Port Wine

Port is a fortified wine which is properly produced in the Douro Valley of Portugal. Although this style of fortified wine is also produced outside of Portugal, in many jurisdictions, only the wine from Portugal may be labelled as Port or Porto.

Ruby Port

• Fonseca Bin No. 27 Finest Reserve  (90)
• OFFLEY Ruby Port   (78.5)
• W & J Graham’s “Six Grapes” Reserve Port    (87)

Late Bottled Vintage Port

• Cálem Late Bottle Vintage 2006 Port Wine    (88)
  
• Dow’s Late Bottle Vintage 2006 Port Wine     (92.5)
  
• Fonseca Porto Late Bottled Vintage 2003 “Unfiltered”    (87.5)
• Fonseca Porto Late Bottled Vintage 2008 “Unfiltered” (91.5)
• Quinta De La Rosa 2007 Late Bottle Vintage Port Wine   (79)
• Sandeman Late bottled Vintage Port Wine 2007     (87.5)
• Taylor’s (Fladgate) Porto Late Bottled Vintage 2007    (82.5)
• Taylor Fladgate Late Bottled Vintage Port 2009    86

Tawny Port

• Cálem 10 Year Old Tawny Port Wine    (86)

New Styles

• Croft Pink  (82.5)

Note: Currently in the United States (and Canada) the rules for labeling Port Wine are less stringent and wines labelled “port” may come from anywhere in the world.)

Botrytised Wine

• Chateau de Targe (Chenin Blanc) 2009    (85)
• Concha y Toro Late Harvest Private Reserve Sauvignon Blanc (2008)  87.5
• De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon   (90)
• Hetszolo Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos (2001)    (91.5)

The grapes selected to produce this style of wine are not picked when they have ripened; rather they are left to “rot” or “Botrytise” on the vine and picked by hand as late as possible in the growing season. The agent at work is a specific fungus called “Botrytis cinerea“ which affects grapes by absorbing their moisture making them dry. As the fruit loses moisture, its sugar content increases dramatically. Other factors may be at work as well with the final result being that the “botrytised” or rotten grapes are able to produce an intensely sweet and flavourful wine. The appearance of the “noble rot” depends not only upon the location (or terroir) of the vineyard, but upon the irascible weather. It is not uncommon for no suitable botrytised grapes to appear for several years at a time.

Other Dessert Wines

• Alvear Pedro Ximénez Solera 1927    (87)
  
• Jost Maple Wine     (85)

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Note: My ratings and scores for my Wine Reviews are based upon a 100 point system similar to my scoring distilled spirits. This system is described below and you may (loosely) interpret those scores as follows:

0-25     A wine with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49   Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59  You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69   Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74    A mediocre wine which will excite no one.
75-79    You may begin to serve this to friends, still rather unexciting.
80-84    Enjoyment begins here.
85-89    Very good to excellent!
90-94    You may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+       I haven’t met this one yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and  Bronze medal  scale as follows:

< 70            (Take pass on this)
70 – 79.5    Bronze Medal (Decent but unexciting)
80 – 89.5     Silver Medal (Suitable for a fun evening with family and friends)
90 – 95         Gold Medal (Highly recommended)
95.5+            Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)