03 Dec 2023
I recently had the pleasure of attending Cellar Door Wines’ Christmas Wine Fair at Hatfield House – and wow, what a festive show it was! Producers, suppliers and the whole Cellar Door team were on hand to guide us all through a broad range of over 150 wines and get us nicely set up for Christmas.
The shop at Hatfield House looked stunning with all the festive lights and decorations, not to mention the wine cork Christmas decorations.
I went with the intention of tasting all of the Ports on offer, but I have to admit the selection was so fantastic I ventured a little of piste – and no pun intended!
So, this week I’m going to share with you my top Port recommendation and a surprise, hidden gem which I guarantee will be a sell out when you hear more about it and will be enjoyed buy both Port and non-Port lovers.
Before I jump into recommendations, I thought I’d share a short summary on the diverse types of Port available.
Firstly, for those who don’t know, Port is a fortified wine from Portugal, produced exclusively from the grapes of the Douro Valley, such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Cão. It’s a sweet wine, often served as dessert, with dessert or for special occasions. Port wines fall into two main categories: Ruby, which matures in the bottle, and Tawny, which matures in wooden barrels.
Ruby Port: A blend of wines from various vineyards and several different years. It has a dark ruby colour and fruity aromas of blackberry and plum.
It is fortified with grape spirit, which stops the fermentation and preserves the natural sweetness of the grapes. Ruby Port is aged for two to six years in wood, depending on the quality level, and is meant to be drunk young. It is usually served at room temperature or slightly chilled, and pairs well with cheese, chocolate, and nuts.
White Port: Made from white grapes, like a white wine, which is then fortified with grape spirit before the end of fermentation, like any other port. White Port is aged for two to 10 years in oak casks, depending on the style, and can range from dry to very sweet. White Port is a fine aperitif
drink, perfect before dinner or for relaxing in the garden on a summer’s evening. It can be drunk chilled on its own or as a long drink mixed with ice and tonic and a sprig of mint. White Port also pairs well with smoked almonds, olives, or seafood.
Tawny Port: Made from red port that has been selected for extended aging in oak casks, where it develops a lighter brown colour and complex flavours of dried fruits, nuts, caramel, and spice.
It can be aged for 10, 20, 30, or 40 years, or even longer, and the age indication on the label reflects the average age of the wines in the blend.
Tawny Port is best served slightly chilled, and pairs well with desserts, especially those with caramel, nuts, or dried fruits.
Rosé Port: A relatively new style of port, introduced in 2008. It is made from red grapes, but with minimal skin contact, resulting in a pink colour and fresh fruit Flavors of cherry, raspberry, and strawberry. Rosé Port is not aged in wood, but in stainless steel tanks, to preserve its freshness and brightness. It is best served chilled or over ice and can be enjoyed on its own or mixed with soda, lemonade, or fruit juice. Rosé Port also pairs well with light desserts, such as fruit salads, sorbets, or mousses.
Late bottled vintage (LBV) port is made from a single vintage of grapes and aged for four to six years in wooden casks before bottling.
Unlike vintage Port, LBV does not require cellaring before drinking and is ready to drink immediately after bottling. LBV Port has a deep ruby colour and intense flavour that is more mellow and smoother than vintage Port.
Single vintage Port is also made from a single vintage of grapes but is aged for only two years in wooden casks before bottling.
It is then cellared for at least 15 to 20 years before being ready to drink. Single vintage Port is the most prestigious and expensive style of Port and requires decanting
before serving. It has a dark purple colour and powerful flavour that is complex and concentrated.
Crusted Port is a blend of wines from two or three harvests aged in large oak vats for two to four years. It is then bottled without any fining or filtration, which results in a deposit (or ‘crust’) forming in the bottle.
Like vintage Port, crusted Port needs to be decanted before drinking. Crusted Port is a cheaper alternative to vintage Port and has a similar ruby colour and fruity flavour.
Now that’s the educational piece out of the way, here are my Port recommendations…
Niepoort Ruby Reserve Port £28.00
Niepoort is a family-owned company that has been producing Port wine since 1842. Their Ruby Reserve is a blend of very special wines aged for three to four years in large old oak casks. It has a bright red colour and a very attractive aroma of ripe red fruit, dark chocolate and cocoa. On the palate, it is smooth, round and balanced, with a long and velvety finish. This Port wine is ideal for enjoying with chocolate-based desserts, soft cheese or by itself.
Niepoort Morgadio de Calcada Tawny Reserve £27.95
Morgadio de Calcada is a partnership between Niepoort and the historic estate of Morgadio da Calcada in the Douro Valley. Their Tawny Reserve is a result of ageing selected wines in traditional 600 L casks for six to seven years. It has a brick red appearance and a rich aroma of very ripe fruit, dried fruits, caramel and coffee. On the palate, it is fresh and elegant, with good acidity and a long finish dominated by dried fruits. This port wine is perfect for serving chilled as an aperitif or with desserts.
Quinta de Pedra Alta Vintage Port 2018 £49.95
Quinta de Pedra Alta is a single estate located in the heart of the Douro Valley, with a history dating back to the 18th century. Their Vintage Port 2018 is made with traditional Douro grape varieties and aged in oak casks for an average of two years, before being bottled. It has a dark colour and a complex nose of red, blue and black fruits, chocolate, spice and lifted aromatics. On the palate, it is rich, restrained and elegant, with a complex and seamless palate. This port wine can be enjoyed now with a mature Stilton cheese or cellared for further complexity over the next 20 years.
Kopke 20 Year Old Tawny £49.95
Kopke is the oldest Port wine house, founded in 1638. Their 20 Year Old Tawny is a blend of wines aged in oak barrels for an average of 20 years. It has a delicate orange-green colour and a delighted aromas of dried fruit, spice and fine wood.
On the palate, its flavours are rich and concentrated, with a long and velvety finish.
This Port wine is irresistible with a starter of foie gras with aubergine and walnuts, or with a dark chocolate torte.
Malamado Malbec Liqueur Wine £19.95
Now this the surprise hidden gem. It’s the first time I have ever come across fortified Malbec, I believe it’s the first from Argentina and it’s on my Cellar Door Wines Christmas Order!
If you are a Port lover, you will enjoy the concentrated fruitiness and for those who aren’t sure about Port, James Wilson from Hatch Mansfield told me that this is for when you get home from the pub or a night out and you want something to finish off the evening, but nothing too heavy.
Malamado is a fortified Malbec wine from Zuccardi, a family-owned winery in Mendoza, Argentina.
It is made using the Port method of fortification, by adding grape spirit to stop the fermentation and boost the alcohol level.
It is aged in oak for 24 months and has a red purple colour with light brown hues.
It has a concentrated aroma of ripe plums, black fruits marmalade, dried figs and nuts, with spicy notes of cinnamon, toasted almonds and leather.
On the palate, it is remarkably sweet and silky, with a broad development and a persistent finish. This liqueur wine is ideal for pairing with chocolate-based desserts or cheese.
When it comes to wine, Penny and the Cellar Door team are one of the best teams in Hertfordshire, so as you start to think about your festive drinks, pop into one of their shops, give them a call or order directly from their website, they are more than happy to meet all of your festive drinks needs.
