For The Love Of Port

THAT'S NOT PORT - SAMMAMISH PORT CLUB - Sammamish, Washington (3/15/2025)

Most Port lovers know that true Port only comes from one place: Portugal’s Douro Valley. Protected by international law, “Port” is a geographic designation, much like Champagne—if it’s not made in the Douro using traditional methods, it can’t legally be called Port.
But that hasn’t stopped winemakers around the world from crafting wines inspired by the style. From California to South Africa and Australia, producers have long made fortified wines that echo the sweetness, richness, and age-worthiness of Port. These are typically labeled as Port-style wines or dessert wines, and while they aren’t Portuguese, we have all ended up with some of these “ports” in our cellars!
For the March Sammamish Port Club meeting, we decided that we would break out some of these “ports” and taste them blind to see how they hold up against the genuine article.

• NV JM Cellars Ruby Port - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Deep ruby in color with a violet rim. The nose offers ripe blackberry, cherry compote, and baking spice, with underlying notes of cocoa and vanilla from extended barrel aging. On the palate, it’s plush and fruit-forward, with flavors of black plum, raspberry liqueur, and dark chocolate. The structure is soft, with mellow tannins and moderate sweetness, finishing with a touch of toasted oak and peppery warmth. (89 pts.)
• 1985 Rutherford Hill Zinfandel Vintage Port - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Dark mahogany with a faded tawny edge. The nose shows mature aromas of dried fig, cedar, and molasses, accented by leather and a hint of balsamic. On the palate, it’s fully resolved, with smooth layers of prune, toasted walnut, and dark spice. Acidity is mellow, and the tannins have nearly faded, leaving a silky texture and an elegant, earthy finish marked by cocoa and aged wood. (90 pts.)
• 1995 Carmenet Zinfandel Copa de Morado Port - USA, California, Sonoma County
  Deep garnet with a slightly hazy core. The nose reveals stewed blackberries, raisin, and vanilla bean, with hints of sweet pipe tobacco and baking spice. The palate is rich and dense, offering flavors of black cherry jam, cinnamon, and molasses, with a touch of heat showing through. Tannins are soft, and the sweetness is pronounced, finishing with notes of dried plum and spiced cocoa. (88 pts.)
• NV Heitz Cellar Port Ink Grade Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Opaque ruby with a vibrant purple rim. The nose is bold and fruit-driven, featuring blackcurrant, licorice, and blackberry preserves, layered with hints of clove and vanilla. On the palate, it’s full-bodied and assertive, with dense dark fruit, bittersweet chocolate, and a touch of espresso. Firm tannins and moderate sweetness give structure, while the finish lingers with notes of black pepper and dried cherry. (90 pts.)
• 2014 Patterson Cellars Port Red Heaven Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
  Inky purple at the core, fading to ruby at the rim. The nose is vibrant and youthful, showing black cherry, fig, and dark chocolate, with accents of vanilla and sweet spice. The palate is plush and concentrated, delivering layers of blackberry compote, plum, and mocha. Tannins are polished and integrated, with a balanced sweetness that carries into a smooth, fruit-laden finish touched by toasted oak. (91 pts.)
• 2016 Barnard Griffin Rapport Vinagium Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
  Deep ruby with a garnet rim. The nose is inviting, showing ripe blackberry, black cherry, and dark plum, complemented by cocoa nib and a hint of cedar. On the palate, it’s full-bodied and expansive, with layered flavors of cherry compote, dark chocolate, and subtle clove. The tannins are refined and supportive, balanced by lively acidity and just enough sweetness to carry the fruit. The finish is long and warming, with lingering notes of mocha and sweet spice. (85 pts.)
• 2021 Lupine Vineyards Malbec - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Lake Chelan
  Deep violet with a bright magenta rim. The nose is aromatic and lifted, offering black raspberry, violet pastille, and blueberry reduction, framed by hints of clove and anise. On the palate, it’s bold and youthful, with dense fruit flavors of blackberry, dark plum, and sweet spice. The tannins are firm but ripe, balanced by fresh acidity and a moderate sweetness. The finish is long and vibrant, with lingering notes of cocoa nib and wild berry jam. (90 pts.)
• NV Fontanella Family Wines Portmanteau - USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder
  Deep garnet with a purple halo. The nose is expressive, offering ripe black cherry, plum reduction, and cassis, layered with cedar, dark chocolate, and a hint of cracked black pepper. On the palate, it’s full-bodied and velvety, showcasing flavors of blackcurrant compote, fig butter, and toasted oak. The tannins are firm yet ripe, harmonizing with balanced acidity and lingering sweetness. The finish is long and warm, with notes of espresso, baking spice, and dark cocoa. (86 pts.)
• NV Boplaas Cape Tawny Port - South Africa, Klein Karoo, Calitzdorp
  Rich amber with warm copper tones. The nose exudes caramelized pecan, dried apricot, and toffee, accented by gentle orange marmalade and cinnamon. On the palate, it’s beautifully rounded and elegant, offering flavors of honeyed fig, butterscotch, and toasted almond, with balanced acidity that lifts the sweetness. The finish is long and nutty, with lingering notes of baked apple and a soft spice warmth. (85 pts.)

