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Anyone drink Port? I am looking to grab a bottle as a present.

post #1 of 23
12/19/08 at 7:47pm
Thread Starter 
My father is a big Port drinker and I want to grab him a decent bottle, any reccomendations, I am looking for some fairly high rated stuff.
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post #2 of 23
12/19/08 at 10:38pm
How much were you planning to spend?
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post #3 of 23
12/19/08 at 10:40pm
Love the stuff. Depending on $$$ and style.

My daily drinker (well, weekly) is 10 year old Taylor Fladgate. It's a tawny port. Probably 30 bucks in the US. The 20 year old is even better. About 50 +.

Warres makes great port.

Others will have specific suggestions.

Best of all, enjoy.
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post #4 of 23
12/19/08 at 10:48pm
For a nice bottle you have three options:

1) A very expensive vintage port from a recent release that will be ready to drink in a thousand years.

2) A very expensive vintage port from an ancient vintage that is ready to drink now; surprisingly, this might be cheaper option.

3) A 20 or 30 (or even 40) year old tawny. These will be much cheaper than the above, with the possible exception of the 40.

I had some '66 and '70 Taylor recently that were kick ass. You can get the '70 for as low as $150, and believe me it is ready to drink. You will find a hard time getting the 2003 (the most recent declared vintage) for less than $200. Why this should be, I have no idea. I have some idea, actually, but I still find it perverse.

I happen to like tawnies, they should be easy to find, and they are ready to drink out of the bottle. The key difference is that tawnies are aged in barrels, whereas traditional vintage ports are bottled early and aged in the bottle. The tawnies get sweet and light in color and develop a more delicate flavor. The VPs remain much more bold and inky red.

Believe me, VP is wretched awful when young, so don't get him one of those unless it is already old, or he intends to keep it forever.
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post #5 of 23
12/19/08 at 11:43pm
Of course there is another option, the Late Bottled Vintage Port, which is like a Vintage 'light' port. They retain the 'inky redness' of a Vintage port, and do not have that oxidised flavour -- which you prefer is a matter of taste. Again, you need to post your price range. A good Tawny, as Manton posts, won't be too bad and the age statement makes it very impressive. Good LBVs can be had for under $50. Port is all about the house style, so if your father didn;t like one Dow, he probably won't like another Dow, or Graham, or whatever. I enjoy Noval. ~ H
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post #6 of 23
12/20/08 at 12:25am
+1 on the aforementioned taylor
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post #7 of 23
12/20/08 at 12:26am
Thread Starter 
Looking to spend $50 or under, and would like it to be something that is drinkable now, so I guess that excludes any of the vintages (atleast ones that would be in my price range)..
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post #8 of 23
12/20/08 at 12:41am
Oh, go for an LBV then. If you know what house your father likes that would be the best bet.
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post #9 of 23
12/20/08 at 12:53am
I think Step #1 is telling us if your dad is a ruby or tawny guy. There's a huge difference.
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post #10 of 23
12/20/08 at 11:49am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Piobaire View Post
I think Step #1 is telling us if your dad is a ruby or tawny guy. There's a huge difference.

I am not sure I have bought him both in the past and he has said he enjoyed them (he may have been lying). The bottles I have bought in the past have been from costco, a local wine shop, and the state liquor store, mostly Grahams and a few of brands that seemed to be popular (they were all around $15-$20, and 10-20yr.
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post #11 of 23
12/20/08 at 11:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Huntsman View Post
Oh, go for an LBV then. If you know what house your father likes that would be the best bet.

+1. To my dismay, I haven't really gotten heavily into port, and discovered too late I have several VP's in my basement I can't touch for a long time.
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post #12 of 23
12/20/08 at 12:18pm
Thread Starter 
What is LBV?
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post #13 of 23
12/20/08 at 12:21pm
Late bottled vintage
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post #14 of 23
12/20/08 at 12:27pm
Thread Starter 
ahhh, I figured a LBV that is 'ready' to drink right now would prob. be out of my price range...
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post #15 of 23
12/20/08 at 12:47pm
No, no no. Read my earlier post -- late bottled vintage ports are like vintage-light ports. You get some age on the wine, you keep the violent red, and you get much more character than a ruby. It's not a vintage, but it's very good and ready to drink. And yes, usually <50$. ~ H
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