Some Ports to End the Year

Reserve, LBV, Tawny.

Port is a complicated subject that I am going to abbreviate shamelessly for the purpose of this post.

So —

Port is a fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley region of northern Portugal. By “fortified,” I mean that brandy is added to the fermenting grapes to kill the yeast and stop fermentation; the result is a (usually red) wine that is sweet and high in alcohol, often 19 and 20 percent. The practice began in the early 18th Century when English wine merchants added brandy to the wines they were shipping in barrel from Portugal to fortify them for sea-travel. The passing years have seen the development of a variety of kinds of port. Here they are, briefly:

At the top of the Port pyramid is Vintage Port, the best-known, the most highly promoted and expensive form of Port. Deriving from grapes grown in the best vineyards, Vintage Port is produced only in “declared” years and from that single vintage. The wines, a blend of several vineyards, are aged in wood two or three years and then bottled. Vintage Ports can mature in bottle 40, 50 or more years, gaining character as well as throwing sediment. Sadly, I do not have a sample of Vintage Port to review today.

Late Bottled Vintage Port derives from a single year and is aged in barrels from four to six years and then bottled. The point is that LBV Ports are ready to drink upon release and do not require decanting.

Aged Tawny Ports have been left in barrel for six or more years, by “more,” meaning up to 40 years and beyond. This time-frame softens the tannins, renders them gently sweet and lends the wines a lovely tawny-amber hue. They are generally produced from the best grapes and selection of wines. The years noted on labels indicate an average of the ages of the wines in the blend. They do not throw sediment and do not need to be decanted.

Reserve Port is a step up — or many steps up — from the common Ruby Port, which is typically aged in bulk. The example below, the Graham’s “Six Grapes” Special River Quintas Edition, was produced from three of the house’s select vineyards and aged two to three years in barrel.

The wines mentioned in today’s post would be perfect for sipping during the days and nights when much of the country segues into colder Winter weather.

Imported by Premium Port Wines, San Francisco. Samples for review.

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Graham’s “Six Grapes” Reserve Porto Special River Quintas Edition. 19.5% alc. Vibrant medium-ruby-garnet hue, with a transparent rim; plums, plums and more plums, with notes of cherries and cranberries, almonds, iodine and mint; quite coniferous, with hints of pine needles and briers; lips-smacking acidity cuts through a dense texture and raspberry tart flavors; the wine is slightly sweet on entry but streams to a dry finish; tar, oolong tea, violets. Meant for current drinking. Excellent. About $42.

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Dow’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2018. 20% alc. Dark ruby-purple with a magenta edge; cool and minerally, with notes of plums, walnuts and apple conserve; on the palate, very dark, spiced and macerated black fruit flavors, juicy and succulent, with hints of almond skin and bittersweet chocolate; large-scale, dry, velvety, tannic, and quite foresty. Very Good+. About $30.

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Dow’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2016. 19.5% alc. Color is a shade darker than the previous example; briery and brambly, pine resin and dried rosemary; deeply macerated black plums and cherries; very concentrated and intense, with notes of ground cumin, cloves, dried orange rind, espresso bean and unsweetened cocoa powder; a sweet cherry entry but surges to dryness from mid-palate through the finish; quite dense, chewy and succulent; high notes of sea salt and menthol. Drink through 2026 to ‘28. Excellent. About $26, marking Good Value.

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Dow’s 10 Year Old Tawny Porto. 20% alc. Transparent medium amber-garnet hue; toffee, toasted almonds, dried orange zest; opening to baked apple, shaved dark chocolate, plum pudding; very dry, spare, a touch attenuated, but tasty. Very Good+. About $39.

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Dow’s 20 Year Old Tawny Porto. 20% alc. Totally transparent bronze-golden amber color; beguiling notes of caramel and creme brulee, toasted almond and apple skin, orange zest and black tea; gradually emerging are hints of apricot and preserved lemon; dense and viscous on the palate, animated by a profound level of acidity that cuts a swath; layers of fig, acacia, bittersweet chocolate and espresso bean; long dry, mellow finish. Now through 2030. Excellent. About $67.

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Graham’s 20 Year-Old Tawny Porto. 20% alc. Transparent medium russet-amber color, healthy and vital-looking; deep and mellow, paradoxically fresh and almost ethereal; awash with notes of toffee and mocha, creme brulee and apricot preserves, toasted walnuts and bittersweet chocolate; propell