Crusted Ports versus LBVs

[John M.]

As I understand it Crusted Ports are from various years and spend a few (2-4??) years in oak before being bottled and LBVs spend 3-5 years or so in oak and are from one year. So is crusted port really akin to LBV except for the single vintage versus a blend? Or are there other differences, such as more aging potential with crusted as it spends less time in oak?

I'm wondering if this similarity might be why we see lots of LBVs but very few crusted ports.

[Roy Hersh]

Actually, the LBV's can spend up to 6 years in wood. So they definitely get more oak in general although on the short side of the spectrum it is 4 years. Crusted Port is often times a bit more complex due to the fact that it is a blend, which adds unique characteristics inherent from the disparate vintages. It also typically is left to age in bottle for at least three years or so prior to release, after spending about four years in wood. Crusted Port is designed to age AND improve, whereas only unfiltered LBV's will do so with any regularity. The regular LBV's (may hold up for years, but they generally are not improving, just changing a bit).

[Moses Botbol]

I'll take crusted port over LBV if I have a choice.

I'd like to see more done with crusted port. Blending diferent vintages should score a home run each time. I bet there's enough of a market for fancy limited releases of crusted port in USA (beyond the regular offerings). How about blend with vintages going back 20 years or something like that? I'd buy it!

If only the Symingtons would ship over some Grahams Crusted for us

[John M.]

Moses;

I share a similar sentiment. Would love to see more crusted--the few I've had have been great.

[Andy Velebil]

Moses;

I share a similar sentiment. Would love to see more crusted--the few I've had have been great.

I too would like to see more Crusted Ports as I've found them to be good QPR's for early to mid term drinkers.

[Marc J.]

I have also found that finding Crusted Ports in the U.S. is fairly difficult. I'd buy them, if I could find them!

[Moses Botbol]

I have also found that finding Crusted Ports in the U.S. is fairly difficult. I'd buy them, if I could find them!

Dow is the most common one I have seen in USA. I own some Taylor, but got at auction.

[John M.]

There are few stores in New Jersey where I've been able to secure a few Churchill's Crusted (2002 & 2004) and I've had and can still get Dows 2002--although I thought I saw some 2003 or 2004 Dows a few months back. According to Wine Searcher, that's about it. Too bad as this style is rather intriguing, the art of blending in a ruby style just seems to have lots of possibilities.

On another note I'm going to try to amass a few more and sometime have a Crusted tasting. (I have had the Dows 2002 twice and it is very good (I last had October 2010--notes say I decanted 24 hours ahead and that is was very good; yet I felt it needed to age longer)

[Marc J.]

I've also noticed that Dow seems to be the only one that I can consistently find for sale. I did pick up some Churchill crusted a few months ago, but that was a fluke find.

[Andy Velebil]

I've also noticed that Dow seems to be the only one that I can consistently find for sale.

same here, which isn't bad but I'd like at least a little variety

[Lamont Huxley]

I agree with the general opinion here - I would be happy to try more crusted ports if they were available, but like everyone else, the only brands I can find around NY/NJ are Dow's and Churchill's. Does anyone know if any others are even imported to the U.S.?

[John M.]

I was looking at the Niepoort website re their Crusted Port and note that they use "Vintage quality wine", or more specifically from 2003 and 2005 for their 2007 Crusted Port. Using vintage quality wine would really restrict the Crusted process as I see it for two primary reasons: 1. There isn't that much vintage quality wine to begin with and 2. Why not just sell the vintage quality as vintage--it gets a better price and you don't have to create separate bottling/advertising, etc. for it.

Is crusted always made from vintage quality wine? Why not mix in LBV quality, or use it in its stead?

Maybe with the apparent improvement in the wine making process, there will be more vintage quality wine and we'll get more crusted .

[Moses Botbol]

Is crusted always made from vintage quality wine? Why not mix in LBV quality, or use it in its stead?

LBV's may have Vintage quality wine in it too.

[Andy Velebil]

I was looking at the Niepoort website re their Crusted Port and note that they use "Vintage quality wine", or more specifically from 2003 and 2005 for their 2007 Crusted Port. Using vintage quality wine would really restrict the Crusted process as I see it for two primary reasons: 1. There isn't that much vintage quality wine to begin with and 2. Why not just sell the vintage quality as vintage--it gets a better price and you don't have to create separate bottling/advertising, etc. for it.

