Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port – Aged for 4-6 years, these ports have lots of character but are lighter than traditional vintages. Some properties have 'field blends', where their long history means that each vineyard has a range of different varieties. We love the toffee/vanilla orange rind nose; the attack is opulent and complex offering up spicy, nutty, fiery, tea flavours with a delicious mellow vanilla finish. The best ruby ports (crusted and vintage) will age for many years and should be decanted before serving. Vintage Port – Made from the best grapes of a single year, the “vintage” refers to an outstanding harvest.

Port Wine - Waitrose Cellar Port Wine - Waitrose Cellar

This rare style of port hasn’t been filtrated, hence the wine forming a “crust” in the bottle, and is only made by a limited number of producers. Here, over many years of ageing, the Port wine gradually takes on its characteristic amber ‘tawny’ colour, slowly developing the complex mellow flavours and the smooth luscious palate which are the hallmarks of this style of port. Port is a fortified wine produced in the Duoro Valley, in the northern provinces of Portugal – one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. These cookies are needed for essential functions such as signing in, storing products in your trolley and making payments. You can get all kinds, including white port (made from white grapes), each with different characteristics.In the spring after harvesting, the wine is taken to the coastal town of Vila Nova de Gaia, where it matures in lodges. Tawny Port – After being aged in oak barrels, tawny ports are further aged in bottles for periods such as ten, 20, 40 years, etc.

Taylors Port, A Rich Legacy Of Fine Portuguese Wines Taylors Port, A Rich Legacy Of Fine Portuguese Wines

Simply filling the mouth on first taste, this shows fine complexity for its age and it does everything else rather brilliantly. It has nuts, dried fruits and orange peel coming through in the aroma, then follows through in the rich, slightly sweet and very smooth taste. If you open it up among a group of friends, we would be impressed if the bottle lasts until the end of the night – this stuff is seriously moreish. In fact, the best port – which is produced exclusively in the Douro Valley of Portugal – is the drink of the moment and it’s increasingly being enjoyed as a long drink, as well as the more traditional digestif. Not too sweet, not too oaky, this is a fine example of a characterful port that’s a great crowd pleaser – and all the more so if you have eco-warriors at your dinner table.Late bottled vintage (LBV) port is ready to drink upon release and is smooth and rich with fruity flavours. Ruby Port – Aged for 2-3 years in barrels or vats, these are full-bodied ports that are meant to be drunk young.

Taylor Fladgate Port - Since 1692 making the finest Port wine Taylor Fladgate Port - Since 1692 making the finest Port wine

You’ll know the name of Graham’s – they’ve been making port since 1820 – but you might not know much about white port, which is made exclusively from white grapes and is actually nearer a golden colour. Opulent and voluptuous nose of complex spicy, jammy and nutty aromas, hints of orange flower and a fine oakiness coming from the long period of aging in cask. Aged for a bit longer, they offer more sophistication and complexity but have the same deep red colouring and fruity flavours. The name comes from the tawny colour they develop over time and they tend to be very smooth and mellow, with flavours of fruit and nuts.It comes from the beautiful Douro Valley in northern Portugal where vines are grown on terraces lining the sides of the valley.