Barrel-aged Ports

When you look at a list of producers of fine Port wine you would be amazed at the number of English names on the labels, such as Dow, Grahams or Taylors, to name a few. It shows the passion and enthusiasm the English have for Port wine. This passion has been shared throughout the world.

Port wine grapes are generally characterized by their small, dense fruit, which produce concentrated, lingering flavors suitable for long aging. Over a hundred varieties of grapes are sanctioned for Port production, only five are widely grown. Touriga National is the most prized varietal but due to small yield Touriga Francesa is most widely planted. White ports are produced in a similar manner to red Ports; however, they are made with white grapes, such as Donzelinho Branco.

Barrel aged Ports:

Tawny Port is made from red wine, which is aged in wooden barrels using the Solera process, exposing them to gradual oxidation and evaporation. As a result, it gradually mellows to a golden-brown colour. The exposure to wood imparts “nutty” flavors to the wine, which is blended to match the house style. When a Port is described as Tawny, without an indication of age, it is a basic blend of wood aged port that has spent at least two years in barrels.

Premium Tawnies are an indication of age, which represents a blend of several vintages, with the average years “in wood” stated on the label. The official categories are 10, 20, 30 and over 40 years. The categories indicate a target age profile for the Ports, not their actual ages, though many people mistakenly believe that the categories indicate the minimum average ages of the blends. It is also possible to produce an aged white port in the manner of a tawny, with a number of shippers now marketing 10-year-old White Ports.

Tawny Ports from a single vintage are called Colheitas. This style of barrel-aged Port may have spent 20 or more years in wooden barrels before being bottled and sold.  A Tawny Port made from the grapes of a single harvest that combines the oxidative maturation of years in wood with further reductive maturation in large glass demijohns known as a Garraferia. It is usual that this style of Port spends between three and six years in wood, followed by at least a further eight years in glass, before bottling.

Next week, Bottle Aged Ports

Champagne and Sparkling wine are always a treat. Yesterday, I tasted a wonderful new sparkling Brut Rosé from The Grange of Prince Edward ($35). This celebratory number is a total delight showing the pale color of the eye-of-the-partridge, creating a backdrop for the bright cascading bubbles. The bouquet is freshly picked empire apple with a hint of pear. On the palate, the bubbles burst with abundant notes of apple, lemon curd and a well-balanced acidity expressing the distinctive minerality of the County. One glass just led to another and, well…

Only 90 cases were produced and will be released around Mother’s Day. Don’t miss the opportunity to bring a bottle to Mom (and one for yourself)!

The Grange of Prince Edward is located at 990 Closson Road in Hillier.