For The Love Of Port

Purchased by the glass at Artisanal in Bellevue, WA. Artisanal uses a wine preservation system (they didn't say which kind) in order to keep their by-the-glass wines fresh, and from this glass I'd say that it works extremely well. I didn't take notes, but can offer general impressions.

The color was typical of a 20-year old - a nice medium tawny with some red left to provide highlights. The nose was smooth and oaky with some vanilla and light sweet spices. The oak and vanilla carried over as flavors, which also included some cotton candy and some weak dried apricots. There was just enough tang to keep it interesting, but nothing like what the Sandeman or even the Ferreira has.

This was a very pleasant Port that leans toward the more elegant end of the spectrum. The pour was very generous, making the $12 price seem quite reasonable.

91 points.

The bartender wasn't sure how long the bottle had been open, but to me it tasted like it could have been popped and poured. Whatever system they're using works very well, so I will not hesitate to order the 2003 Noval VP that they also have on the menu the next time I'm there!

For me this is just a middle of the road 20 year old Tawny. I prefer the Warre's Otima as just one example from the Symington's.

Roy Hersh wrote:For me this is just a middle of the road 20 year old Tawny.

Normally that's the case for me, too, but this glass just sang. Who knows, it might have been a side effect of the wonderful dinner, or maybe it was the friends, or maybe it was just a stellar bottle.

Speaking of the dinner... it's worth a night out just to try Artisanal's Pork Chop T-bone with mustard spaetzle. Best pork chop I've ever had!

While a solid Port, I also prefer other 20 Year Old Tawny's. The one thing I find hurts this overall is the slightly clipped finish which keeps this from being higher up on my list.