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Quinta Das Carvalhas Reserva Tawny Port NV, Porto, Portugal

12 Saturday Nov 2022

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$23, 5 stars, 91 points, dessert wine, port, portugal


I bought this Tawny Port to compare to the Ruby version I recently tasted.  It is a medium garnet color, less intense that the ruby port.  The nose is quite pronounced with raisins, prunes, jammy blackberry, walnuts, Brazil nuts and dusty mocha.  Semi sweet on the palate with medium acidity and medium tannins.  I get rich flavors of  stewed black fruit with prunes and raisins.  The nuttiness is not as pronounced on the palate as the nose but it is still present.  The heat on the back end is quite noticeable on this full bodied wine.  It’s delicious with a long finish that I’m savoring.  For the price of $23 this 91 pointer gets 5 stars from me.  I’m trying to decide if I prefer Ruby vs. Tawny port.  You?  Drink this with some rich cheese.  Salut….

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Quinta Das Carvalhas Reserva Ruby Port NV, Porto, Portugal

04 Friday Nov 2022

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$18, 5 stars, 92 points, dessert wine, port, portugal


I love Port, but I’ll be honest…. the packaging lured me on this one.  Who doesn’t need a small decanter to have around?  This Ruby Port is deep garnet colored and sports the traditional 20% ABV.  The nose is gorgeous- ripe black plum jam, golden raisins, caramel, toffee, figs and bakers spice box.  The palate is semi-sweet with lush stewed black fruit, toffee, caramel, figs and spices.  Medium (-) acidity and a full body with supple tannins make for a great mouthfeel.  The finish is long and laced with black fruit nuance.  The alcohol is noticeable but not a detractor, well integrated.  This is a delicious bottle of dessert wine that begs for blue cheese and some apricots with almonds.  I love it- 92 points from me.  Th upcharge for the decanter and packaging brings this beauty to $42.  Get one for the souvenir factor and then downgrade to the regular 750ml bottles to lay around, they run $19 and are well worth stocking up on for the cold winter ahead.  5 stars, drink now.  Salut….

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Osborne Fine White Port NV, Porto, Portugal

19 Wednesday Oct 2022

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$25, port, portugal, white port


Another new one for me- white Port.  This one is medium gold colored with really slow moving legs (19.5% ABV).  Floral aromas galore followed by some saline, orange marmalade and nuts.  The palate is sweet and full bodied with medium acidity.  Marzipan, flowers, orange marmalade and nuts come to mind on the flavor profile.  The salinity is not apparent.  There is a touch of bitterness on the finish which is medium length.  It reminds me of biting into an unripe almond or the seed of an apricot.  For my first go at white port I must say I like it, it’s different yet familiar.  For $25 this is a tasty dessert wine that could be served as an aperitif if chilled.  Salut….

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Fonseca Reserve Porto Bin 27 NV, Portugal

06 Wednesday Apr 2022

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$16, 5 stars, 90 points, dessert wine, port, portugal


Deep ruby color.  The nose has a unique greeness to it on first whiff.  With a bit of air I am able to coax dried blueberry, cola, mint(?) and sultanas.  It’s not what I was expecting tbh.  The palate is semi-sweet, warm (from the 20%ABV) and inviting.  The wine is tannic and has gobs of acidity.  Full bodied for sure it has more classical Port flavors than what I got on the nose.  Dried black and blue berries, nuts, cola, prunes, sultanas and a richness of stewed black fruit.  It leaves a tannic impression on my gums well after the medium length finish fades.  What started out as a questionable Port wine turned into a delicious effort that gets 90 points from me.  These are meant to be drunk on release, so don’t waste any time!  Widely available for $16 it’s worth stashing a bottle or two for a late night treat with some warm chocolate gateaux.  5 stars.  Salut….

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Kirkland Signature 10 Year Old Tawny Port, Portugal

31 Thursday Mar 2022

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$18, 4 stars, 88 points, port, portugal


I love Port.  Tawny is not my top style so I am trying to broaden my palate, even if it means buying Costco’s brand (they have some excellent stuff BTW).  This one is medium garnet in color.  The nose is quite pronounced, perhaps due to the big 20% ABV evaporating off those wafts?  Nuts, caramel, singed orange, prune, raisins and a dried herb note.  The palate is off-dry, with medium acidity, medium tannins and high alcohol which is noticeable.  Medium (+) body and pronounced flavors of dried fruit, oxidative notes of caramel, dried herbs and that lovely orange component.  The finish is quite lengthy, tannic, high in residual alcohol and really yummy.  For under $20 it’s a decent drop that gets 88 points from me and 4 stars.  Salut….

