Port wine is something people love to drink at Christmas time. It is true that a glass of Port goes well with chocolate, nuts, stilton cheese and so on, things we tend to eat for Christmas. The big question is, should you choose a Vintage Port or a Tawny?
Most port wine houses have recently launched their Vintage Port 2016 and although it is a very young wine it is incredibly lovely to drink right now.We recently had the occasion to taste a number of vintage port 2016 and they were all delicious. They are certainly very good to drink now, especially if you like more freshness and fruit in your wines, rather than nuts, toffee and dried fruit. Sipping the glass of port is also an occasion in the middle of the winter do let your dreams wander to warm autumn days in the Douro Valley.
However, I am very fond of tawny so I suggest you choose one bottle of each, a Vintage (2016 or any other year) and maybe a 20-year-old Tawny. That way you are guaranteed a very merry Christmas.
Read more on this in Britt’s article on Forbes: Vintage Port 2016: An Excellent Year To Drink Now Or To Keep In Your Cellar.
Here’s the introduction:
Most port wine houses have now released their Vintage Port 2016. And although some people would say that it is much too early to drink such a wine now, drinking a young Vintage Port is really quite enjoyable. But whatever you prefer, drinking it right away or keeping it in your cellar, here are some impressions of the magnificent 2016 harvest.
2016 was a superb year in the Douro Valley with enough sunshine and enough water to enable the growers to pick perfectly ripe grapes. The rain during the spring was well needed. The weather was dry and hot in July and August and after a bit of refreshing rainfall mid-September, the harvest was made in perfect conditions. All producers agreed that the quality was there so most of them declared a Vintage. This doesn’t happen every year. Sometimes just a few houses declare a Vintage or none at all. 2016 is considered by many the best vintage since 2011. But there are some very good years also in-between, 2015 not least.
Read more on this in Britt’s article on Forbes: Vintage Port 2016: An Excellent Year To Drink Now Or To Keep In Your Cellar.
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But vintage ports are not the only great wines in the Douro Valley! Tawny can be amazing, especially those that have a little more age. And they also make very good “table” wines, that is, normal reds and whites that are not fortified. All this and more, you will experience on a wine tour in the Douro Valley, including Porto, with BKWine.
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