matured and harmonious port.

Quinta do Estanho Tawny 20 Year Old

Quinta do Estanho Tawny 20 Year Old

Deep brownish red with a light nose. Sweet and nutty in a harmonious combination but not as much depth as other ports of this age.

Casal dos Jordões Tawny 10 Year Old

Casal dos Jordões Tawny 10 Year Old

Reddish brown colour with an oaky nutty nose. Warm taste with coffee/chocololate elements combining dried fruits, wood, and nuts.

Senhora do Convento Tawny

Senhora do Convento Tawny

Well oxidised reddish brown colour with a fruity nose. The taste was rich and fruity with definite sultana like elements.

Another Restaurante Tawny

Another Restaurant Tawny

Turbid brown with a hint of red, almost chocolate coloured. The nose was sugary which carried through to the taste as it was thick with demarara sugar flavours.

Rozés Branco Extra Seco

Rozés Branco Extra Seco

This is one for those who say they don't like port because it is too sweet. Very pale colour with little nose. This was a strikingly dry white port in which it was difficult to discern fruit elements due to the lack of sugars. However I am sure it could be an interesting experience for those who like their white wines bone dry.

Quinta de la Rosa Tonel No 12 Tawny 10 Year Old

Quinta de la Rosa Tonel No 12 Tawny 10 Year Old

The quinta now has sufficient stocks to prepare this as a ten year old. It had a light brown colour with a nutty nose. The taste was smooth combining the usual dried fruits and nuts but a little less intense than the colheita.

Quinta de la Rosa Colheita 1997

Quinta de la Rosa Colheita 1997

Clear tanned red colour with a nutty nose. This port had a lovely smooth, rich and sweet flavour combining nuts with dried fruit.

Quinta de la Rosa LBV 2003

Quinta de la Rosa LBV 2003

Good red colour with a fruity nose. Rich fruity taste, mellow and well balanced.

Krohn Tawny 10 Year Old

Krohn Tawny 10 Year Old

Very deep brown colour with a strong woody nose. This was a rich wine with a slightly chemical taste. A deep oaky flavour comes through later. This was a wine that I was a bit dubious about at first but in grew on me as it had exceptional depth for a 10 year old.

Quinta da Casa Amarela Tawny 10 Year Old

Quinta da Casa Amarela Tawny 10 Year Old

Clear bright brown liquid with alcohol predominating on the nose, just a hint fruit. However the taste was fuller than the nose suggested being rich and warm with an oaky depth.

Quinta de Ventozelo Tawny

Quinta de Ventozelo Tawny

Turbid reddy brown colour with dried fruits on the nose. This was well balanced being rich sweet and nutty.