Grahams LBV Port 2000
A port! How is that whisky related? Why, some whisky is matured or finished in Port pipes no?
Right, I started my alcoholic adventures with port so its back to first base for me.
This is a Late Bottled Vintage Port – meaning that grape juice from a specified year was fermented and fortified then placed in casks (pipes) for several years – usually about 6-8 years – to get the oxidative aging going, then bottled to continue slow bottle aging ( a la true vintage port). Hence the name Late Bottled Vintage. The shipper or house that bottled this is Graham’s and like whisky each shipper has a specific house style. In Graham’s case, it is on the sweeter end of port, although yes, port is already sweet as it is. Dow on the other hand is known for its iron grip, and Taylor’s for its elegance, or so they say.
I should really do a chart for these fortified wines.
Graham’s LBV Port 2000, 20%
Nose: Pungently sweet with grape skins, apparently the stuff that leaches from grape skins are also a form of phenols. Lots of blackcurrants and thick honey. Earthy and rooty like fresh pulled roots, and somewhat musty like leaf litter.
Palette: Real sweet. (duh!) Thick and grape-y. Black earth and wet wood. Sweetness matched by a bitter licorice candy. Overall. Good acidity balances the sweetness and a good grip in the mouth does not allow it to get overly cloying, because cloying it naturally is. Warming too with stewed spices.
Finish: Short, but dried plums! Gets a good grip in the mouth in the end too…
No scoring scale for this one, but if you’re after a port, can’t go wrong with the big houses – Graham’s , Dow, Taylor, Cockburn, Noval…
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