https://www.theportguy.com/thats-not-port/

Stuart, first, I was wondering if you had any sort of summary feelings about these wines in general. I've enjoyed many non-Port Ports, but I often find that they try to straddle the line between ruby and tawny, with lots of deep fruit flavor, and then some oxidation that starts to go into the tawny direction, but isn't enough to be a nice tawny. What did you find in these overall?

Second, none of these scores are stellar, and several are in the mid-80s. But when I read the descriptions, I don't see anything bad about the wines. As an example, that 2016 Barnard Griffin sounds wonderful to me. What held these back from getting higher scores?

I can't speak for Stewart, but here are my answers to your questions.

My summary for these Ports is that you're basically correct - to me, most of these show more oxidation than a Ruby Port should show. The main exception to that being the Heitz Ink Grade Vineyard. I can't say for sure, but solo the Heitz might fool me into thinking it's an actual Portuguese Port, probably a Ruby Reserve or LBV. In a lineup... all bets are off, as I'd have real Port for comparison. But solo it's really pretty close. I'm not sure how much of the noted flavor difference is actual oxidation and how much of it is due to the different grapes being used, but there's definitely a taste difference that seems similar to oxidation in most of these Ports.

Is that a bad thing? Well... I suppose that depends. If you're just looking at these as wines and trying to determine whether or not you like them, that little bit of oxidation might add some complexity that you enjoy. Unfortunately, I don't enjoy it, so it negatively influenced my scores. It just doesn't feel correct to me because it reminds me of 10 Year Old Tawnies from my early days of Port drinking, which I used to describe as "confused" because I couldn't tell if they were supposed to taste like a Ruby or a Tawny. Many of these seem confused to me.

Which leads to your second question. For me, these were wines that weren't flawed, but also just weren't that compelling. Intellectually interesting, sure, but I just wasn't interested in having another glass of a couple of them. And the rest were wines that I'd probably accept another glass, but probably wouldn't seek one out. So they fit into that "good enough" range of scores, but they're not great. At least not for my palate.

So for me, the lower scores aren't a structural criticism, but rather a qualitative preference. There's nothing technically wrong with the wines, I just don't love them.

(N.b. "won't finish the glass" == 80-83, aka bleh. "will finish, but no more" == 84-86, aka meh. "will accept another" = 87-89, aka fine or good. "will seek out another" == 90-93, aka yum! "want to buy" == 94+, aka omg.)

My scores:
1985 Rutherford Hill -- 91
1995 Carmenet Zinfandel Copa de Morado --89
Heitz Ink Grade Vineyard -- 91
2014 Patterson Cellars Red Heaven Vineyard -- 87
2016 Banard Griffin Rapport Vinagium Vineyard -- 83
2021 Lupine Vineyards Grand Finale Malbec - 91
Fontenella Portmanteau -- 85
Boplaas Cape Tawny -- 87
Kristin Hill Winery Vin Doux Naturel -- 85

(IIRC the JM Cellars was a leftover glass that only Stewart had on this evening, and he had to leave early so didn't get the Kristin Hill Vin Doux Naturel.)

