3rd October 2018

Have now moved across the river, which is infinitely quieter. I don’t mind it and the flat is perfectly located near all of the port lodges, and just a 5 minute walk to the river. Coincidentally, I’m right behind the only one that is owner by a Scot! Will have to pay a visit.

In the meantime, after a delicious lunch at the local Mercado, of cod fritters, served with a rice and bean sprouts stew, and the obligatory glass of rose, of course, I wandered down another random street and came upon a boutique tasting room. It was tastefully done, small, intimate and not overrun with the large tour groups you see around. I was able to spend time with the staff, learning a bit more about them. I tried 4 different ports, including 2 white ports. I’ve never had white port before and frankly, I never knew it existed. I thought ruby and tawny were the only types.

The first was a 7 year old, young port, aged in a cask, with notes of citrus and tea and was quite dry. I learned something new today…the fermentation process is typically stopped between days 2-5, to preserve the high sugar content. The 2nd was also a white port, but aged in cask, then steel and is 20 years old. At the fermentation stoppage, they added brandy, so this is particularly potent…it was my favorite! It wasn’t overly sweet or dry, well balanced, with stone fruit notes.

The 3rd was a ruby,  2015 vintage, and was my least favorite. Typically, I like big, bold, full-mouth flavors, like cherry, blackberries and chocolate in my wine, which this had, but it was way too sweet. It felt as if I was drinking juice, rather than port. The final was a tawny, with a blend of 10, 20, 30 and 40 year vintages. It was incredibly complex, with notes of vanilla, caramel, and dried fruit. Now I have a bloody headache!