M&S Royal Palace Reserve Tawny

M&S Royal Palace Reserve Tawny

Deep reddish amber colour with a rich fruit cake nose. This port was very sweet to the point that it had a mildly medicinal flavour. Dry burnt oak elements were modified by the sweet flavours of dried fruits.

Vista Alegre LBV 2013 (Bottled 2017)

Vista Alegre LBV 2013 (Bottled 2017)

The colour was an impressively dark inky ruby which was accompanied by an intense nose combining both plummy fruit scents and a hint of oak. Tasting revealed a satisfying richness backed by fat fruity flavours. Tannins were quite noticeable so this unfiltered offering may benefit from a further three or four years in the bottle if you prefer something softer.

Quevedo Dry White

Quevedo Dry White

A rich golden colour bordering on amber was accompanied by a not unpleasant scent of fresh mixed fruit and vegetables such as you might encounter on entering a greengrocer's shop. A light spiciness was encountered on tasting with just a hint of fruit carried through on the subtle sweetness. This was a bit like Goldilocks' porridge: not too sweet and not too dry making it just right. However if you are looking for something really dry this might disappoint.

Vista Alegre Vintage 2007

Vista Alegre Vintage 2007

With a deep and intense ruby colour and a rich plummy nose the omens were good. Typical of the Vista Alegre style this was a smooth fruity and rich port. Whilst not as bold as some of the more famous brands it was still very enjoyable and perhaps somewhat more approachable. At this age there were still some tannins coming through so in three or four years time this should prove to be an elegant contribution to any dinner party.

Quinta de la Rosa Val do Inferno Vintage 1999

Quinta de la Rosa Val do Inferno Vintage 1999

We learned earlier this year that Tim Bergqvist passed away recently so we will enjoy this rare bottle in his honour as he would have played a big part in its production. We last had a bottle of this port four years ago when it was in great condition. Now we have reached the twenty year mark it is time to see how our last bottle has done.

The port was clear having a very deep ruby colour and an amber tinge. The nose was quite light while hinting at a rich fruitiness. On tasting the first impression was of a rich sweet plum flavours backed with a subtle spiciness. The body was adequate but not as striking as some vintages; this is not surprising for a vintage made from grapes from such a compact location. It was beginning to taste old and did not have the freshness that was experienced a four years ago. If you are lucky enough to have a bottle you should probably enjoy it soon.

When I came to rinse the bottle out there was a considerable deposit. The colour and texture of it in the sink took me back to a time when we were treading in the lagar at La Rosa. Tim and his caseiro were taking samples from the adjacent lagar and plotting the results on a graph. Just as we were finishing about 11 pm they decided that it was time to add the aguadente to the port and to run it off for ageing. It was quite an experience to be able to watch the spirit being added to the must as it was run off. Then spirit was sprayed over the residue in the lagar filling the air with the strong alcoholic fumes. At the end of the process at around midnight a couple of guys had the hard job of emptying the gubbins from the lagar so that it would be ready for the next batch of grapes.

Dow's Vintage 1977

Dow's Vintage 1977

Clear red colour with a brownish tinge showing considerable oxidation. Warm rich nose with a hint of plum. A rich and sweet mouthful of plummy fruits was matched with a long spicy finish. This was a superb bottle of vintage port at its peak.

Quevedo Colheita 1974

Quevedo Colheita 1974

Moderately turbid having a brown colour with a reddish tinge. The nose was reminiscent of a typical port cellar combining old oaky flavours with a sweet fruitiness and a hint of whitewashed masonry. The flavour was full bodied and reflected the elements detected on the nose. It combined Christmas pudding flavours with a subtle oakiness and a not unpleasant sensation of dried brick dust. This combination gave rise to a complex and fascinating port which deserved relaxed appreciation.

Pacheca Reserve Port

Pacheca Reserve Port

Deep reddish brown colour with a rich and fruity nose. This port turned out to be a top notch tawny reserve. In the mouth it was full bodied and sweet balancing plummy and dried fruit flavours with a good degree of dry oak to balance out the sweetness.

Kopke Colheita 1999 bottled 2019

Kopke Colheita 1999 bottled 2019

Clear moderate brown colour with an amber tinge the nose was sweet and nutty. Sweet dry fruit flavours were combined with old oak to give this port both long lasting depth and complexity.

Kopke 10 yo White

Kopke 10 yo White

Rich golden colour with a sweet nutty nose. This port was sweet and fruity with a significant contribution from old wood which gave depth and complexity.

Graham's Natura Reserve

Graham's Natura Reserve

Rich ruby colour with a soft fruity nose. This port was full bodied and fruity combining plummy flavours with a smooth and well developed finish. Having only light tannins it was very approachable.

