Complex and concentrated, Tawny Ports aren’t nearly as fresh and fruity as their Ruby Port cousins (after all, they’ve had to age a minimum of seven years in oak). More reserved, sometimes serious, and often sweet, Tawny Ports have rich, smooth lines that support the yummy oxidized flavor profiles of age-designated bottles.

Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port | Master of Malt

Crusted Port – A blend of outstanding young ports from two or three harvests, these are left to mature in the bottle, forming a “crust” (natural sediment) as they age. When visiting the IVDP ( Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto) we learned that the brandy used in Port winemaking is a neutral (flavorless) grape spirit sourced primarily from Portugal, Spain and France. Single Quinta Vintage Port – These ports are produced from a port house’s best vineyards in a great year, but may not be quite good enough for a declared Vintage Port. Great with cheese. Flavor: Expect citrus and stone fruit to carry over into the glass and Port’s trademark nutty, raisin, and spice influences will surface front and center. Honeyed character reveals a rich, smooth texture that is most often made in a dry to off-dry (and occasionally sweet) format. Serving Tips: LBV is ready to be enjoyed as soon as you can open the bottle. Serve slightly chilled (shoot for 55-65°F). LBV Ports are capable of keeping for a few weeks after opening if kept refrigerated.Showing a simple, fruity, youthful character, Ruby Ports are generally the least expensive of the Port wines available on the shelf. Typically aged in large oak casks for an average of two years, Ruby Ports are ready to drink as soon as they’re bottled. Good Vintages: 2011, 2009, 2007, 2003, 2000, 1997, 1994, 1985, 1983, 1980, 1977, 1970. See old vintage list here. The endearing characteristics that highlight a classic Vintage Port pairing involve buttery and tangy elements, ok… and probably the crazy stink of Stilton blue cheese. Dubbed by many as the “perfect pairing” and completely counterintuitive by most standards, you can easily substitute, Roquefort, Cashel Blue, the famous French Bleu d’Auvergne, or Gorgonzola to marry the rich, silky textures of a Vintage Port with the bold, snappy stench of odiferous blue cheese. As the classic sipping wine, Vintage Port is an excellent accompaniment for small plates that feature ingredients such as blue cheese, dark chocolate, figs, and walnuts (which add their own tannic tango to the mix).

port 2023: We round up the finest Ruby, Reserve, Single Best port 2023: We round up the finest Ruby, Reserve, Single

One of the beauties of Vintage Port is that the high-strung, abrasive tannins of youth will soften and mellow over time (…a long time: think decades). Happily, these older bottles remain full-bodied and range from sweet to semi-sweet in terms of residual sugar, while showing lower levels of innate acidity. As the name implies, LBV Port is developed from a single-vintage Ruby Port and may enjoy up to six years in the barrel before being bottled and released.Tawny Port – After being aged in oak barrels, tawny ports are further aged in bottles for periods such as ten, 20, 40 years, etc. The name comes from the tawny colour they develop over time and they tend to be very smooth and mellow, with flavours of fruit and nuts. They go well with cheeses and some puddings.

Styles of Port and Their Pairings | Wine Folly Styles of Port and Their Pairings | Wine Folly

Serving Tips: Don’t decant. White Port is ready to pour as soon as the bottle is open. Serve slightly chilled (ideally 45-50°F). Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port – Aged for 4-6 years, these ports have lots of character but are lighter than traditional vintages. Best with soft cheeses.Spend a day living like the Portuguese locals and you’re bound to come face-to-face with Queijo da Serra, a vibrant, tangy, mild cheese made in the Serra de Estrela (“Star Mountain Range”) in Portugal. Crafted with sheep’s milk, the coagulating properties of the spiky purple Cardoon flower, and sea salt, this is the epitome of a regional pairing (local foods with local wines). The savory draw of aged Parmesan and the classic Stilton also cry out for the unctuous, sweet notes of a traditional LBV. Have a chocolate addict on your hands? LBV is there for you too. Heavy, rich, and dark, not unlike a slab of dark chocolate itself, this wine shows unabashed favoritism to all things chocolate. German chocolate cake, homemade chocolate sauce, molten chocolate lava cake, chocolate bread pudding and the like all claim some serious time in the LBV limelight. Serving Tips: Most Tawny Ports have an age designation on the label: 10, 20, 30 or more years, which indicates the average year of the grapes in the bottle, not the vintage age of the fruit harvest. Tawnies don’t throw sediment and can typically skip the decanter. Because of the innate oxidation, they can easily last a month once opened (store in fridge). Serve cool (around 55-60°F).