A true Christmas tipple, Port is a must-have at this time of year. Whether it’s for you to sip and savour in front of the fire, enjoy a glass with a delicious cheeseboard, or perhaps you’re looking to give a sumptuously sweet gift, a bottle of Port will be sure to spread some joy this season. Amy McCudden explores the world of Port in the countdown to Christmas.
What bottle do you pick? With so many bottles to choose from it can feel daunting knowing which Port is right for you. Let Tanners take away some of the stress of shopping with a whistle-stop tour of the styles of Port. A fortified wine, Port hails from the stunning Douro region in Portugal. There are several styles available, but we’ll focus on the ones that fall under two of the major groups: Ruby and Tawny. However, if you are interested in White Port you can read my other blog here. This is by no means an in-depth or technical dive into the world of Port, but rather use this as your shopping guide to find the perfect bottle.
Ruby Port
Ruby
This style of Port is a blend of different vintages. It’s fruity and sweet and named after its captivating colour. It’s a great crowd-pleasing bottle to buy without spending too much money. This style often has entry-level prices which makes it a great bottle to have on stand-by for last-minute guests or post-dinner tipples.
This style won’t need decanting which makes serving a lot easier.
Typical Tasting profile: Ripe red berries, red plum, black cherry.
Try: Tanners Patrono Fine Ruby Port
Festive food pairing: Raspberry petit fours or a mixed cheese board
Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)
An LBV often has a little more structure and complexity than a Ruby Port. The grapes are from a single vintage rather than a blend and the wine has been bottled typically between four to six years after the harvest. It’s a great value bottle to purchase if you’re unsure of what style of Port someone likes but still have a budget in mind.
Ready to drink, typically this style won’t need decanting.
Typical Tasting profile: Dark hedgerow berries, sweet spice.
Try: Tanners Late Bottled Vintage Port 2017. Also comes in a handy half-bottle.
Festive food pairing: A wedge of mature cheddar cheese. Explore a dark chocolate pairing in the brand new Taylor's Miniature Port & Vinte Vinte Chocolate Gift Pack.
Reserve
A Reserve Port is often a Ruby Port that has been aged slightly longer. It will therefore have more depth and concentration than the standard Ruby Port.
Typical Tasting profile: More complex ripe red berries, red plum, black cherry.
Try: Churchill's Reserve Port - 20cl – a great stocking filler!
Festive food pairing: Triple chocolate mousse
Crusted
As the name suggests, this Port has sediment so it will need decanting. This style is a blend of vintages, benefitting from some maturation in barrel. The date you see on the label will be the year of bottling. The complex flavour profiles make this style superb value for money.
Typical Tasting profile: Dark fruits, raisins and gentle, sweet spice.
Try: Tanners Crusted Port
Festive food pairing: Stilton cheese
Single Quinta Vintage Port
These Ports come from a single plot or estate. Sometimes if a Vintage is not declared, then the best wine from an estate is released as a Single Quinta Vintage Port. These are fantastic options for people looking for exceptional quality Port without the higher price tags that some of the Vintage Ports carry.
Typical Tasting profile: Rich and complex dark fruits, soft sweet spice.
Try: Dow's Quinta do Bomfim, Vintage Port 2013
Festive food pairing: Try with a blue cheese or chocolate ganache truffles
Vintage
A Vintage Port is seen as the best of the best of styles. Made from exceptional vineyards from the finest quality grapes under optimum growing conditions in a single year. The process of declaring is rigorous and is a testament to the quality of the grapes. A special board, or committee, called the IVDP (Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto) oversees all vintage declarations which take place two years after the chosen harvest. You can see that it is by no means a quick decision! Not every year is declared as a vintage and it’s up to each Port house to decide when they propose a harvest to be selected for Vintage status.
A Vintage Port is bottled after two years spent in oak and the rest of its maturation period is spent in bottle. Often forming a sediment over time, a Vintage Port will more than likely need decanting. Discover our guide to decanting here.
If you know a Vintage Port fan and are looking for a stunning gift, or perhaps you’re looking to indulge in a sumptuous bottle yourself, explore our range of bottles online here.
Typical Tasting profile: The profiles can vary depending on length of age and the individual Port house, but typical flavours can include sweet spices, dark red fruits.
Try: Warre’s Vintage Port 1980
Festive food pairing: Indulgent chocolate truffles or blue cheese.
Tawny Port
Tawny
This type of Port is often aged for many years which enables it to develop different flavours to the Ruby style ports. Some Tawny Ports will have an indication of the average age on the bottle.
Typical Tasting profile: Nutty, caramelised flavours with layers of dried fruit and toffee.
Try: Manoella 10 Year Old Tawny Port, Wine & Soul
Festive food pairing: Pecan brownies or try it with salted almonds. Or try a delicious milk chocolate pairing in the brand new Taylor's Miniature Port & Vinte Vinte Chocolate Gift Pack.
Reserve Tawny
You can also find Reserve Tawny Port, these must undergo barrel ageing for a minimum of six years.
Typical Tasting profile: Rich red fruit, soft spices and hints of butterscotch.
Festive Food Pairing: Warm apple pie sprinkled with cinnamon and vanilla custard.
Colheita
This is a rare style of Tawny that is from a single vintage and had spent many years ageing.
Typical Tasting profile: Soft spices, dried fruit, caramel and warm toffee.
Try: Niepoort Colheita Port 2004 - Half
Festive food pairing: Crème Brûlée
Your ultimate Port & chocolate pairing
Brand new for 2024, try the ultimate Port and Chocolate tasting experience in Taylor's Miniature Port & Vinte Vinte Chocolate Gift Pack. Including four different Ports across various styles from the much-loved Port houses of Fonseca and Taylors, each miniature Port is paired with a delicious and complementary chocolate bar.