Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port 75cl

Product Information

White! Rose! Tawny! Vintage! There are different ports for different people. Whites are bright and best served chilled, vintage ports are pricier, but ready to sit in your cellar. Rose ports are a happy medium – easy for sunny days, after dinner drinks, and beyond. Geosmin is a chemical compound that can give wines and ports an unpleasant, earthy odour, usually the result of using grape crops having been affected by rot. White port – Best served cold, white port is delicious and refreshing with a splash of tonic, and makes a great alternative to your beloved G&T. Often drunk as an aperitif, we’d recommend serving it with a side of salted almonds.

Kate Dingwall is a seasoned wine and spirits writer and trained sommelier. She’s spent a good amount of time hiking up and down the Douro Valley and complains about her legs accordingly. It’s safe enough to drink, but if you’re sensitive to the smell, it can be offputting, and impacts the flavour of the drink. We asked Charles for his tips on choosing the best bottle of port, and explain what we found when we tested supermarket ports.You can find a range of ports at most major supermarkets, as well as specialist retailers. Supermarkets that sell port wines include: It depends on how long you anticipate aging it for! If something is left to sit for time, let it rest on its side away from direct sunlight, just as you would any fine wine. If you have an open bottle, you can store it at room temperature or in the fridge. Chilling a bottle will extend the lifespan — the cold slows down the oxidation process. The 10-year tawny is a blend of wines that were all tread by foot, fermented in lagares and aged in small wooden barrels called pipas. Tawny Port is often regarded as a dessert wine due to the intense flavor and high ABV. It’s commonly served in a smaller glass and portion (around 3 oz.), just under room temperature. Are you planning on letting your port rest for years? Consider a port with age-worthy qualities. Look for vintages that show potential, or consider vintage bottled-aged ports that are crafted to sit for years to come.

Late bottled vintage ports are of even higher initial quality, and are matured in wood for four or five years. The appearance is notably paler and more transparent, like faded copper with a bright orange-red glow. Vintage ports are the top-quality red ports from a single year – and only the best years. They’re aged in wood for just a couple of years. Unlike most ports, they have the potential to develop in the bottle (more on that later). Tawny port – The name refers to the colour the wine turns after ageing. To have this label, they must be at least two years old, but you’ll also find much older examples, such as our winning 10-year-old (below). The age statement means the liquid is a blend of vintages with an average barrel ageing. Flavours here tend to be nuttier, and can include caramel, cinnamon and chocolate. Port is a type of fortified wine produced in the Douro region of Portugal,” describes Anthony Caporale, Director of Spirits Education at the Institute of Culinary Education​. “The name comes from the city of Porto at the mouth of the Douro River, which was the hub of the port wine trade from the late 1600's. Like other fortified wines, port has a distilled spirit (in this case a neutral grape spirit known as aguardente) added to it to increase the alcohol content and help preserve the wine. The spirit is added during fermentation to stop the process, leaving unfermented sugar in the wine that gives port its notably sweet, rich character.

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A good rule of thumb for pairing with desserts is that the more intense the flavor of your delicious confection, the older you should aim for your Tawny Port wine. Make note, each producer makes a unique style and identity, as well as some proprietary practices, that distinguish their products from anyone else’s. Basic Tawny has a barely transparent body, with scents of slightly dried cherry, toasted nuts, and a touch of leather, followed by a light creaminess on the palate and a cacao powder finish.