NV Graham’s 30 Year Old Tawny Port
Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 2:03 pm
Graham’s tawnies with an indication of age serve routinely as the house ports in Portuguese restaurants featuring starched white tablecloths and clientele more interested in the food than port wines. From the point of view of the restauranteurs, the stocking of Graham’s tawnies makes eminent sense: one can charge appropriately for a recognised label without risk of offence to unsophisticated port wine palates. Like every other Graham’s tawny with an indication of age which I have tried, this wine did what it was presumably blended to do; that is, to dazzle those drinking it with a technical virtuosity lacking entirely in creativity. My drinking companions likened this port to Chinese ice skaters at Olympic competitions. It struck me as being akin to a competent symphonic piece composed by committee.
In the glass, this 2020 bottling was mid-amber in colour, almost entirely translucent and sported a lime rim. At the nose, caramelised sugar and roasted almonds dominated, complemented by hints of vanilla and moss. The overall sensation was perfectly agreeable, albeit by no means overwhelming. I could not discern much on entry, save for simple syrup, though this gave way with despatch to more interesting sensations of gentle citrus, white pepper, walnut and the tart, wild strawberries found in Eastern Canada which grow, in that sun-starved climate, to the size of the fingernail on one’s pinkie. At the back-palate, cinnamon was the dominant note, lingering to the finish, where it was coupled in a warming manner over the medium haul with additional spices.
The port was perfectly balanced and of medium sweetness. It showed not a modicum of heat and was bereft of any other technical flaw save the weakness observed at the fore palate. My suspicion, as I posited at the outset of this note, is that Graham’s tawnies are blended to avoid offence – and I would guess, for consumption with post-entrée sweets. Should a connoisseur discover inexplicably a Graham’s 30 Year Old Tawny in his private cellar, he might do well to save the bottle for a visit from agreeable in-laws who favour desserts whilst harbouring no particular interest in port wine.
-88.5 points
In the glass, this 2020 bottling was mid-amber in colour, almost entirely translucent and sported a lime rim. At the nose, caramelised sugar and roasted almonds dominated, complemented by hints of vanilla and moss. The overall sensation was perfectly agreeable, albeit by no means overwhelming. I could not discern much on entry, save for simple syrup, though this gave way with despatch to more interesting sensations of gentle citrus, white pepper, walnut and the tart, wild strawberries found in Eastern Canada which grow, in that sun-starved climate, to the size of the fingernail on one’s pinkie. At the back-palate, cinnamon was the dominant note, lingering to the finish, where it was coupled in a warming manner over the medium haul with additional spices.
The port was perfectly balanced and of medium sweetness. It showed not a modicum of heat and was bereft of any other technical flaw save the weakness observed at the fore palate. My suspicion, as I posited at the outset of this note, is that Graham’s tawnies are blended to avoid offence – and I would guess, for consumption with post-entrée sweets. Should a connoisseur discover inexplicably a Graham’s 30 Year Old Tawny in his private cellar, he might do well to save the bottle for a visit from agreeable in-laws who favour desserts whilst harbouring no particular interest in port wine.
-88.5 points