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…..

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….

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….

Black.  Opaque.  Thick.  On the nose it’s very lush- burnt damson, plum extract and raisin compote.  The palate is thick, rich and exactly what I wanted/expected. It’s delicious. Midpalate -wise it gets tannic, more dark fruits and some great mouthfeel.   This is truly a delicious dessert wine.  Rich, full-on and multi-dimensional, it ticks many boxes.  The finish is a grainy, tannic event that features some nice purple fruits with walnut notes and some raisin jam.  Delicious.  90 points and for $14, its a 5 star drinker.  Salut….

Nearly black, it exudes power.  Rich plum puree with some oaky toast and blackcurrant jam greet me on the nose.  The palate is very smooth, with more dark berry fruits and toast.  It exudes more blueberry/blackberry compote that I am really liking.  The mid palate shows off some dry tannins that reach back to the molars and give me a delightful dryness. There is a smoky component which slides in and out that I am really enjoying.  It is very faint, but there.  The sweetness of the wine is offset by its balancing acidity, the dryness is left in check.  Overall, this wine is really good and I would pair it with Manchego, some dried apricots and almonds.  Or you can just drink it by itself, delicious.  91 points and for $25 it gets 4 stars from me.  Salut….

I opened this bottle up last week but kept forgetting to make notes (I was really tired).  I nearly finished the dregs before realizing my faux pas, so pardon the brief outline- it was a good drop of Port that I bought for the initial Port taste test.