Tasting notes, Dec. 4, 2021: Port

                     Porto

NV Churchill’s
Dry White Port (500mL)
On sale for $21.99
Pinhão / Douro / Portugal 
Malvasia (predominantly)
The fruit for Churchill’s dry white port is sourced from high elevation vineyards in the village of Pinhao. The wine is aged for 10 years in barrel prior to release. Nutty, complex and best served chilled. 
2005 Quinta do Noval
Colheita Tawny
On Sale for $59.99
Pinhão / Douro / Portugal 
30% Touriga Nacional, 20% Barroca, 20% Touriga Franca, 10% Tinto Roriz, 10% Other 
Noval’s Colheita was aged for 12 years prior to being bottled. The intention of a Colheita is to express the unique conditions of a vintage in a mature, tawny format.
NV Taylor Fladgate
20 Year-Old Tawny
On sale for $49.99
Vila Nova di Gaia / Douro / Portugal
Touriga Nacional, Barroca, Touriga Franca, Roriz, Cao, Amarela
Taylor’s blended 20 year is created from a blend of multiple 600 liter casks in an attempt to fashion a consistent, “house” style. Rich, figgy and entirely appropriate for after dinner.
Churchill’s Crusted Port Bottled 2006
On sale for $29.99
Pinhão / Douro / Portugal 
Touriga Nacional, Barroca, Touriga Franca, Roriz, Cao,
Churchill’s Crusted is a blend of multiple vintage port bottlings destined to spend 2-3 years in barrel prior to bottling and later release.
2011 Quinta do Infantado
Vintage Porto
On sale for $55.99
Gontelho / Covas do Douro / Portugal
Touriga Franca, Roriz, Touriga Nacional
Only produced in the best of growing seasons, Infantado’s Vintage Porto is aged for two years in enormous (3,000 to 60,000) wooden casks. It is intended for consumption 10 – 40 years from bottling.
2017 Fonseca
Vintage Porto
(375ml)
On sale for $47.99 (half-bottle)
Vila Nova di Gaia / Douro / Portugal
Touriga Nacional, Barroca, Touriga Francesa, Roriz, Cao
Aged for two years in large, used barrels, the 2017 Fonseca has nearly 100 grams of residual sugar. Youthful and somewhat impenetrable today, it is nonetheless a treat to taste.