Vasques de Carvalho 40 yo Tqwny

Vasques de Carvalho 40 yo Tawny

Deep amber colour with a rich sweet and oaky nose. Sweet dry fruits combine with complex oak flavours to give this port a deep and complex body.

Vasques de Carvalho 30 yo Tawny

Vasques de Carvalho 30 yo Tawny

Moderate brownish amber colour with a rich nose of old wine and oak. Intense sweet dried fruit flavours combined with a rich dry oakiness give this port an enviable balance.

Vasques de Carvalho 10 yo Tawny

Vasques de Carvalho 10 yo Tawny

Deep clear brown colour with a lightish nose. Despite the nose this port proved to be sweet, rich and complex combining citrus flavours with dried fruits and old oak.

Vasques de Carvalho Tawny Reserve

Vasques de Carvalho Tawny Reserve

Reddish brown with a nose combing both fruit and oak. This wine was sweet but the sweetness was balanced with a good dry woody astrigency.

Vasques de Carvalho Vintage 2016

Vasques de Carvalho Vintage 2016

Intense ruby colour with a strong fresh grapey nose. This port had a full body with young fresh berry flavours and subtle tannins.

Vasques de Carvalho LBV 2013

Vasques de Carvalho LBV 2013

Deep ruby colour with a soft fruity nose. Rich and fruity with marked tannins so I'ld probably leave it in the cellar for another five years. However a delicious and full bodied port.

Vasques de Carvalho White Reserva

Vasques de Carvalho White Reserva

Deep amber colour with a nutty nose. Sweet and fruity with a lovely complex oaky contribution whilst retaining the lightness of a white port. This port has clearly spent a while in small barrels.

Niepoort 10 yo White

Niepoort 10 yo White

Rich golden colour with a lightly oaky nose. Full bodied and quite sweet, this port exhibited rich fruit flavours with a subtle contribution from the wood.

Royal Oporto Colheita 1976 Bottled 2016

Royal Oporto Colheita 1976 Bottled 2016

Clear deep amber colour with a rich citrussy oaky nose. Lovely sweet taste tempered with rich dark oak astrigency. This port was full bodied and satisfyingly complex with hints of burnt orange and toasted almonds.

Quinta do Portal Colheita 2004 Bottled 2016

Quinta do Portal Colheita 2004 Bottled 2016

Cloudy reddish brown colour with a sweet oakey nose. Sweet and grapey with a strong burnt oak component. From what we were told on the tour they have a lot of wine barrels coming through after they've been used for wine. I guess this has been aged in such young barrels from the predominance of the burnt oak flavours.

Quinta do Portal Rosé

Quinta do Portal Pink

Pleasant pink colour with cherries on the nose. Very sweet and youthful with fresh and lively cherry flavours predominating.

Quinta do Portal 10 yo White

Quinta do Portal 10 yo White

Light amber colour with a markedly woody nose. This was moderately sweet and grapey whilst a flavour of freshly sawn oak was predominant.

Souza 10 Year Old

Souza 10 Year Old

Clear brown colour with a hint of amber. The nose was sweet and oaky. Whilst not having a lot of body this port was sweet and woody. We bought this in a supermarket on the basis of Sogevinus being mentioned on the label. Although enjoyable it wasn't a patch on the Kopke equivalent.

St. Bart White

St. Bart White

This was a cheap white from a local supermarket so we weren't expting much. It had a clear pale yellow colour with a clean fruity nose. Served well child it was pleasant enough being quite sweet and fruity and having a rich warming follow.

Ferreira Dona Antonia10 Year Old

Ferreira Dona Antonia10 Year Old

Rich caramel nose with a deep brown colour. This port was satisfyingly traditional having a sweet character and rich oakiness combined with complex flavours of dried fruits and orange peel.

Feuerheerd's 10 Year Old Tawny

Feuerheerd's 10 Year Old Tawny

I bought this at a local wineshop as it was a name that I had never heard of and the stencil printed labelling looked impressive. Well hats off to the marketing folk for reviving an old name of port. Consulting my invaluable Dicionário Ilustrado do Vinho do Porto I find that the company was taken over by Barros. Well I know that Barros is now part of the Sogevinus empire so what I thought was a little esoteric has come from one of the big three. Having said that, Kopke is owned by Sogevinus and they have some fine tawny ports on offer so I live in hope.

There was a clear reddish amber colour accompanied by a sweet and oaky nose. The port was markedly sweet with a good contribution from the barrel. This resulted in a satisfyingly rich combination of dry oak flavours matched with sweet dried fruits and a hint of orange. Overall the quality of the port was worthy of the marketing.