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.

Kopke Tawny Reserve (2023)

 Kopke Reserve Tawny (2023)

Well it looks like I last reported on this in 2009. We've found a supplier in the UK, which is great as we've always had a soft spot for Kopke's tawnies. This time we have a deep clear reddish brown colour with hints of amber. There is a hint of oaky richness on the nose. Tasting reveals what could be the ideal port for everyday drinking. It is smooth and sweet with plummy and dried fruit flavours nicely poised over a subtle dry oakiness.

Vieira De Sousa Fine Tawny

 Vieira De Sousa Fine Tawny

Dark brown colour with fair turbidity. Strong alcoholic nose with hints of oak. There were hints of dried fruits and wood but there was also a strong taste of raw alcohol. One wonders if the aguadente used was a bit rough of if the port itself is a bit on the young side. On the other hand it could be that this was more on the dry side than I expected.

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.

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.

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.

Sandemans Tawny

Sandemans Tawny

Deep reddish brown colour with sweet rich oaky nose. This port was sweet and rich giving a good balance between the predominant dry oak flavours and underlying sultana fruitiness.

Quinta do Tedo Fine Tawny

Quinta do Tedo Fine Tawny

I wouldn't normally recomment on a port but this batch is of exceptional quality. The colour was a deep reddish brown with a rich plummy nose. The taste was remarkably full bodied and rich combining subtly plummy fruit flavours with bitter burnt oak elements.

Porto Réccua Tawny Reserve

Porto Réccua Tawny Reserve

Clear reddish brown colour with a moderately nutty nose. Sweet rich and fruity with plenty of dry wood flavours to balance out the sweetness.

Primes Tawny

Primes Tawny

Oxidised brownish red colour with a light slightly fruity nose. Rich and warming this port combined plummy fruits with light oak flavours.

Augusto's Fine Tawny

 Augusto's Fine Tawny

This was an example of the archetypal portugese tawny port. It had a slightly oxidised deep red colour with a mildly plummy nose. Tasting revealed an excellently balanced wine combining elements of sweet plummy fruits with a long finish of dry oak. It was satisfyingly reminiscent of all those unattributed tawny ports enjoyed over the years in Portuguese restaurants while standing out as one of the best of them.

Vista Alegre Tawny Reserve

Vista Alegre Tawny Reserve
It's not often we get to taste a new port from the Vallegre stable as we sell their ports in the UK. Well this couldn't have been experienced under better circumstances as it was served during the interval of Fado Performance for which Maria of Vallegre had arranged the tickets. Both the show and the port were excellent.

Well oxidised reddish brown colour with a nose reminiscent of a fruit cake cooking. Rich, sweet and full bodied taste consisting of cooked plum flavours and tart oaky elements.

Quinta dos Corvos Tawny Reserve

Quinta dos Corvos Tawny Reserve

Red with a brownish tinge. Dry fruity nose. Rich and satisfying with a fat fruity flavour tempered with dry oak elements.

Quinta de Tourais Family Tawny

Quinta de Tourais Family Tawny

This was an unregulated fortified wine for family consumption only so we were privileged to be offered a taste of it. It was slightly turbid with a mid brown colour and sweet oaky nose. The flavour was sweet and fruity with a good dose oak making it reminiscent of a quality rum. All this was carried on a smooth and full body.

Porto Messias Tawny

Porto Messias Tawny

Well here we were in Toulouse and we just couldn't help ourselves but, on the other hand, the meal just didn't feel complete without a glass of port at the end. Interestingly enough, in this French restaurant it was listed as an aperitif. While we were drinking our ports there was a terrific thunderstorm so we were able to linger over our glasses until the rain eased up.

The port was dark and predominantly red in colour with a fresh and fruity nose. The taste was quite unrefined with young berry flavours predominating and undeveloped tannins very much in evidence. There was little evidence of any oak influence but then what can you expect at €3 a glass.

Augusto's Tawny Reserve

Augusto's Tawny Reserve

Dark brownish red colour matched with a plummy slightly medicinal nose. The port itself tasted wonderfully rich with the flavour of plummy fruits predominating over dried fruits, nuts and spices.

Quinta do Sagrado Tawny

Quinta do Sagrado Tawny

This had a clear reddish brown colour with a light nutty nose. Sweet dried fruits and a good oak content meant it was like drinking Christmas with every mouthful. This would be a great wine for everyday drinking.

Pacheca Tawny

Pacheca Tawny

The appearance was slightly turbid with a reddish brown colour. The nose was light and fruity. The taste was a combination of sweet plumminess with a slight oakiness. This was not as well developed as the tawny we tasted a few years ago but there is now a reserva available so that may explain why. Unfortunately the reserva had sold out so there was not the opportunity to see if it was closer to the tawny tried previously. Never the less this port was a good example of its type and suitable for every day drinking.

Maynard's Fine Tawny

Maynard's Fine Tawny

This had a dark reddish brown colour with plums and nuts on the nose. It was rich and sweet with a good balance of plummy fruit and dry oak.

São Pedro das Águias Tawny

São Pedro das Águias Tawny

Deep reddish brown colour with a sweet woody nose. This port was both rich and sweet combining dried fruits with a rich pluminess.