2000 Late Bottled Vintage Ports

2000 was an outstanding vintage for Port wine and it didn’t take much time for the Vintage Ports to get snapped up by serious collectors. Even if you managed to get your hands on a highly rated 2000 you would have to cellar it for at least 10 years before opening it (if you want to enjoy it at its peak). Thankfully the 2000 LBVs are readily available which should help prevent you from cracking your Vintage Port before its time or getting a little taste of what the vintage has to offer.

I suggest that you decant or allow these LBVs to sit in the glass for a while since they all benefit quite a lot from this in my experience.

Ranked in order of rating (highest to lowest):

1) 2000 Late Bottled Vintage – Fonseca
This Port has a dark ruby hue and offers aromas of plum, strawberry blueberry jam, and Earl Grey tea with maybe a hint of cloves. Soft chewy tannins make for a nice mouthfeel. The sweetness and alcohol are similar to the Graham’s style, with perhaps a little more alcohol showing through than I’d like. Berry and tea accented finish with good length. $22.95 90

2) 2000 Late Bottled Vintage – Graham’s
Although I don’t have detailed notes on this one I remember it was a little grapey (like concord grapes) at first, but after sitting in the glass for a few hours it went away – it was even better one week after opening. It’s full and satisfying with typical Graham’s character at a very agreeable price. $16.95. 89

3) 2000 Late Bottled Vintage - Niepoort
It is a surprisingly light garnet colour (not dark purple or ruby). It reminds me of plum pudding (cooked plum, cinnamon, cloves) with a distinct cigar box bouquet. These elements carry through on the palate. Right out of the bottle it has a chalky smell that disappears with breathing. $22.95. 88-89

4) 2000 Late Bottled Vintage – Quinta do Infantado
There is an unpleasant vegetable smell that dissipates a little with time (possible bottle flaw) and becomes more like a meaty roast beef like aroma. Rosemary and thyme notes complement the meatiness with black fruit and kirsch taking centre stage on the palate. $26.95 86

Hopefully I will have a sequel to this post covering a few more 2000 LBVs

Affordable Ports!

My last posting covered some first class Ports I’ve had, however they range from $80 to $115. Vintage Ports can be too pricey for regular consumption, but there are plenty of more affordable options out there that still offer amazing quality.

Always a good bet are LBV (Late Bottled Vintage) Ports, especially those from the well known Port houses (Graham’s, Warre, and Dow's which are all owned by the Symington family; Taylor Fladgate; Croft etc.). They are aged longer in the barrel before bottling which causes them to mature faster, something like a Vintage Port without the wait (though they can improve with 2-5 years in the cellar).

Blends of several vintages can be good also, for example:

Graham’s ‘Six Grapes’ Port
This Port retails in Ontario (via Vintages at the LCBO – product code 208405) for $18.95, but has received glowing reviews from Tony Aspler (The Wine Guy) who gave it 4 out of 5 stars and Gordon Stimmell of the Toronto Star. My notes: dense black fruits, limestone, tea, a bit of spicy pepper, sweet with a warm finish. Great value!

Also Good but not seen often at the LCBO is:
Quinta de Ventozelo Reserva Port
I remember liking this one more than the Six Grapes when I tasted them back to back, but I seem to have misplaced the tasting notes. It had slightly better balance and depth. For $17.95 it’s a great value (For those of you in Ontario the LCBO No. is 729665).

Crusted Ports can also offer good value, the name refers to the sediment or ‘crust’ that develops from the bottle aging (making decanting desirable). Though sometimes seen with a vintage year or ‘bottled year’ they are typically blends of several years close to the year on the bottle. Dow’s 1999 and 2000 Crusted Ports are a nice examples.

If anyone has any other bargain Ports they’d like to mention please post a comment!

A Few Vintage Port Reviews

To get things started here are a few good Ports I've tried in the last year or so:

1991 Graham's Vintage Port

Velvety smooth and full on the tongue, sweet but well structured; grape, and concentrated plum, slightly floral. There is tar in there also. Tannins and alcohol come in on the finish preventing this Port from being cloying. Polished.

Wine Spectator gave it a 93 and Robert Parker (Wine Advocate) gave it a 94.

Ratings in bold are on a scale of 100 of course.

1995 Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas

Cherry, white pepper, plum, and cocoa on the nose, similar palate. Not as velvety as the 1991 Graham’s, also not as sweet or alcoholic. Med body with a terrific plum bitter chocolate finish. Maybe a 91 by my evaluation. Moderately priced around $80 CDN.

Wine Spectator gave it a 92 saying: "A big, voluptuous wine--decadence in a bottle. Sports a brilliant magenta, purple color and intense aromas of plums and berries with hints of flowers. It's medium- to full-bodied, with a chunky, velvety-tannin mouthfeel and a long aftertaste of chocolate and fruit. Lovely. Best after 2008. 9,000 cases made." (04/98)

Graham’s Vintage Port 1980

Dark red touch of orange (brick) shows aging. Smoky blackberry and cocoa nose, similar palette, vanilla. A little hot on the finish – alcoholic. A little dusty, tea. Good but not good value at $115 (over priced).

This is what Parker had to say about it:
"Shrewd consumers should consider buying at auction such vintages as ... 1980. [This is a] fine rather than great year, but the top houses have turned in impeccable efforts, and the wines are closer to full maturity" (Robert Parker Jr., Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide, 6th Edition, 2002)

He gave it a 90 I believe.

That's all for now. More to come.