Graham's 10 Year Old Tawny Port, 75 cl (Packaging May Vary)

Product Information

White Port – Briefly aged before bottling, these are meant to be drunk young, and range from crisp dry wines, best served with tonic, ice and lemon, to sweeter versions, which go well with puddings. There are some aged white ports, too. Organic ports are rarer than you might think. This full-bodied yet smooth one – which has been wood-matured for an average of five years – has ripe peppery tannins and all manner of rich fruits including cassis, blueberry, plum and dark cherry, and the flavours last well beyond the finish. 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. Reserve port at its finest.

Top 25 Tawny Port wines right now - Vivino Top 25 Tawny Port wines right now - Vivino

Traditionally made with foot-trodden grapes in Noval’s old granite lagares in the summer of 2018, this port is dense, rich and velvety, with leather, liquorish and damsons. It can be drunk now or laid down – but you’ll absolutely need to decant it when you do decide to go for it. Bring out the stilton and your best glasses and prepare yourself for a real treat. But at over 70 quid a bottle, you’ll need to be pretty serious about 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. There are several different types, each with their own unique characteristics. These include: Crusted Port – A blend of outstanding young ports from two or three harvests, these are left to mature in the bottle, forming a “crust” (natural sediment) as they age. 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. Well, P&Ts are the new G&Ts – and we think this is the best white port to pair with tonic, ice and lemon (and a sprig of mint). It’s fresh and delicate, yet salty and slightly fruity. The grapes it’s made with include Códega, Malvasia Fina, Rabigato and Viosinho.

Single Quinta Vintage Port – These ports are produced from a port house’s best vineyards in a great year, but may not be quite good enough for a declared Vintage Port. Great with cheese.

port 2023: We round up the finest Ruby, Reserve, Single Best port 2023: We round up the finest Ruby, Reserve, Single

Port isn’t just for Christmas and it isn’t just for cheese, either. 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. Vintage Port – Made from the best grapes of a single year, the “vintage” refers to an outstanding harvest. After being aged for around two years, vintage ports are further aged in bottles. The best ones can be aged for decades and are both powerful and elegant. They go well with dark chocolate, blue cheeses or on their own. Let’s be honest, a “crusted” drink doesn’t sound very inviting. But don’t be fooled. 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. Made from a blend of two or three vintages, the idea is you get the best of all the harvests, and this one is both creamy and smooth and pairs well with puddings, especially berries and chocolate, or with strong cheeses. Be sure to decant it first – you won’t want to drink that crust. Tawny Port – After being aged in oak barrels, tawny ports are further aged in bottles for periods such as ten, 20, 40 years, etc. 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. They go well with cheeses and some puddings. Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port – Aged for 4-6 years, these ports have lots of character but are lighter than traditional vintages. Best with soft cheeses.

Ruby Port – Aged for 2-3 years in barrels or vats, these are full-bodied ports that are meant to be drunk young. They are fruity, vibrant and a great accompaniment to the cheeseboard or with berry-based desserts. With often only half the alcohol content of vodka or gin, you’ll find a growing number of bar lists featuring port in all sorts of ways you had probably never imagined. Not all port only consists of the heavy, ruby-coloured stuff either. You can get all kinds, including white port (made from white grapes), each with different characteristics. This 20-year-old tawny port from Graham’s is warming and stylish. 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. It has a silky texture and a hint of spiciness in the long finish. 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.