Port-O-Party

Taylor Fladgate, Dow, Warre. These are some of the heavy hitters in the Port world and I got say something, THEY SURE AS FRAK DON'T SOUND PORTUGUESE TO ME.
Here's the scoop. Port is pretty much a British invention. Well they didn't exactly invent it but they pretty much put it on the world map. I see it going down like this. Way back in the day, Chappy McGnarlyteeth (our British hero) gets pissed off at the French. I mean they are so Pompous right. So Chappy vows to stop buying French wine and sets out to find the greatest beverage on earth elsewhere. So he hops down to Spain and is checking out the digs and drinks there when he stumbles across this river (Duero River). As he heads west along this Granite Cliff lined river he comes accros these vineyards that are perched on plateaus that have literally been blown out of the granite cliffs that lead down to the water. Dorthy's not in Spain anymore. He has in fact crossed into Portugal, more specifically The Douro Valley. Stunned and dazed by this amazing discovery, Chappy trips over a laborer working the vineyards and rolls down a hill and lands at the doorstep of this small run down casa. There is a sign out side the door that says "Get-your-ass-in-here-and-taste-the-heavens" (in Portuguese obviously). So he goes in and this old man in an Iron Maiden T-Shirt (I'm reachin on that one) is sippin on this wine and offers him a swig. He obliges and what he tastes is so transcendent that the very next day he has his chaps from the motherland come on down to start making the stuff to send back to the...uh...motherland. Many other winos from Britain come down and set up their own shops and start shipping the stuff all over. That is why we have a bunch of British names on bottles of port. There are many native Port producers that have become house hold names like, Quinta do Crasto and Fonseca but it is because of the ol Blimey Brits that Portugal is a major force in the wine world.

What is port? Well it is basically 3 parts red wine 1 part brandy. Thats right. Delicious sweet red wine mixed with friggin Booze. ARE YOU SERIOUS? Yes ... Yes I am.

There are 2 basic styles of Port.

1. Tawny Port(the sweeter and paler in color one)

-Basic Tawny Port is aged less than 3 years and from grapes that make a lighter color wine
-Aged Tawney Port is aged from 8 years and up. The age will be specified on the bottle. The longer the contact with the wood the more the color and sweetness mellow out.

2. Ruby Port

- Basic Ruby Port is the the entry level point of Port. It can be fruity and simple. Made from grapes from less prestigious vineyards.
- Late Bottle Vintage(LBV) Ports are made from top quality vineyards in non Vintage Years. They are aged for up to 6 years in wood to try and mimic the power and depth of Vintage Ports. These are probably the best value for top quality Port.
- Vintage Ports are the Grand Machismo of all Ports. The are only made in the best years. 2003, 2000, and 1997 being the last 3 in release right now. Huge Tannic Monsters that need considerable bottle aging before they are truly ready to drink(recomended 10 years). But are the most concentrated and rich Ports. And the most expensive.

There are other styles of Ruby Ports but it gets really confusing outside of these major styles. (if that wasn't confusing enough)

Below are tasing notes for the basic Tawny Port from the producer Quinta do Infantado. This producer, I feel, is the best bang for your buck in the Port market. Their basic Ruby and Tawny ports are under $20 and their Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) is under $30. Believe me these wines are fantastic. They make a dryer style port that is more about finesse rather than just being overly sweet. Plus they still use traditional methods of wine crushing. Their feet. And really nothing makes wine taste better than feet.

Port is really out of fashion in the US right now so the price points on Port are really low. Some of the highest end Vintage ports from top producers can be found for under $100. Oh and drink Port out of a regular wine glass. Those little small aperitif glasses really don't give you the full experience.


Wine Tasted: Quinta Do Infantado - Tawny Port

There is some surprising ruby redness in the center of this Tawny. It definitely a rusty color on the edges but there is some rich color to this bad boy. Not your typical Tawny color profile. The glass hasn't come within a foot of my face and I am getting major sweet delicious fumes wafting up my nose. Im telling you this producer is just spectacular.

Grainy Brown sugar on the nose. This port smells dirty. In a good way. Alcohol is in check. Some Ports singe your nose hairs. Tawny Ports have a slightly oxidized nose. This one is no different. But there is a kind of funky tart thing that is layering this nose. There is a nice freshness about it too. A little bit of minerality jumping up here as well. This is a fantastic nose coming off this supposed entry level wine. Swig and Slurp time.

Mouth filling. Very fine grained white sugar on the attack that carmalizes and leaves you with creme brule crust in the back. A hint of brown sugar. This guy is pretty sweet. Has a freshness about him that gives it a clean taste. This is a very bright Port. Really spicy. Crazy spicy. Im talkin Jalapeno spicy. Taste like one of my people played a little prank and dropped one of our green bad boys in the mix. Apropriate amount of alcohol in the back. Leaves my mouth watering. A hint of tanin on the inside of my cheeks. The finish tastes all over the entire mouth. It leaves this fantastic tingle that really lasts for minutes. Do not be fooled. This tawny has an aged quality on the nose and mouth. Much higher quality than most. By far the best young tawny I have ever had. These foots stompers really know what there doing. BUY BUY BUY!!!