Port

Graham's is one of the top Port houses and 1994 was an excellent vintage for them.  Inky purple in color with some ruby swirls, opaque and bright.  The nose has chocolate covered raisins with black raspberries and slight dusty notes.  Full bodied.  On the palate, black raspberries, milk chocolate, raisins and alcohol notes.  Long finish with some alcohol showing.  This is in a great place but not showing a lot of age.  Complex.  This should easily go another ten to  twenty years.  Great on its own, this will work well with chocolate desserts.

This was a fun wine to try.  19.1% abv.  Bottled in 1998.  Purple in color with some ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, black cherries and some alcohol note.  Viscous texture.  Tannins all resolved.  On the palate, this is sweet but not cloying.  Lots of black cherry fruit.  Warm on the finish but otherwise very  smooth.  Tasty and a nice way to end an evening.  It does have many Cab qualities but also some Port notes, too.  It appears they used to produce this every vintage, but only once since 2004. 

A very nice ten year Tawny Port.  Ten years is the average age of the wine which is a blend of 50% Touriga Nacional, 25% Touriga Franca, and 25% Tinta Barroca.  Iced tea in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with a nutty quality along with slight chocolate and a bit of Crème brûlée.  Full bodied.  Viscous.  On the palate, this is sweet, not cloying with some alcohol showing (20% abv).  It is complex and deep.  Long finish.  This is nice on its own and will work well with a less sweet dessert.  Something nutty would be ideal, but even a Pecan Roll would work.  So would a Snickers ba

Stood the bottle up for a couple of weeks.  Decanted for sediment and immediately served.  Purple/black in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with chocolate covered raisins, slight raspberries and a hint of gravel.  Full bodied.  Lightly sweet.  Complex and deep.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Chocolate, raspberries and slight cherries.  Some heat on the long finish.  This is great on its own or would be nice with a chocolate dessert.  Drink over the next decade or so.  

This is made in the style of a Ruby Port.  Made from Touriga Nacional and Tempranillo grapes.  Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries, cherry candy, and slight raisins.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet.  Cherries and Craisins.  Balance.  Moderate finish.  It was a nice way to end our Passover Seder.  It needs plenty of air at this stage but then drank well.  Nice on its own, this worked nicely with chocolate Macaroons.  

Deep ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, slight chocolate and a bit of spice.  Medium bodied.  Slightly sweet.  Good acidity.  On the palate, black raspberry and slight blueberry fruit.  Long finish.  Tasty.  This is drinking well on its own and would work nicely with a chocolate dessert.  Drink over the next ten years.  

Still very young but drinking well.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has dark chocolate, cherries, dried cherries and slight sandalwood.  Full bodied.  Viscous.  Slightly sweet.  Deep.  Light tannins.  On the palate, dark chocolate covered cherries.  Slight warming on the finish.  This drink well for another twenty years or more.  Nice on its own or would be great with a chocolate dessert.  

Nice to revisit this.  At age 19, this is still youthful but starting to show some refinement.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is great with chocolate covered raisins and some red raspberries.  Lots of energy.  Slightly viscous.  On the palate, chocolate and raisins.  Sweet, not cloying.  Some heat on the finish.  This should easily go another fifteen or twenty years.  Great on its own or with some type of blue cheese.

A bit lighter in style than say the '94 or '00 vintages, but drinking well nevertheless.  Inky purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has black raspberries and chocolate covered raisins.  Medium to full bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, slightly sweet chocolate covered cherries.  There is a nice depth and complexity.  Drink over the next ten years.  A nice match with a chocolate dessert.  

A very nice affordable way to end a meal.  20% abv.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black currants, slight chocolate and slight figs.  Full bodied.  Slightly viscous.  On the palate, this is lightly sweet.  Black currants and slight chocolate.  Some alcohol showing especially on the finish.  This went very well with some hard cheeses and also some blue cheese.  Drink over the next five to eight years.