Port Hits the Spot in Summer

Montreal Gazette, August 17, 2002, Malcolm Anderson

(excerpts from article)

Why write about Port at the height of summer, you might well ask. Well, to start with, certain Ports lend themselves very well to summer drinking, and, in addition, even in summer there are cool evenings and perhaps occasions where Port is most appropriate. Finally, I can't really abandon my readers for the seven or eight months of the year when there's no snow on the ground.

White Port, for instance, is a perfect summer drink. Only 10 percent of Port wine is white, and it is made in the same way as red Port except it uses white grapes. It also gets the same ageing in casks, sometimes for as long as 10 years but mostly only for two to five years. White Port comes in two styles - dry and sweet. The dry versions carry an indication of this on the label. It is not noted on the labels of sweet Ports because it is assumed that all Port is sweet.

In Portugal, a favorite long drink is white Port, the sweet variety, served with twice as much soda, a slice of lemon and an ice cub. It is delicious with roasted almonds. The dry style is very good as an aperitif on its own, served chilled.

Ruby Port is at the bottom of the Port price ladder because the wines are made from the grapes that don't make it into either LBV (late bottled vintage), tawny or vintage, the more prestigious Ports. They are also aged for a shorter time and usually cost less, about $15 to $16. The Don Tedo, Special Select Ruby, "Vintage Character", NV, $21.35, is a top-class ruby Port. It is also noted on the label as "méthode traditionelle." This essentially means that the wine is not filtered before bottling, which I have never seen before in the case of ruby Port. This makes it so much richer in aromas, flavors and even color: the wine is quite evolved on the nose and palate and has thick, rich fruit and just a hint of spice. It is also closer to vintage Port in style. (5 STARS)

Late bottled vintage or LBV Ports are wines of one vintage that are bottled after four to six years of aging in large oak barrels called pipes. The wine is filtered before bottling so is ready to drink when it is purchased (no decanting needed).

The Quinta do Tedo, LBV, 1997, $31, is a different sort of LBV and is designated as such, being labeled "Traditional". This means that the wine is not filtered before bottling and has a driven cork like a bottle of wine, whereas the others have stoppers. Because it is not filtered, more of the age worthy stuff is left in the bottle, and the wine will improve with age. Over time, it can also build sediment from which the wine must be poured off, or decanted before serving. The wine is a deep black purple color, with rich, almost creamy blackberry-black current fruit on the palate with a hint of cinnamon. On the palate it is big, round, mouth-filling and as yummy as it gets. Is it worth the extra money? To a Port lover, you bet it is. (4 1/2 STARS)