Tag: Port

Winter Wine Round Up

I haven’t done a wine round up for several months but the period around Christmas and New Year is always a significant one in terms of bottles opened and enjoyed with family and friends. The festive season provides a good excuse to open special bottles or something a little out of the ordinary and somehow the wines take on an additional significance when they are accompanied by great food and good company. Here are a few short notes on some of those that made a significant impression.

Arnot Roberts. Watsons Road Chardonnay. 2014. Napa Valley. USA. A Californian Chardonnay of such perfect balance. Intense flavours of lemon, stone fruit, almond and a touch of butter. There is a real elegance here. A savoury edge to the finish. Excellent and a real favourite around the table. This wine is a great example of what chardonnay can do in California when it is not overly oaked.

Bergstrom Old Stones Chardonnay. 2015. Oregon. USA. A lovely balance of orange, pear and stone fruits with a touch of gunsmoke. Fresh acidity and a touch of vanilla. Very nice.

Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay. 2014. Hemel-En- Aarde. South Africa. Yellow gold in appearance, clear and bright. Nose is tropical, nutty, lemon citrus and spicy vanilla. The palate is delightful, nicely balanced with good acidity to balance the rich fruit. The mouthfeel is slightly creamy and there are lovely flavours of tropical pineapple and almond marzipan. A lovely lemon zesty finish. Excellent stuff.

Yeti and the Kokonut. Savagnin. 2018. Adelaide Hills. Australia. Pale yellow, slightly hazy with aromas of lemon, pear and a slightly almond nuttiness. The palate is dry with nice texture and balance and a lovely lemony finish. Delightful, very nice indeed. Just wish I was in the Australian sun drinking it!

Chateau de Fieuzal. Pessac Leognan. 2010. France. A great depth of colour and slightly closed on the nose. The palate however is very expressive with black fruits, tobacco and a touch of liquorice. There is a softness and touch of sweetness to the palate. Excellent and very popular.

Chateau La Fleur Petrus. Pomerol. 1995. France. Wonderfully intense nose of black fruits, liquorice and menthol. The palate is full, rich and with lovely balance. An incredibly long finish. Superb.

Grahams 1983. Nose is complex with berries, dried fruit and fig. Drinking beautifully, rich but well balanced with a lingering finish. Wonderful.

Dows 1985. Stunningly good. Expressive, rich, savoury dried fruits with a touch of spice and soft tannins. This is drinking very well.

Chateau Sigalas-Rabaud. Sauternes. 2003. This is absolutely delicious. Such a well balanced wine, it has honeyed sweetness, citrus, almond and an excellent texture. Very very good.

Port in Porto

Porto is the second largest city in Portugal but has a population of less than a quarter of a million so it manages to have the feel of something much smaller than expected. It sits on the northern bank of the Douro river, directly opposite the city of Vila Nova de Gaia. To many they are as one and both are closely identified with the city’s most famous export, port.

Some port facts

  • Port can be produced in only one region – Portugal’s Douro Valley.
  • Yield are low in the Douro due to the hot climate and poor soils.
  • Over 100 different grape varieties can be used to make port but only five are mainly used; Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca and Touring Nacional.
  • The grapes are traditionally trodden by foot in large tanks called lagars.
  • Port was made in the Douro valley but was taken to Porto where it was much cooler and there was less chance of the wine spoiling.
  • Port used to be transported to Porto by boat called a Rabelo as it was much quicker than by road
  • Up to 1986 it was compulsory to take port to Porto to mature. It can now be done in the Douro as modern technology has meant that temperatures can be accurately controlled.

Tasting port

In Porto, close to the river, is Portologia (Rua de Sao Joao 28-30). This is a good place to start as there are many different tastings available and so can give you a flavour of the different styles of port available. It is an interesting establishment as it has some of the smaller port producers available that you do not usually come across in the UK. If you taste something and like it you can buy a bottle to take away with you.

Crossing the river into Vila Nova de Gaia there a several options available for visiting a port house and taking in a tour. Taylors is one of the oldest port houses dating back some 325 years. Tours here are self guided following a trail and supported by an audio commentary which is available in several languages. Reservations are not necessary but you can book ahead if you wish, the cellars are open from 10.00 to 18.00 every day. Taylors cellars are at the top of the hill so be prepared. The views from here though are pretty spectacular.

The tour includes a tasting of two wines; Chip Dry White Port and Late Bottled Vintage.

Taylors also has a restaurant, Barão Fladgate, which is excellent for lunch following your visit but is also open in the evening. I would recommend making a reservation here, especially if you want one of the tables outside which have superb city views. Both food and service are excellent and it is the perfect end to a visit.

There are of course plenty of other options to visit a port house including;

If you want to sample port but are not bothered about a guided tour there are number of options available. Many of these are on, or close to, the waterfront (Avenida Diogo Leite) and therefore require little walking from the bridge.

  • Ramos Pinto – has a huge tasting room with comfy sofas. Very welcome at the end of a busy day.
  • Quinta do Noval – has no cellars in the city. All port is matured in the Douro valley
  • Sandemans

The biggest challenge is choosing what to include. As port is a fortified wine there is only so much that you can taste in one day without feeling rather worse for wear!

Pinhão – Quinta do Bomfim

Quinta do Bomfim is only a short walk from the railway station in Pinhão in Portugal’s Douro valley and is therefore probably the easiest tasting room to visit if you have arrived by train from Porto. You can read my post about the train journey here . Reservations are now required to visit the Quinta and so it is best to do this in advance of your visit. It is well worth it. The tour includes a vineyard walk but this is optional if the weather is very hot. You can make a reservation via their website here

Quinta do Bomfim is owned by Symington Estates. The Symington family have been involved in the port industry since 1882 and the company now own several of the well known port brands including, Grahams, Warre’s, Dow’s and Cockburn’s. The vineyard here is about 61 hectares under vine and the production largely got into making  Dow’s.

It is a beautiful location, with the tasting room overlooking the river, you could sit and drink it in all day!

 

Dow’s 10 year old Tawny. Tawny in appearance with a feint ruby tinge. Nose of caramel, toffee, stewed fruits and a hint of orange. Palate is rich and savoury with a lovely lingering finish.

Grahams 20 year old Tawny. Good colour with a feint ruby. Nose not as expressive as the Dow’s. Caramel and dried fruits. Richer in style, sweeter. Not as nuanced as the 10 year old.

Dow’s 20 year old Tawny. Pale tawny in appearance. Nose of burnt caramel, toffee and orange peel. Palate is rich, complex with a lovely freshness.Lovely balance with a lingering praline finish.

Grahams 40 year old Tawny. Nose is nutty, caramel and sweet fruit. The palate is complex, harmonious with dried fruits, nuts and a wonderful lingering finish.

Dow’s 1985. Appearance is mature fading to tawny at the rim. Nose is black fruit, stewed prunes, cinnamon spice, medicated sweets and cherry. Palate is smooth and rich, tannins are integrated. A lovely glass of vintage port.

A visit to Quinta do Bomfim will give an excellent understanding of the process of making port from the vineyard to the bottle. You can also taste the fruits of their labours in such a beautiful setting.