June 2016 -- Reserve Tawny Ports
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 6:03 pm
Hey all,
A little while back, I spoke with Roy about making regular topics here and reviving the wonderful communal experience it can provide.
For folks that are new to the site or aren't familiar with the concept, we'll be choosing a theme each month. They'll generally be ones that can be found by folks in most places and are affordable for folks of any experience level and income. I'll kick off each month with a short blurb on what the theme is, what people can expect from it, and some suggestions on brands/bottlings that should be fairly easy to find and representative. I encourage everyone to try one or more Ports in the theme and leave their thoughts here, even if they don't want to leave a full note for the database. There's no wrong impressions, so don't be nervous.
I'll be using the #ftlopvirtualtasting on my twitter and facebook (and I guess I still need to get an instagram as well, haha) to see if we can encourage some new people to come and participate with us in the monthly theme. I encourage everyone to share a photo or post their thoughts on the Port on their favorite social media platform and help me bring some new enthusiasts into the fold.
So onto this month's theme: Reserve Tawny Port!
Since we did Reserve Ruby Ports last month, I figured we could try out the equivalent in tawnies this month!
Tawny Port is the general term for wood aged ports, ie ports that spent almost their entire life in wood instead of ruby Ports, which spend a short time in wood before spending most of their life in bottle. Basic versions are cheap, plentiful, and often imitated by wineries outside of Portugal. Often dozens of different red grapes are crushed, macerated on the skins and partially fermented until distilled grape spirit is added to stop the fermentation, to ensure some sugar is left unfermented. Different batches are aged in large, used barrels and blended to a consistent house style. The wines spend roughly 5-10 years in barrel before blending, depending on producer and style. These Ports emphasize nuts, dried fruits and freshness, foregoing the dense tannin/structure and fresh berry fruit that accompany other styles. These wines are best drunk young to maximize their strengths.
Now, we are tasting something slightly up the scale from basic Tawny Port, the Reserve Tawny Port. Often for just a few more, you can get the best of these fresh, wood aged wines, usually $20 - $25 in the U.S., and often cheaper in Europe. These Ports are distinct from the basic versions by more intensity of flavor, more depth, and better acid, which contribute to a much more interesting and enjoyable experience than the base versions. These wines roughly slot in between basic tawnies and 10 year labelled tawnies, though quality of some houses' reserve tawny can certainly put them ahead of some 10 year tawnies.
A few brands to try include: Dow "Boardroom Reserve", Kopke "Reserve Tawny", Croft "Reserve Tawny", Cockburn "Special Reserve", Calem "Special Reserve Tawny" and Barao de Vilar "Reserve Tawny". Not every shipper has a reserve tawny offering, but most of the big names do, so don't be afraid to ask your local retailer what they recommend or seek out another producer. This is a great opportunity to try the category out for the first time, or if you're an experienced Port drinker, an opportunity to try out a new shipper and to share your thoughts.
And finally, please leave what you tried this month and what you thought of it, with bonus points for sharing on social media using the hashtag #ftlopvirtualtasting and leaving a full note for the FTLOP database.
Thanks and enjoy!
A little while back, I spoke with Roy about making regular topics here and reviving the wonderful communal experience it can provide.
For folks that are new to the site or aren't familiar with the concept, we'll be choosing a theme each month. They'll generally be ones that can be found by folks in most places and are affordable for folks of any experience level and income. I'll kick off each month with a short blurb on what the theme is, what people can expect from it, and some suggestions on brands/bottlings that should be fairly easy to find and representative. I encourage everyone to try one or more Ports in the theme and leave their thoughts here, even if they don't want to leave a full note for the database. There's no wrong impressions, so don't be nervous.
I'll be using the #ftlopvirtualtasting on my twitter and facebook (and I guess I still need to get an instagram as well, haha) to see if we can encourage some new people to come and participate with us in the monthly theme. I encourage everyone to share a photo or post their thoughts on the Port on their favorite social media platform and help me bring some new enthusiasts into the fold.
So onto this month's theme: Reserve Tawny Port!
Since we did Reserve Ruby Ports last month, I figured we could try out the equivalent in tawnies this month!
Tawny Port is the general term for wood aged ports, ie ports that spent almost their entire life in wood instead of ruby Ports, which spend a short time in wood before spending most of their life in bottle. Basic versions are cheap, plentiful, and often imitated by wineries outside of Portugal. Often dozens of different red grapes are crushed, macerated on the skins and partially fermented until distilled grape spirit is added to stop the fermentation, to ensure some sugar is left unfermented. Different batches are aged in large, used barrels and blended to a consistent house style. The wines spend roughly 5-10 years in barrel before blending, depending on producer and style. These Ports emphasize nuts, dried fruits and freshness, foregoing the dense tannin/structure and fresh berry fruit that accompany other styles. These wines are best drunk young to maximize their strengths.
Now, we are tasting something slightly up the scale from basic Tawny Port, the Reserve Tawny Port. Often for just a few more, you can get the best of these fresh, wood aged wines, usually $20 - $25 in the U.S., and often cheaper in Europe. These Ports are distinct from the basic versions by more intensity of flavor, more depth, and better acid, which contribute to a much more interesting and enjoyable experience than the base versions. These wines roughly slot in between basic tawnies and 10 year labelled tawnies, though quality of some houses' reserve tawny can certainly put them ahead of some 10 year tawnies.
A few brands to try include: Dow "Boardroom Reserve", Kopke "Reserve Tawny", Croft "Reserve Tawny", Cockburn "Special Reserve", Calem "Special Reserve Tawny" and Barao de Vilar "Reserve Tawny". Not every shipper has a reserve tawny offering, but most of the big names do, so don't be afraid to ask your local retailer what they recommend or seek out another producer. This is a great opportunity to try the category out for the first time, or if you're an experienced Port drinker, an opportunity to try out a new shipper and to share your thoughts.
And finally, please leave what you tried this month and what you thought of it, with bonus points for sharing on social media using the hashtag #ftlopvirtualtasting and leaving a full note for the FTLOP database.
Thanks and enjoy!