I brought the Boplaas, and on the night I was a little disappointed in its showing. I thought it was going to be better than it was. But on my recently completed trip to South Africa, I learned that SA ports follow pretty close to Portuguese naming conventions, so a "Cape Tawny" is just a basic Tawny. Ergo 87 points is actually a pretty good score!

Glenn E. wrote: ↑Wed Nov 19, 2025 10:04 am ... but solo the Heitz might fool me into thinking it's an actual Portuguese Port, probably a Ruby Reserve or LBV.
... Kristin Hill Winery Vin Doux Naturel

Recall that I put a 1994 Heitz Port in the 1994 tasting at my house. I think Stewart was the only person to call that out as not being a Port.

Now a Vin Doux Natural is a horse of a different color. Those are typically fortified wines from southwest France. Interesting that an Oregon winery would try that. I wonder if they were going for the French character, or maybe they just picked that name since they shouldn't use Port.

Ficklin is my favorite. Portuguese grape varieties. Ruby's are generally ruby-like. Tawnies do show quite a bit of VA. Sometimes raiseny, but oftimes not. I have a few back to 1988.

I bought a three-pack of 2003 Ficklin, with a bottle each of Tinta Cão, Touriga Nacional, and a "Port" blend. Unfortunately the two bottles I've tried thus far have been a bit over-stewed in flavor. I bought it at auction in 2012, so it may have been stored too warm for a while.

Some of the Ficklin wines are stewed. I've had these and they are too. Their best wines were from Lake County way up north. Sadly those vineyards didn't belong to them and they were ripped up some years ago.

I've had a Barnard Griffin, when I was still trying non-Port Ports. It disappointed me.

This thread reminded me I have a Terra d'Oro Zinfandel Port still lying around. Hopefully that will be better.

Lucas S wrote:I've had a Barnard Griffin, when I was still trying non-Port Ports. It disappointed me.

This thread reminded me I have a Terra d'Oro Zinfandel Port still lying around. Hopefully that will be better.

If you ever have an urge to try another Bernard Griffin, they’re on clearance at the PA State shops.


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I love Port (...my name's Alex and I'm a Port drinker...) but I'm also really interested in fortified wines in general and in particular where the wine-makers follow Port as their model.

South Africa and Australia are great examples, often Portuguese varieties and because of the seasons being reversed, these are often made or guided by Portuguese Port winemakers. David Guimaraens, for example, spent a couple of harvests making fortified wines in Australia before he started working with his father at the Fladgate Partnership.

I've had the opportunity to taste a few of the better versions of Port's overseas cousins and some of them are really good. I have a small library of Vintage style wines going back to the 1940s for South Africa, the 1980s for Australia and the 1990s for California (the 1994 vintage Starboard - which is my favourite Californian "port" house).

But as the sentiment in this thread suggests, I don't get many chances to open these bottles. We have plenty of Port tastings this side of the Pond, but rarely do I get the opportunity to throw in a mature not-Port into a tasting. The result is that I tend to open one or two of these bottles at home for personal drinking each year - but my stock is likely to outlast me!

So why am I posting this? Simply because if you ever decide to arrange another tasting which includes "stranger port" then let me know! I'd love to open a few of these bottles alongside some proper Port just to see how they perform.

Al B. wrote: ↑Wed Feb 18, 2026 5:44 pm I love Port (...my name's Alex and I'm a Port drinker...) but I'm also really interested in fortified wines in general and in particular where the wine-makers follow Port as their model.

Have you tried 1959 Cantine Antonio Ferrari Solaria Jonica? It won't pass as Port, but it is a fun one where the winemaker specifically wanted to emulate Port, as I understand the story. It is also pretty distinct.