Is crusted always made from vintage quality wine? Why not mix in LBV quality, or use it in its stead?

Maybe with the apparent improvement in the wine making process, there will be more vintage quality wine and we'll get more crusted .

While I don't know exactly what Dirk does, I would assume it to mean that it's vintage quality that doesn't quite make the cut into the actual VP. Like many wineries which have a second label wine, whereas some of the contents may be overstock not used in the main wine blend and/or stuff that just doesn't quite make the cut for the main wine.

[Rob C.]

I was looking at the Niepoort website re their Crusted Port and note that they use "Vintage quality wine"

"Vintage quality wine" could, of course, mean wine that Dirk does not feel is good enough for his VP but that is "objectively" good enough to put into a blend that the IVDP would approve! (viz Royal Oporto 1982, Cruz 1989...)

And i agree with Moses, i think this type of statement could probably be made with a passable amount of accuracy about quite a few wines! For instance, Grahams state that what goes into its Six Grapes reserve is the juice that starts life as potential vintage port (i.e. in casks containing the best quality lots from A-rated quintas) which is then de-classified when the final vintage blend is chosen and then aged further in wood. Which in a round-about way is probably intended as broadly the same claim.

As an aside, i heard a rumour that the Grahams lodge stopped offering their crusted port in the tasting line-ups since it went down rather too well with casual buyers who had otherwise been considering a bottle of VP as a memento...be interesting to know if this was true!

[Rob C.]

I'm wondering if this similarity might be why we see lots of LBVs but very few crusted ports.

I think the "crusted" brand is quite a hard sell to a casual consumer - when i knew nothing about port (and would certainly never decant a bottle before drinking), i remember thinking of other occasions when the word "crusted" is used and turning my nose up....and, at the very least, even if someone does have a vague understanding of the reason for the name, it makes it sound like a bit of a palarva to serve if you are not used to decanting (and, in my experience, very few people beyond those i know on this or other wine/port boards do decant with any regularity).

I bet there's enough of a market for fancy limited releases of crusted port in USA (beyond the regular offerings).

+1. I have often wondered whether a carefully blended port combining the best of two different vintages could actually surpass a VP (let's say weather conditions were great but different in two consecutive years, leading to eg: the Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional grapes from two different vintages being better than from any one).

[Tom Archer]

Crusted was the port style that first drew my attention to the fact that quality ports were very special - and I've had a soft spot for them ever since..

The great beauty of Crusted is that the blender is not confined to stock from a single vintage - which affords much greater scope for creating a fine wine.

The downside is that most of the blenders feel that with Crusted they should be making a wine for near term consumption rather than the long haul - but that attitude seems to be changing a little, and the release dates are getting longer at the moment.

The producers could make a lot more VP than they do, and it's not hype when people like Dirk say they use vintage quality in the blend - I tried the Niepoort 2011 crusted on the bottling line earlier this year, and can vouch for the fact that this is very good juice that will repay long aging.

I would like to see a lot more Crusted produced - much of the wine currently bottled as unfiltered LBV could be improved with a little blending with wine from other years - there is nothing particularly virtuous about making second tier wines from a single vintage..

Tom

[Hannes Erven]

What a coincidence that I opened a Graham's Crusted, bottled 2001, just yesterday. Just splendid!

I feel that a price that almost matches that of LBVs, you get more value with a Crusted.

-hannes

[Roy Hersh]

Whether one likes LBV's or Crusted Ports, it would be an interesting experiment to have three or four of each in a lineup and taste them blind, of similar ages. Then one could tell for themselves which they believed delivered more complexity.

The sum of several vintages, if done well ... should of course win the contest, so my money is on Crusted. But I am not so sure if people's palates, even those reading here (including myself of course) would be able to determine which is which in a blind tasting. I am sure even some Portmakers would be fooled if included in a blind tasting.

[Moses Botbol]

Whether one likes LBV's or Crusted Ports, it would be an interesting experiment to have three or four of each in a lineup and taste them blind, of similar ages. Then one could tell for themselves which they believed delivered more complexity.

The sum of several vintages, if done well ... should of course win the contest, so my money is on Crusted. But I am not so sure if people's palates, even those reading here (including myself of course) would be able to determine which is which in a blind tasting. I am sure even some Portmakers would be fooled if included in a blind tasting.

I'm sure you are right that most if not all us couldn't tell which one is which when multiples are served.