Port (Tawny)

What is it?

Port wine is a dessert wine that is generally sweet and red, but it can be semi-sweet or white. To be a true port wine, it must be grown and produced in Portugal. The name 'port' comes from the town Porto, which is the primary area that the wine was brought to market in the early days of port production (back in the 1700s). Most port is either tawny or ruby; ruby ports are generally more 'wine-like' with note of dark red fruits, while tawny port has barrel-aged flavors like leather and dried fruit.

We had a tawny port wine, so primary flavors include plum, dried cherry, chocolate, raisin, and cinnamon. We paired with a homemade charcuterie board with olives, cheeses, grapes, and bruschettini.

Molly's Rating and Tasting Notes

7.0. It smells like dried fruit and pomegranate, perhaps. I get something aromatic on the tongue - maybe the cinnamon? It tastes very alcoholic, which is to be expected with a 19.5% dessert wine. The finish has a bright red note, like cherry or raspberry. All in all, I like it, but I don't love it. I would be interested to see how the other styles of port compare to this wine.

Ryan's Rating and Tasting Notes

7.9. On the nose I get molasses, honey, and dried stone fruit. There's also a little hint of cinnamon stick, with most of the emphasis on the stick part. It has a woody/vegetal note hidden underneath. Upon tasting, I get a lot of raisin upfront. The raisin taste stays for a little while and then is accompanied by warm spices and a more nuanced sweetness similar to heather honey. There's also a little bit of juiciness towards the end similar to the taste of pomegranate and cherry. The finish isn't very long, but the only note that really lingers in any shape or capacity is the aforementioned fruity note. There's not a whole lot of acidity, nor body for such a high alcohol wine, which makes this not a very complex wine. Overall, a decent wine that I would gladly have as an after-dinner treat.

References

[1] Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack. Wine Folly: The Master Guide. Avery - A Penguin Imprint, New York, NY, 2018.

[2] "What is Port Wine?" Wine Folly. https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/what-is-port-wine/Accessed: November 2023.

[3] "The Many Styles of Tawny Port Wine." Wine Folly. https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/styles-tawny-port-wine/Accessed: November 2023.

Wines we haven't finished

  • None this week!