A Port novice, any recommendations?

[charlieoatway]

Last weekend while away in Belfast, I enjoyed a few glasses of port, sitting by the fire listening to a bit of fiddle-di-de music, very nice.

Got a bit of a taste for port now.

Can any one recommend a decent bottle to get in for Christmas, I probably know the more I spend the better it will be, so anything in the £10-£20 bracket would be good.

Why I am thinking about drink at this time in the morning is a bit worrying.

Any recommendations gratefully received

 

[Fatboy Stenno]

For a good allrounder, you can't go too far wrong with Taylor's Late Bottled Vintage (LBV). Well within your price bracket and VERY drinkable!

 

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

Dover is pretty good.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Dover is pretty good.

... for the continent.

For the incontinent ... Cockburns.

 

[Barnham Seagull]

If you want to spend some money - Grahams Quinta dos Malvedos Vintage 1998 £30 or Taylors Vargellas Vintage £25ish

Mid Price - Sainsburys 10 year old Tawny is pretty good for £11

Asda's Ruby port at £5 is a bargain buy.

God I sound like an alcholic!

(Just enjoy wine tasting and going through wine books etc, its a good hobby!)

 

[JBizzleBeard]

... for the continent.

For the incontinent ... Cockburns.

Cockburns is sound, thats my xmas tipple

 

[charlieoatway]

Thanks for the advice chaps, it is a jolly nice tipple, think i will try Taylor's first (as it is my surname, feel a slight brand loyalty), then maybe the Cockburns, just for the comedy name, I wonder what a cockburn hangover is like.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

This Christmas, the Bracknell household will mainly be drinking ...

Fonseca Bin No. 27 Fine Reserve
Dow's Late Bottled Vintage - 2001
Warre's Late Bottled Vintage - 1999

All of which are sitting ready in the cupboard. The Warre's is thanks to Roz. Are there any other photographers out there who take on commissions in exchange for a bottle of quality vintage port?

http://www.warre.com/files/WineDesc_WARRE_LBV1999_BM_EN.pdf1ptnbnww9.pdf

 

[Superphil]

If you do go for a Vintage (not a LBV) then be sure to seek advice about decanting it, and make sure you get the relevent kit to do it properly or it will be spoiled.

 

[BensGrandad]

If you enter vintage port into your search engine there isa site that willtell you everything you want to know about vintages, decanting etc. The most recent vintage year for Port was 2003.

 

[dougdeep]

I wouldn't recommend Newhaven.

 

[acrossthepond]

Think about getting a Colheita as well. This Port is aged entirely in wood, rather than being transferred to glass (as Vintages and LBVs are).

It's tip top, and gives you the quality of a vintage without the decanting shenanigans (imho). Kopke is my favourite, though it can be tricky to track down.


KOPKE

 

[Stat Brother]

Taylors and Warres are the makers of choice for the Stat household.
But we are only annual one bottle wendy buyers.

 

[Gully]

... for the continent.

For the incontinent ... Cockburns.

...if it does you probably have an STI!

 

[Superphil]

The most recent vintage year for Port was 2003.

and you really should not be even contemplating drinking an '03 until 2023. The most recent vintage that is considered to be "drinking now" is 1985, although the '95 is also OK to drink now but will improve with another 10 years in the bottle.

 

[BensGrandad]

and you really should not be even contemplating drinking an '03 until 2023. The most recent vintage that is considered to be "drinking now" is 1985, although the '95 is also OK to drink now but will improve with another 10 years in the bottle.

The vintage port site states that the latest one for drinking now is 1983. Vintages after that are not ready for drinking but laying down.

 

[Hove Lagoonery]

May I suggest a lemon to drink it with?

 

[BensGrandad]

That is a drink I havent served in a pub for years a Port and Lemon.

 

[Superphil]

Like so many things, different Port Vintage charts tell you different things. I tend to look at The Wine Society, amongst other, it is unusual to drink anything less than 20 years old. But there are those who would drink '91 and '92 now, '83 and '85 are just fine now, '82 wasn't a great vintage but if you do have some, drink it now for sure.

The best thing about Vintage Port is that it is just ssoooooo much better than LBV or other "normal" bottles of Port, if you haven't tried Vinage Port, put it on your "to do" list.

 

[BensGrandad]

I am not an expert on Vintage Port by any stretch of the imagination but as Superphil says if you havent tried you must and you will notice the difference between Vintage and LBV and even LBV and ordinary without being a 'port snob'