For The Love Of Port

Hello all,

Here's a game - if a relatively uninitiated port drinker (me) were to ask you to pick three bottles (to drink now) that explained the broad range of port, what three would you pick and why?

I know it's a bit unfair to expect a TOTAL port experience but I'm curious how you think I should start the process - would it be about tasting House differences, vintage differences, a combo? It doesn't have to follow a pattern like tasting a 10, 20, 30 either... broad differences is key (without going so broad as to include "special" ports like white, ruby, etc. - not a ruby fan).

I'm going to use this to inform my next three bottles and would like port's I wouldn't feel guilty about cracking with uninterested guests - say, $60 for the most expensive bottle. Be as specific to bottle or general as you please!

Thanks All!!!



P.S.I've already got 2x 2009 Fladgate 20 year and 1x '65 Kopke Colheita with other future VP dreams.

With that price cap, I'd get:

1. A 20 year old tawny
2. A recent LBV
3. As old of generally declared VP from a major house that you can afford. A 1977 might be possible, and if not something from 1983 or 1985. You could apply some of your LBV savings to this too

With that you've got one old wood aged thing, one decent quality young bottle, and a VP to see what can happen with time in a bottle.

Given that you already have two wines that would be useful, would your budget extend to two more?

If so you could go for:

1. Taylor Fladgate 20 yr old
2. Graham 1985 Vintage Port
3. Kopke 1965 Colheita
4. Warre Bottle Matured LBV (any vintage you can lay your hands on)

That would give you a line-up containing the four main premium styles, two reds v two browns, a range of shippers, at least a four decade age difference and, as luck would have it, some very nice Ports to enjoy with your friends

An aged white port would add to the spectrum, but if you can't source an aged one, try a dry standard white, served with tonic, ice and a slice..

(it's a bit heretical to make a cocktail out of an aged white - they are best served lightly chilled on their own)

Am no expert and still learning my way around port, but i wish i had bought the following when I started:

- Aged tawny: Ferreira Duque de Bragança 20 year tawny (~$50)
- Young ruby: 2007 Fonseca LBV (~$20)
- Older ruby: 1983 Graham VP (~$55)

I highly recommend that you subscribe to Roy's tasting notes. I find that they, along w other members' notes, are super helpful when it comes to spending one's Port money!

I would go for a specimen each, such as:

one Tawny Port such as a 10 Year Old Tawny,
one Ruby Port such as a LBV, and
one White Port (depending of your taste, a Dry or Lagrima one).

Awesome advice, everyone. Thanks for getting this fired up for me. I've already gone out and found my LBV (2004 Quinta do Infantado - bottled 2008 - traditional for the extra challenge) and ordered a Taylor's 20 a few nights ago at a restaurant.

Not to mention the random bottle of n.v. Taylor's auditors special tawny (branded for coopers and lybrand) that I just cracked before writing this. Inherited it several years ago and given that it was a total mystery-bottle I am very impressed.

I haven't been able to find an affordable ready to drink VP but I'm on the hunt.

Thanks again all. Ill be hanging around.

I appreciated this as well as I am doing a tasting for a large group of people, most of whom I assume are not regular port drinkers. I am probably going to follow the advice of Eric C. (my cost range is a lot lower than the original post suggested).

Having done a few of these over the last couple of years....I would add one piece of advice:

for at least one or two of your ports, choose a bottle that your attendees have at least a chance of ordering online or (even better) purchasing in a local shop for themselves with relative ease and at a reasonable price.

I have often found people asking "so where can i get a few bottles of these?" swiftly followed by "how much?"! Being able to state a familiar online or physical wine shop / supermarket is nice because it facilitates them starting on their own port journey by buying something they know they will enjoy.

For that reason, Vesuvio 96 and 98 have been quite useful to use as examples of good young vintage port that is both widely available at a good price and drinking nicely (though i accept that living in London makes this somewhat easier for me than for some, and having gone through more than a few 6-packs of Vesuvio 98 over the last 18 months the local supply is finally dry!).

Rob C. wrote:for at least one or two of your ports, choose a bottle that your attendees have at least a chance of ordering online or (even better) purchasing in a local shop for themselves with relative ease and at a reasonable price.

I agree. Though I would probably try to pick the tawny and the LBV in this manner, as the producers attempt to re-produce them every year in the same style and at about the same price. So they should be reasonably easy to find now or again in the future.

VP can be harder to find unless you pick just the right bottle. It's also likely to be the most expensive Port of the three that you serve, especially in Canada.