For The Love Of Port

Hi, this is my fourth post to your site.....Love it!

Im very new to the world of port wine and quickly becoming someone who drinks it quite often and really enjoys learning the subtle nuances that each port has to offer.
Anyways, I have tried 6 different ports to date, all in the last 3 weeks or so. Ive tried 2 very cheap rubys (Sandeman and presidential).....wasnt really impressed with them although they are extremely cheap ($10/bottle or so). Also tried 3 tawney ports.......1 cheap tawney made by sandeman, 1 10 year graham's and 1 20 year sandeman. the later 2 were a little more expensive ($30 ans $50 respectfully I believe). I really liked the Graham's 10 year better even though it was cheaper and Ive been told my many people just how wonderful the 20 year tawneys are. Also Ive tried a vintage port from 1996 by Quinta Do Vesuvio.....it was just ok.
Ok, my question is as follows: Of these that Ive tried, the 10 year Graham's Tawny was by far my favorite......fruity, sweet and easy to drink......and I found the 20 year sandeman a little bitter and with a little too much spirit and the 1996 vintage was just kind of bland. Are these typical observations of Graham's and Sandeman or is it typical of the age of the tawny?.....or am I crazy in my findings?
Also, How do Tawny ports and vintage ports typically compare in taste to eachother? I understand there are many variances here but Im just looking for basic characteristics of the types.

Thanks for the help!

Congrats on your explorations, I hope you're enjoying yourself while you try all these new drinks.

Your second question first - no! You are not crazy! Now back to the first question. Which is really two different questions, so I'll try to address them both.

Regarding your experience with the 1996 Vesuvio, it sounds like you may have had what we refer to as a "bad bottle." There can be a significant amount of variation in Port, but particularly in Ruby Ports, from bottle to bottle. I don't think that I would call a normal bottle of 1996 Vesuvio "bland" so my guess is that yours might have had something wrong with it. It might have been a little oxidized from having been stored upright, or it might have been a little "cooked" from having been stored in a warm location, or any number of other things. Port is usually very robust, but it's possible to damage it with poor storage conditions. Another possibility is that since 1996 really isn't that old (at least for a Vintage Port) it might have been in what we call a "dumb phase" or a "closed phase." This is a normal part of the aging process for a Vintage Port, and the Port can seem very closed (which you could also call bland) and sometimes the alcohol is very prominent or hot. I'd wait 5 or so more years and then try another bottle before making any judgements.

The other part of the question - 10-yr old Graham vs 20-yr old Sandeman. Graham's Ports tend toward the sweeter and fruiter side of the spectrum, so your notes on the Graham's 10 Year Old sound about right to me. Sandeman, on the other hand, tends toward the brighter and more acidic end of the spectrum. In fact the Sandeman 20 Year Old is easily the most acidic and bright (tart citrus) flavored 20 Year Old Tawny that I've tasted. It doesn't surprise me at all that the Sandeman tasted bitter and spirity to you, especially compared to the Graham's 10 Year old. So in this particular case, my guess is that Sandeman just isn't your style of Port. That makes us kindred spirits, because it's just not my style either.

Before you draw any conclusions about 20 Year Old Tawnys, make sure you try a Graham's. That way you can see what a 20 Year Old from the same producer tastes like, which will give you a better idea of the differences between a 10 Year Old and a 20 Year Old. If you can't find a Graham's I think you could probably substitute a Taylor because, at least to me, those are reasonably similar in style.

Third question! I won't go into too much detail - books have been written on this subject! - but the primary characteristics of Tawnies and Rubies (of which Vintage Ports are one type) look like this:

Rubies are typically dark red to very dark purple in color, the darkest of which will actually be opaque in the glass. They tend to smell like berries ranging from red raspberries through various purple berries like mulberries and boysenberries on to dark berries like blackberries, black currants, and even plums. Many of those same berries show in the taste, especially for younger (less than 20-25 years old) Ports. Older Ports will sometimes smell and taste like strawberries or fruit compote. Ruby Ports, especially young Vintage Ports and young LBVs, can sometimes have powerful tannins that make your cheeks pucker and feel dry.

Tawnies are typically a medium to medium-dark red color for the youngest ones through a medium red/orange/tan (aka "tawny") color for 20-30 year olds and on to almost dark brown for very old Colheitas. They tend to smell like dried fruits (apricots in particular), vanilla, caramel, and sometimes various flowers. Once again the smells sometimes show up in the flavor as well, along with various nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts are fairly common), some sweet spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, and also brown sugar or molasses in older tawnies.

Hope that helps!