Many a bottle of port will be opened over Christmas. We recommend some of our favourites.
Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage Port 2008 (~30 euro). Fonseca is one of the larger houses and is part of the Fladgate Partnership together with Taylor’s, Croft and Krohn. Guimaraens Vintage is made in the years that are not considered powerful enough for a classic vintage. However, Guimaraens 2008 is intense enough in both taste and concentration and also at half the price of a classic Fonseca vintage. Excellent to drink now.
Quinta do Tedo Vintage Port 2003 (~90 euro). Quinta Do Tedo is a family business run by the Frenchman Vincent Bouchard and his American wife Kay. The grapes for their lovely port wines come from a so-called field blend, a vineyard with about 20 different local grape varieties, dominated by the high-quality touriga nacional. The Tedo vineyard is now organically certified. Vintage 2003 is a classic year, smooth, mature and ready to drink. On its own, with cheese or with dessert.
A tawny port is something completely different than a vintage. While a vintage can be a little rough despite its sweetness, a tawny is caramel sweet and smooth. We recommend Wine & Soul Tawny Porto 10 Years (~30 euro). Wine & Soul is run by the couple Sandra Tavares da Silva and Jorge Borges, both very skilled winemakers. This tawny is complex and nuanced, and incredibly tasty.
