For The Love Of Port

My most recent indulgence has been a bottle of Churchill 2000 crusted - a little young and raw, but very enjoyable. I will let most of the remaining bottles sit it out for another five years or so before I drink them.

This style of port seems to be a victim of fashion - is it the absence of the word "vintage" in the name that put's buyers off?

Years ago it was a standard component of almost every shipper's product list, yet now it's been usurped by the lesser LBV.

Sadly now the market is focused on just two brands - Churchill and Dow

To my mind this is quality drinking at an affordable price

I should think it is (sadly) the lack of a vintage date -- ESPECIALLY here in the U.S., where the lack of a vintage date is often associated with a lack of quality.

It's a shame, I agree, as I've had several very fine Crusted Ports in the past.

Then again, I can't buy my "College Port" anymore, either, so . . . .

Cheers,
Jason

P.S. You did say

a bottle of Churchill 2000 crusted

-- do you mean the bottling date?

Jason,

Crusted ports carry the bottling date. Unlike vintage and LBV they can (and usually do) have wine of more than one vintage, which enables producers to compensate for deficiencies in a particular vintage.

They also spend more time in wood than LBV's (which often live their lives in stainless steel and glass alone) - which adds a little character.

For over a century, "Crusted" Port was a staple in the Port lineup that was marketed to the UK. I don't think it ever hit the US shores until the 1980s or 1990s. There are a couple of Port houses that are doing Crusted Port well.

In addition to the two mentioned, Graham's does a very fine job, the Gould Campbell is also excellent and the only other one I can remember tasting is the Berry Brother's Crusted Port.

For those that are not familiar with this style of Port ...

Crusted Port is a wine blended from two or three different harvests, bottled without any filtration and then matured in bottle for at least three years.

To my knowledge crusted port was a style of port designed exclusively for the UK market and the blend, bottling was also done in the UK. Since the mid 70's every bottle of port need to be bottle in Porto, so no more fortified wine was available for the UK merchant to blend and bottle their crusted port.

Fortunately, some UK owned companies still produces their crusted port. I enjoy the Dow, a bit highly priced than the LBV but showing much more.

uncle tom wrote:Jason,

Crusted ports carry the bottling date. Unlike vintage and LBV they can (and usually do) have wine of more than one vintage, which enables producers to compensate for deficiencies in a particular vintage.

I don't mean to sound ungrateful for the information, Tom, but I know that Crusted Ports are non-vintage blends. However, you DID write "Chruchill 2000 Crusted," which certainly appears like you were citing a vintage date (rather than a bottling date) -- thus my question.

Cheers,
Jason

My local wal-mart (asda) has churchills crusted on the shelves around $30

Since the mid 70's every bottle of port need to be bottle in Porto, so no more fortified wine was available for the UK merchant to blend and bottle their crusted port.

Fred,

I assume that you are talking about the regulation requiring all Port to be bottled in Portugal, at that point (1974) it was in Vila Nova de Gaia. In 1986, the regs were changed once again to allow the bottling to take place in the Douro as well. This allowed many single Quintas to produce and ship wine directly from their properties in the Douro as they were not owners of Lodges. These were both monumental changes in the Port trade, that the IVDP is responsible for.

Jason,

By dating NV's like Crusted and LBV, the producers are spared the obligation of making every batch taste exactly like the previous one - an obligation that can only be satisfied by making the blend somewhat bland and mediocre.

Tom? That's a given.

My point in asking the question is that, by typing "Churchill's 2000 Crusted," you seemed to be saying it was a vintage dated wine:

CHURCHILL'S
2000
CRUSTED PORTO

as opposed to

CHURCHILL'S
N.V.
CRUSTED PORTO
(Bottled in 2000)

I'm not sure why that distinction is so difficult to understand, but it clearly is "a distinction with a difference," and thus my question was an attempt to clarify . . .

Jason