Port Wine Reviews
Port wine dates back to the 17th century when England was at war with France. Since wine could no longer be imported from France, the British searched for other sources and decided to harvest the steep slopes of the Douro Valley of Portugal. However, they soon realized that the wines could not endure the journey across the Atlantic. So they fortified it by adding brandy to it. And that’s how port wine came into existence.
Of course, overtime it was realized that adding brandy to the wine not only made it retain its flavor and last longer, but also enhanced its taste. Over the years, the process of preparing port wines may have changed considerably, but it hasn’t lost its amazing flavor and fan following. There are various kinds of port wines available in the market.
Vintage Character Port wine is a full bodied, sweet wine. It is a higher quality blend of ruby port wine. It offers a hint of Vintage wines, but doesn’t quite qualify as a higher end port wine. White Port is port wine that’s derived from white grapes. The flavor ranges from very dry to very sweet. Made in similar fashion as red port wine, it is fortified and aged in casks for a time period ranging between 2 to 10 years. White port wine is perfect for being served chilled, and has made a prominent place for itself in port wine reviews all around, as an aperitif.
Ruby Port wine on the other hand, is the basic red port wine. The wine is kept in large vats for about 3 years, minimizing oxidation, in order to maintain its bright ruby red color. Since this wine doesn’t improve in taste or quality on maturing, it’s best to use it within a short time of bottling. Served lightly chilled, it makes an amazing summer quencher.
As compared to ruby ports, Tawny Port is aged in small barrels, allowing more oxidation. Tawnies can be found in 10, 20, 30 or 40 year versions. The wine is ready to use after bottling and can last for 3 to 4 months after being opened. Tawnies are also manufactured using blends of ruby port and white port. This is done to minimize costs, as very aged tawny can be very expensive. However, such tawnies would lack the texture and bouquet of an aged tawny. Colheitas are a kind of tawny port, but blended from different harvests in a single year. They are aged for at least 7 years in barrels and have a faded color and a nutty flavor.
Another variety of port wine is crusted port. This full bodied port wine gets its name from the sediment at the base of the bottle. The wine is not filtered before bottling and needs to be decanted before serving. It is a blend of different harvests.
Vintage Port is the highest end produce of vineyards and is the King of all port wines. It has obviously been a favorite in port wine reviews across the globe. It’s made from the harvest of a single year. The best years are declared as vintage years. Though most producers make vintage port wine by using grapes produced across different vineyards in the same year, a few produce port wine from a single vineyard or “quinta”. Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) is prepared from single vintage, but unlike Vintage Port, it is ready for use after bottling and doesn’t really require further ageing. It is aged in casks for 2 to 4 years. Traditional LBV, like crusted port, would require to be filtered before use. Vintage Port is the most sought after port wine, and is best enjoyed after ageing the wine for a few decades.
