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Types of Port Wines

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Ruby Port is the most basic of port styles. This is made with a blend of red grape varieties and is blended from several years. It should not be aged, and tends to taste of berries, with light tannins.  

Tawny Port is a ruby port that has been aged for several years in small oak barrels. This gives the port a tawny color, as well as a buttery, nutty caramel flavor. If a tawny port is listed as being "10 years" or "20 years," this means that the average age of the base harvest vintages used in the blend is that number. 

Colheita Ports (Call-yay-ta) are really a tawny port made from a single specific harvest.  They are aged for a minimum of 7 years.  They tend to be nutty and fruity. 

Late Bottled Vintage, or LBV, was created specifically for the restaurant market, to give them a vintage type port that did not have sediment and could last a while after being opened. The winemaker filters and fines this port and then pre-ages it for the consumer, usually for 6 or more years. When you buy your LBV port, you should drink it soon - it is not meant for aging. When you open this bottle, though, you can expect it to last for a full month before starting to lose its flavor.

Crusted Ports are named for the crusted sediment on the bottom of the bottle.  They are a blend of single harvests that are not filtered nor laid down like a vintage.  This is a cheaper alternative to a Late Bottled Vintage.  Often called the Poor Man’s Port but can be surprisingly good.  

Single Quinta Ports are made with wine from one vineyard. They may be Tawny or Vintage styles. After aging two years in wood they are bottled and spend from 5 to 50 years maturing. The label will indicate the Vintage year and bottling date.  Single quinta port has a complex, and refined taste. 

Vintage Port is the high end of port releases.  Also known as The King of all Ports.   Only the best years are declared a vintage and used for this purpose. All of the grapes from a single harvest are used in a given wine. A 2007 vintage port contains only grapes from the 2007 harvest. This wine is aged in oak and then aged in the bottle.  Vintage Ports require at least 10-13 years of aging after bottling. 

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Declared Years for Vintage Port (after 1950): 

2007, 2003, 2000 – these still need to mature.  Give them time.   

1997, 1994, 1992, 1991, 1985, 1983, 1980, 1977, 1975, 1970, 1966, 1963, 1960, 1958, 1955, 1950 – drink away!

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Decanting Port Wine 

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WHY DECANT?

All vintage port that has had time to mature in its own bottle will require decanting.  During aging the wine will form a deposit or crust, which, if not removed, would be similar to drinking a cup of tea with its tea leaves.  Decanting is actually a very simple process, though it has often been over complicated and "mystified."

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PREPARATION

First, stand the bottle upright for a short while before you intend to serve it (20 to 30 minutes will do if you find yourself short of time).  The 'crust' or sediment, which is much heavier in Vintage Port than in other fine wines, will fall easily and quickly to the bottom of the bottle.  Bringing the bottle up from the cellar will also allow the wine to reach room temperature gradually, although Vintage Port can be decanted straight from the cellar if needs be.  For example, Port producers very often decant straight from the cellar when new wines are required for tastings at short notice. Even 5 to 10 minutes standing upright will allow most of the sediment to settle at the bottom of the bottle.

Decanting is best done before you sit down to dinner although the timing will vary somewhat depending on the age of the wine.  Very old Vintage Ports should be decanted shortly before, while younger wines will need a little longer.  It is recommended to have the following items available: a Vintage Port decanter, a small funnel and a decent long corkscrew.  If you don't have a funnel, pour very slowly.

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THE PROCESS

Pulling the cork can often be tricky particularly with old wines, as the corks quite often break up, so we suggest you use a corkscrew with a long shaft.  Once the bottle is open, make sure that the decanter is clean. It is best to rinse it first with water and then a little ruby port or red table wine.  Water from your tap contains chlorine and that can affect the taste, so distilled water is preferable.

As long as you have a steady hand and the process is done in one slow movement, there is little need for the funnel or the muslin.  Watch the neck of the bottle.  Stop pouring the moment any of the sediment begins to enter the decanter. The Vintage is now ready to serve.  Traditionally, the decanter is placed in front of the host who then serves the guest to his right and then passes the decanter to the guest on his left. The port is then passed to the left all the way back to the host.

TIP: If you don't want to drink an entire bottle at one sitting, we suggest you decant half of it into a clean, empty half-bottle and re-cork it before serving the other half.  Stored in a cool place, the wine will then keep fresh for up to two weeks.

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Storing Vintage Port

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A house with a deep, dry cellar with the right amount of humidity is rather rare these days.  Most people have to resort to storing their wine with the local wine merchant or in a cupboard under the stairs.

Vintage Port, like all other fine wines, prefers to remain undisturbed in a dark place at a steady temperature of between 53°F and 59°F to mature properly. Perhaps most important is that the temperature remains fairly constant; for instance it is better that the temperature remains at a constant 60°F throughout the year than fluctuating between 46°F and 59°F. Extreme levels of heat or cold are Vintage Port's biggest enemy, so a cupboard preferably in the center of the building, well away from radiators would be a reasonable alternative.

As most Vintage Port is sold in wooden cases with the bottles packed horizontally the wine will age perfectly well in its own case.  However, if you have odd bottles, care should be taken to store them lying down in order to keep the cork from drying out.  The splash of white paint often present on a bottle of Vintage helps you to keep the bottle in the same position, so that the crust will develop uniformly in one place.  The mark should always face upward.

We always recommend a wine cooler.  They vary in size from 4 bottle keepers to over a few dozen holders.  Prices begin below the $100 range and upwards to the thousands for custom units.  They will keep and maintain your Port Wines at the perfect setting.

             

RE-CORKING

Re-corking bottles is becoming rarer these days, however with some of the very old Vintage Ports (pre-1960s) it is recommended that the wine should be checked from time to time for evidence of excessive seepage or other damage to the cork.  With more recent vintages, it is okay to pour the remaining port back into the bottle but try to recap it with a rubber vacuum seal. 

After recorking, the general rule of thumb is that vintages will last about a week, LBV's, and ruby's a few weeks.  Tawny and white ports are also good for a few weeks.

Source:  thevintageportsite.com