David Franz 'Old Redemption' Tawny Port

I don't think I'm supposed to call this port, it being Australian and all, and I respect (and agree with) the rules. Port is from Portugal, and this is fortified wine. I'd also be happy with 'tawny'.

I think this is a wonderful wine. I picked it up for about £16. It's just as good as any 'proper' tawny port I've tried (admittedly not many). It's perhaps not as sweet as this one, but just as complex.

This is the first Australian fortified wine I've tried. Differences between Port and the Aussie version can include grape variety, ripeness levels at harvest time, and the fortifying spirit used. I couldn't find much information at all about this wine unfortunately, and would love to hear from anyone who can supply information regarding all these details. The main difference I noticed was in the nose - this had an fruity, alcoholic, spirity note to it. Perhaps it is the same thing that Jancis Robinson called 'commercial rum essence' in this informative article.

The producer is also of note - David Franz is the son of famed Barossa Valley winemaker Peter Lehmann. Look on their website for a biography. Sadly this wine isn't included in the history, but I imagine the base wine for this has been around longer than David's winery has...

David Franz

'Old Redemption' Tawny Port

Barossa Valley, Australia

Thorold Wines

~£16

4/5

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Vintage Port 2000

I bought this a couple of weeks ago when it was £5 off (£14.99 from £19.99). I thought it was a decent price for a vintage port - although it's something I know next to nothing about. It's now going for £9.99 which is incredibly good value.

This port is quite good actually. It's a bit raisiny, but it's also complex and powerful. My friend who I was drinking it with remarked that it tasted different every time he took a sip - a good indicator of a wine's complexity. Like I said I'm not that experienced with vintage port, but I found this impressive, unlike 'normal' port or LBV, which I usually find underwhelming.

I reckon it's still quite young - it has a youthful acid core. Maybe another 10 years?

Also - apologies for not identifying the producer, I left the bottle at a friend's house. Will update with more info soon.

UPDATE: This port is what used to be called Martinez Quinta Da Eira Velha Vintage port. Martinez was acquired by Symington in 2006.

Sainsbury's

Taste the Difference Vintage Port 2000

Douro, Portugal

£9.99 (£19.99)

4/5

Taylor's 20 Year Old Tawny Port

I bought this wine a few months ago, before Christmas at some point.  It was a bit of a random discovery.  Usually I stop by the fortified wine section to see if there are any interesting sherries on offer, but this time a small orange label caught my attention in the the port section.  It was the Taylor's 20 year old tawny port on for half price, something like £13.99.  There were only two bottles left, and I should have bought both of them, because after that they were gone, and I haven't seen it at all since, even at regular price.

Tawny port is a variety of port that is barrel aged for years on end.  I find myself at the moment appreciating fortified wines of the oxidized variety.  By this I mean wines that have been aged in barrels for decades, allowing oxygen to interact with the wine and mellow it out, change the colour (from red to a brownish hue), and impart a nutty flavour.   This is all opposed to the other way of ageing wine: in bottle, where interaction with oxygen is more restricted, preserving the fruit flavours and tannin for a much longer time.

What I mean by the previous paragraph is that I was kind of surprised (but shouldn't have been) by how much this port reminded me of Oloroso sherry, which has a similar ageing process: in barrel, unprotected from oxygen (unlike its fino brethren which is protected by a flor of yeast), for decades.  I've only had dry Oloroso, so the port was much sweeter, and I have to say I prefer the drier wine.  Having said that, the port is a much better match for things like blue cheese, where the sweetness is a great foil for the strong flavour of the cheese.

It's a complex drink, starting with dried fruit type flavours, and ending with that delightful toasted nutty taste.  It's also sweet and a bit syrupy.  Great as a dessert on its own I'd say, or with a cheeseboard.

Taylor's

20 Year Old Tawny Port

Douro Valley, Portugal

Sainsbury's

£13.99 (£27.99)

4/5

Graham's Late Bottled Vintage Port 2003

I picked this up by mistake thinking it was Taylor's LBV 2003 after reading a positive review of it somewhere. When we went to open it I was a bit shocked that I had screwed up, but it turns out it wasn't a bad choice after all.

This port won a Gold and Trophy at the International Wine Challenge 2008. I'm not too sure about these awards, as they seem to give out a lot of medals making me wonder how special they are, but I don't think it's total guff. I need to research them a bit more when I get the chance.

Anyways, the wine. I thought it was just OK. I'm sure it was correct and everything, but I think I find this style of port a bit boring. It's still enjoyable, but from the tastings I've been to I think I prefer older tawnys. I'd say "older vintage port" (proper vintage port as opposed to late bottled vintage), but I can't afford them, and I'm not sure I've really tried any...

If you're an LBV person however, this is one to check out.

Graham's
Late Bottled Vintage Port 2003
Douro Valley, Potugal
Sainsbury's
£8.99 (£11.99)
3/5