Matthew's Journal

Last night atreic fed myself, rmc28 and fanf dinner, and then we went to a port tasting at the Bridge St. branch of Cambridge Wine Merchants.


The manager chatted a bit about port, and the different styles, although I don't think he said anything I didn't already know. Also, I've got something of a cold, so may not have appreciated the wines as much as I could have done. Still, in order of tasting:

Dry White, Churchill's

An unusual white port this; it's been barrel-aged, so has a tawny colour. It's served chilled, and I think would make a pleasant aperitif. It wasn't very dry, really, and had a hint of sherry to my taste. £13.

Ruby, Monteiro

A relatively new Port house. A bit of a sledgehammer of a port this - sweet, tannic, and a little unsubtle. Those with a sweeter tooth were quite keen on it, and it's great for the price. £7.

Crusted (bottled 1998), Graham's

Crusted ports are unfiltered blends. This was less sweet and in-your-face than the above, and was fresh and fruty.£15

LBV 1999, Monteiro

A filtered LBV. Smells good. Warming, fruity, uncomplicated, but I'm not writing home about this one.£9.

LBV 1994, Warre's

Unfiltered. A little flat on the nose, with a fruity aftertaste. I was a little dissapointed by both LBVs, actually, compared with ones I've had before.£14.

Quinta do Bomfim 1996, Dow's

Quite a "thick" wine. Rasins, blackcurrant, fruity. Not overly tannic. Would go well with food, I think. £22.50

10yo tawny, Taylors

sweet, slightly fudgy smell. Quite a sweet aged tawny, reasonable "length".£20.

Colheita 1994, Niepoort

I've had a weakness for Colheitas for a while now, and whilst this one wasn't really top-notch, it was still very good. A spirity, almost organic-smelling wine, with a concentrated fruity taste, hints of sherry, and a long aftertaste. Buy me this for Christmas :) £29.

Quinta do Roriz 1999

Strong tannic smell, deep purple colour. Fruity and tannic to taste. I'm reliably informed this will be good in 10-15 years. I'm not sure at this price I'd want to buy it now and keep it, though.£35.

Croft 1977

This vintage is ready now, and won't get much better with further ageing. A tawny coloured port, with well-balanced fruit, and just enough tannin left to balance the sweetness. A great port, but I wouldn't want to pay for it. Maybe if I didn't have a cold...£52.50

At any rate, I enjoyed it, and thought it was good value for money. I may go to further tastings there :)