THE sun is splitting the trees, the tarmac is melting and I’m drinking port of all things. Before you think the cheese has slipped off my toastie, I'm breaking the habit of a lifetime and tasting chilled tawnies.
Until now, I've resisted the trend to shove a bottle in the fridge, preferring to enjoy my ports at room temperature, but dogs are never too old to learn new tricks and my tail is definitely wagging at some of these corkers. Tawny Port is aged for much longer in wood than vintage character ports and the exchange between wine and wood is far more evident in them.
They shed that dark colour (hence the name) but they also take more of the toasty vanilla from the wood and that's what transforms these gorgeous wines into the lush, often sticky creations we tend to reserve for Christmas. The other change that occurs with prolonged barrel ageing is oxidation which adds that nutty characteristic often found in tawnies.
So, a port dominated by Christmas cake fruits, vanilla and nuts... you can see why chilling it to the bone was never my first choice but it turns out the ‘experts’ were right all along.
Cooling a tawny brings out the largely hidden acidity and can also change the characteristics of some of the other dominant flavours showing off the complexity of the wine.
Another bonus for tawny drinkers is that they last far longer once opened, especially in the fridge with many estimates ranging from one to three months as opposed to days for normal ports. That said, I've no proof to offer as they tend to last only a few hours in my house.
Follow me on Twitter @gerardfinewine
Old Boys 21 year Old Tawny, Australia
If you can find a better port for the price I’ll eat my sun hat. It literally oozes with toasty nuts, vanilla and chocolate and the palate is luxuriant.
Oddbins £24.00 (50cl)
Grahams 10 year Old, Portugal
Grahams are the leaders of the tawny pack and this one shows why. A soft velvety palate with creamy vanilla, nuts and figs. Divine.
Tescos £20 (75cl)
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