For The Love Of Port

Everyone has their own personal preference in Vintage Port, and I am not alluding to the age of the wine whatsoever. Stylistically if you could describe the VP that most appeals to your taste ... without naming any particular Shipper or producer, how would you describe it?

It is good to know what you like and what you don't.

To tell you the truth, I'm not too picky. As long as it's well made, chances are I'll appreciate it. That said, I am sure to enjoy a VP with these characteristics:
* Full body
* Sweet but not too sweet
* Noticeable acidity
* Alcohol that doesn't burn the mouth
* Well integrated silky tannins
* Flavor profile of dark fruits and baking spices
* Dried fruit and nuts are nice too
* Long warm finish

Which producer does that describe?

Kris,

In my opinion you are one that would like Quinta do Noval. Initially, I was going to say Vesuvio, but the Noval's tannins are typically a bit gentler than Vesuvio ... especially when really young (2003 being an exception, for Noval, in recent years).

I've tasted a some Noval Colheita's but I don't think I've ever tasted a Noval Vintage Port. I'll have to seek some out and give them a try.

A reminder of the original question:

Roy Hersh wrote:Stylistically if you could describe the VP that most appeals to your taste ... without naming any particular Shipper or producer, how would you describe it?

My preference is always a wine that is perfectly balanced where no one attribute overpowers or distracts the others. I very much prefer red ports to tawny or white because the fruits in a red port are a big attraction for me. I like a soft fruity nose, thick and chewy texture and smooth mouthfeel. Tannins are good for me in small measure as is a little heat. The finish would ideally be long and complex with different flavours lapping over one another. Yummy. Now I need a glass of port :devil:

Stylistically, I prefer a fruit bomb with a long, mellow finish. I don't enjoy a scalding amount of acidity, and am pretty sensitive to acidity in general - it plays havoc with my "sensitive athlete's GI system" (HA!) I seem to enjoy tannins that are prevalent, but not so harsh that they coat the tongue and teeth and cause painful wincing. I also enjoy the alcohol to be fairly well-integrated. Typically most VPs will attain this after a bunch of decanter time, even if they start out harsh and spirity, so a Hersh decanting regimen is fairly commonplace at my household. I really enjoy a full, complex mouthfeel - one where I cannot readily identify a hundred different components of fruits, leather, spices, weeds, grass, metal, dirt, wood, etc. Cocoa/chocolate in the finish is a subtlety i enjoy quite a bit, although I do not consume actual chocolate as an accompaniment. I prefer "dessert in a glass; for the VP to stand on its own, or perhaps with salty cheese or nuts.

Squid ink, black/purple colour; bold, brash fruit; long, mellow finish; tamed acidity, tannins; well-integrated alcohol. Complex and full-bodied. Powerful, yet not overwhelming.

Any suggestions Roy??? (I have a feeling I know which 2-4 producers could fit this mold, lets see if my guesses are close!)


(This is a really great thread - thanks Roy!!!)

Todd

In wine in general, I go for what I perceive of as balance and concentration, hoping also for complexity in mature wines. In a young VP, I go for a lot of everything, while marking down anything that sticks out. My fave is known for a lot of tannin AND sweetness, but the former tends to mask the latter a bit.

Having said that, variety is the spice of life, and by keeping wines of different styles I can always find something to fit my mood.

Jan-Tore,

If you were to give ONE or two examples of a VP that exemplifies exactly what you've described, which would that be?

I thought this was a no-names thread...

Niepoort is my fave. I love the tannic structure, and if Dirk hadn't said that his ports actually had a high content of RS, I wouldn't have known.

For an alternative style (still incredibly lovely): Quinta do Vesuvio. The fruit is unbelievable.

But this is rather predictable and like preaching to the choir, no?

My preference varies, depending on my mood but in general I like elegant wines that are delicate and well balanced, where the tannins and fruit had faded back to leave a mellow, fruit based port that is just on the edge of being tertiary.

Hard and powerful which ages into tawny richness.

Mouthfeel evident
Fruity
Balance

Those who fill the mouth, ligth alcohol fill, complex, and very long post taste.

i can't say I have one specific style I like the most. I love a variety of different styles and it depends on my mood...sometimes I want the elegance of a Warre's and sometimes I want the brute force of a Fonseca. Sometimes I have a hankering for a young full body VP and sometimes I want an older delicate VP. The only one I can say I have generally liked across the board, with varing degrees, is the unique spiceness that Niepoort Colheita's have. But that isn't to say I love them more than say a Kopke or old Quevedo Colheita, as each are unique in their own way yet still can acheive the same score.

Nice touch Andy.

It is fun to read Alex B's style, as for years that summed up exactly what I went for in VPs. Then again, I think that during most of my earlier years with Port, I drank much older versions than now. Maybe I have more old ones on occasion now, but the average age is definitely much younger than say, a decade ago. I would rarely, if ever touch anything with less than 15 years on it and more often ... 25+ was what I probably averaged over the course of a few years. But when you can get them at 40-60+ years old, as Alex mentioned ... on the cusp of turning to tertiary nuances, that is a sublime time to catch a VP in its evolution.

Nowadays, I drink far more young Ports than ever before, although I certainly still prefer the oldies, it is more about balancing off TNs, rather than just drinking what I would like.