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W & J Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Port NV, PortoPortugal

25 Friday Mar 2022

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$24, 5 stars, 92 points, port, portugal


I opened this wine yesterday to use a few dollops in my Short Rib sauce.  I ended the evening sipping this nectar and making very basic notes.  For $24, this is a delicious Port that I will be buying again.

Opaque- period. Off-dry with cooked blackberry, sweet prunes, stewed blueberry, rich tannins, high alcohol that is well hidden, medium acidity, long finish, full bodied, very dry finish.  Delicious. 92 points and 5 stars.  Salut….

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Cockburn’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2015, Portugal

08 Tuesday Mar 2022

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$20, 5 stars, 91 points, Douro, port, portugal


A deep shade of purple in the glass this opaque Port has got a pretty intense nose.  Aromas of cooked plum, stewed blackberry, raisins, mixed nuts and a fresh grape note- interesting.  The palate is lush with stewed black fruit, currant extract, a nutty component and that zingy fresh grape note I got on the nose.  The wine packs some heat- I can. feel the burn just ever so much.  Very smooth and integrated tannins balance out the medium (-) acidity.  The wine is obviously considered full-bodied- it simply coats the mouth with dark fruit lashings with a dryness from the structural tannins.  The finish is quite long and puckering.  Delicious stuff to sip with some stinky cheese or a chocolate dessert.  Reasonably priced at $20, this 91 point fortified wine needs to be in every bar.  It gets 5 stars from me.  Salut….

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Cockburn’s Special Reserve Port NV, Portugal

11 Friday Feb 2022

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$16, 5 stars, 91 points, port, portugal


The third Port in a trio I recently purchased this one is a Special Reserve.  It’s way more opaque than the Ruby I tasted previously.  The nose has nuts, lots of them, plus rich blueberry compote, blackberry jam, prunes, stewed cherry and raspberry.  A virtual melange of red, black and blue fruit.  The nuts are fascinating- walnuts, pecan and filberts.  The palate is mouth-coating with delicious, rich fruit and lithe tannins.  Medium (-) acidity allows this wine’s fruit to shine whilst the tannins sneak out to the finish.  Stewed blackberry, blueberry and cherry are the primary fruit flavors.  Walnut and pecan with a faint trace of smoke round it out.  The tannins are very fine-grained and stick around for a while.  This is delicious stuff, no doubt.  I got it for $16, and it gets 91 points from me upending the Fine Ruby as my new go-to Port to stock up on.  5 stars for sure.  Salut…..

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Cockburn’s Fine Ruby Port NV, Portugal

11 Friday Feb 2022

Posted by caspernick in Wine

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$12, 5 stars, 89 points, port, portugal


In my continued Port education I bough this Ruby to further get to grips with the various styles.  It is deep ruby colored- who would have thought.  The nose has medium intensity aromas of blackberry jam, raisins, blueberry pie, a touch of heat, prunes and a walnut-like note.  The palate is off-dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins.  The body is medium (+) but I don’t get a hint of the heat I caught on the nose- good thing.  The fruit is very fresh if you can call prunes and raisins fresh-tasting!  Anyways, the palate offers up the jammy and cooked flavors I got on the nose minus the walnuts.  The wine leaves a coating of lithe tannins on my gums at the finish which is medium length.  An interesting sensation to say the least.  It is making me purse my lips, wanting more of this elixir.  I like it and at $12 it is very easy to stock up on.  89 points from me makes this my new favorite 5-star Port.  Drink fresh.  Salut….

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Sandeman Fine Tawny NV, Porto, Portugal

03 Thursday Feb 2022

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$15, 5 stars, 91 points, port, portugal


I am preparing Lamb Shanks- which will braise in a new recipe that calls for Port wine.  I bought three different bottles but selected this $15 Tawny for the job.  I’m hoping it makes for a rich and silky gravy when I am finished.  In the glass this fortified wine is pale tawny (LOL) in color, the 19.5% ABV evident by the thick legs running down the inside of the glass.  The nose gives me dried nuts, stewed plum, prunes, cooked rhubarb, raisins and a dusty wood component.  The palate is off-dry with very rich cooked fruit as mentioned, dried nuts and very integrated tannins.  Medium acidity coupled with the richness of the fruit and structure from the tannins makes for a very nice mouthfeel that is medium to full bodied.  The finish is medium in length but the tannins grip for a long while.  I like this bottle, a lot.  I did not care as much for the Tawny style when I last tried it but this producer has crafted a very rich offering that gets 91 points from me.  Can’t wait to see how it transforms the sauce.  5 stars, worthy of keeping a few bottles laying around for an after-dinner tipple.  Salut….

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