port!!! any recommendations?

[senor_robusto]

hello all,
can anyone recommend me a decent bottle of port? i've never had the stuff before, well, maybe once at christmas time about 10 years ago! lol! but seriously, since joining this forum, my curiosity & taste for all things classy and consumable has increased! i've a well stocked drinks cabinet as it is (irish whisky, cognac, gin, havana club rum), but i'd like to try something different, and i've heard that port's quite agreeable with cigars!

please bear in mind, i haven't drunk the stuff before, so if possible, could you's please recommend me something thats not too much of an aquired tase and not too expensive?

thank you,

alex, belfast

[Ramon]

Depends on your definition of expensive.

What I would say though is, forget LBV's, they're not vintage port's. Stick with proper vintage's or single Quinta's and you won't go wrong. For help with these terms, and a guide on what to look out for, have a look here.

As a starter though, for something widely available, have a look in Tesco's for Taylors Quinta de Vargella, around the ?25 a bottle mark and I think an excellent port.

Nearer to Christmas the supermarkets start to get better port's in stock. But come spring, they tend to start to discount them to clear them off the shelves, that's the time to pick up some bargains.

But if you want to get specific years, you're better off going to a proper brokers with an on-line site, like this one.

One other piece of advice. Make sure you have a good corkscrew. By that I mean it should not have a rod down the middle of the screw, and it should be a good length, the corks in port bottles are longer than normal bottles of wine. You don't want to break the cork when taking it out.

Good luck with your quest, I'm sure you'll enjoy a nice port

[MaledettoToscano]

Hi Alex,

There are quite a few styles of Port.

Leaving the white stuff aside (which can be OK, but is not really Port IMO) you will generally find Ruby (bottle aged) and Tawny (cask aged) Ports quite easily. I'd skip both, if you plan on pairing these with cigars. Ruby is often... (with a few exceptions). Tawnies are OK but they are quite sweet (this is more a dessert wine).

If you haven't had port before probably the best would be to start with an LBV (Late Bottled Vintage). There are quite a few of these out there but Taylor is probably one of the easiest to find in the UK. Not a fantastic LBV, but not bad for the price.

The best ports are Vintage and Single Quinta Vintage Port wines. You can find some decent 10 year old ones at 30?, but the best aged ones (40-60 years) go for a price of a couple boxes of smokes . On top of that it's not what I'd start with.

Now our Portuguese BOTL NunoSa can rip me apart .

[Ramon]

The best ports are Vintage and Single Quinta Vintage Port wines. You can find some decent 10 year old ones at 30?.

I could've sworn I mentioned Taylors Quinta de Vargella in Tesco's for around the ?25 a bottle mark Oh, I did

[cigarsmoke]

Fonseca Bin No 27. A dam fine port IMHO and good value for money at ?20-?25 a bottle approx

[MaledettoToscano]

I could've sworn I mentioned Taylors Quinta de Vargella in Tesco's for around the ?25 a bottle mark Oh, I did

Sorry Ramon, I was typing while you posted so I didn't see your reply !

[Paulie]

Gould Campbell 1997. Roughly ?30 a bottle.

James Suckling who writes for Cigar Aficionado and Wine Spectator rates it highly. For what that's worth!

I have a bottle and find it to be excellent.

[nicwing]

This is an awful thread, it's making my big toe twitch, quick nurse pass me my old gout bandage and a very large glass of the Taylors crusted 1959 will you I am sure we can fight this bugger off!

[Simon-JG-hr]

I had a dinstinctly iffy experience with port once... Shame really, as I had certainly acquired the taste for it... I'm back on it now though (you can't keep a good man down ).

Lesson well and truly learnt though... always ask for specifics when challenged to a boat race by a Marine.

One very nice ruby (yes people, you heard right, they are available ), which can be had for under a tenner is Jennings Port. Yes, that is Jennings the brewers. It's not, technically their port, but it is bottled by Graham's on their behalf. It is an ideal 'beginners' port - very fruity, with a slight sweetness to it - an ideal, contrasting, match with a strong cigar. The only problem is that you have to buy it directly from Jennings - it's produced in small numbers and is only sold at the brewery. I stocked up on my last visit.

[Ramon]

Sorry Ramon, I was typing while you posted so I didn't see your reply !

No problem


An alternative also worth trying is madeira, not as sweet or as heavy as port and pairs well with a cigar.

One word of caution though, as has already been mentioned, go easy on the port or madeira, it goes down very easily but packs a punch, normally about 20% abv and gives a terrible hangover. Especially when you mix your drinks. As I found out after a St Eligius service in Kosovo

[Nuno Sa]

I think you can not go wrong you a Vintage or a Late Bottled Vintage, i like port wine very much (actually called Vinho do Porto = Porto Wine, witch is not a true fact since really a wine born in the Douro region, were my parents are from). At home right now i have only a bottle of Ramos Pinto Reserve with i like very much with cigars.

I like Madeira wine with cigars also, but other Portuguese "sweet" wines go well with a good smoke, like the Favaios and all the Moscatel grape wines.

Like with cigars it?s best to start with a good but not overly expensive port wine, so if you like it you can experience the complexity later of a properly aged wine.

As mentioned by some guys, one as to be very careful about all sweet wines in general, this wines are terribly deceiving, due to the variety of sugars, this kinds of wines are prone to some of the most awful hangovers.

If you cant get a good Fonseca, Taylor?s or a Quinta?s, give them i try, the amount of work and passion it takes to make a wine like does it simply incredible, i?ve been in several harvests of grapes, helped making wine out of them and saw the aging process and it?s something to admire. A trip that is worth while is to come to the Oporto town and have a look at the wine cellars were the aging takes place. And if you also have the opportunity visit the Douro region, some beautiful sight seeing of the hills filled with vineyards.

Now for actual some recommendations :

- Fonseca Vintage Port 2007

- Single Quinta Vintage

- Quinta da Ervamoira - Ramos Pinto Vintage 2007

- Quinta do Infantado Vintage 2007

Some really good Madeira Wines (not cheap):

- 1988 Sercial Frasqueira, Barbeito

- Sercial 10 years old


MaledettoToscanoyour description was very short and well made not any reamrks to be made.

[MaledettoToscano]

MaledettoToscanoyour description was very short and well made not any reamrks to be made.

thanks sir!

[monkey66]

if there is very heavy rain and thunder ....any

.....

[Rennie]

Grahams 1997 vintage is very good, retail around ?40 per bottle.

[whisky77]

Agree,LBV

Hi Alex,

There are quite a few styles of Port.

Leaving the white stuff aside (which can be OK, but is not really Port IMO) you will generally find Ruby (bottle aged) and Tawny (cask aged) Ports quite easily. I'd skip both, if you plan on pairing these with cigars. Ruby is often... (with a few exceptions). Tawnies are OK but they are quite sweet (this is more a dessert wine).

If you haven't had port before probably the best would be to start with an LBV (Late Bottled Vintage). There are quite a few of these out there but Taylor is probably one of the easiest to find in the UK. Not a fantastic LBV, but not bad for the price.

The best ports are Vintage and Single Quinta Vintage Port wines. You can find some decent 10 year old ones at 30?, but the best aged ones (40-60 years) go for a price of a couple boxes of smokes . On top of that it's not what I'd start with.

Now our Portuguese BOTL NunoSa can rip me apart .

Have to agree with Maldetto on the point about the LBV;i prefer this to any of the other styles of port and it is particularly suited to someone who is perhaps trying port out for the first time.