For The Love Of Port

Vintage - Fonseca
LBV - Warre's
Ruby - don't be silly
Tawny - Dow's 20 is about the best I've had

I think as a house style Dow's is probably closest to my heart. I prefer the slightly dryer and slightly more savoury profile immensely. A vintage specific wine? Ramos-Pinto VP 1983 - though not a house that is considered great - strikes a lovable chord because of its prominent scent and taste of salmiak - as a Finn, I just have to love that!

Very good topic!!!
So, the best producers for each type of Port!
First of all,this is the correct overview about the producers/dealers of Port,because there's no best one for all the Port categories,there's for each category a producer that it's more specialized in a specific type!

So I will make my slection for each Port wine type, by order:

WHITE - Best White Port Producers
-Quinta de Baldias - (it makes a "old" extraaaaaaaaa dry and a sweet one, both with 10y)
-Messias - They make an exceptional Dry Old Port with 15y.


RUBY, RUBY RESERVE(All together because for me they've the same soul,deep red and fruity!)
-Quinta do Javali-The boar (javali in portuguese) has escaped from the Douro.This producer for me it has the best Ruby Reservea t the moment, 100% unfiltered directly from the barrel.Curious to see that the bottle as always a lot of sediment!
-Quinta do Tedo-I have no doubt, Vincent Bouchard came to conquer the deep red Port lovers with his smooth refreshing Finest Reserve .


LBV

- Quinta da Prelada - By far the Best LBV for me in the market!
The LBV 2000 from them is terrific and always a winner in the many LBV's tastings at my bar!

- Quinta do Tedo - Oh boy,they´ve already made some legendary LBV's for me, the 94 and 99 traditional are already a classic here!!!


VINTAGE

-Niepoort - For me the Dutch are back,after they've invented the Total Football, now Dirk Niepoort is killing me with the last VP from them.
Specially the 2003,for me the best of the best in both tasting events I went here in Oporto.
-Taylor's - Taylor's it's for me the "reliable" Port brand for everyone that does not want any undesirable surprises for VP.
Always at the top,always excellent specially for the VP!
- Noval - In the preview brand I finish saying about Taylor's "always excellent specially for the VP!",for Noval I say always more then excelent bu unfortunatelly for me the Noval fame is only for VP and that's it..."

COLHEITA

- Quinta da Romaneira - This Quinta always makes me cry at this momment,specially because for me they WERE the Top Colheita producers in the Valley,specially because they did not produced any Tawny with the exception of the MAGNIFICENT "Over 40 years old" - Best Tawny 40y I ever tasted (only 3 bottles left in my bar!!!).
This producer does not exist any more,it was bought by the neighbours Noval! :x :x :x

- Niepoort - - Do I need to explain why?Top Colheita specilists!!!

TAWNIES

-Casal dos Jordões - The only organic Port producer has conquered the place for the best 10y in the WHOLE market and much better that many many 20y 30y or 40y... If you have not tasted this wine,you are missing a veryyyyyyy special momment in your life!Best Value Tawny!!!

- Quinta do Vallado - Special mention for this producer wich makes my favourite Tawny in what concerns about how particular and special this wine is, specially because it is made form vignes with more then 70y and the annual production is only 1500 bottles!EXCELENT!
(BTW - The Vallado Reserva 2003 Douro,was considered in Wine Spectator in the TOP 100 World Wines as the best portuguese one and the 27th in the world!)

Gustavo - I will add in my agreement on Quinta do Javali. The Rootses donated a bottle to me as a I left Utrecht in February and told me that it was one of the best Rubies. Having opened it and drunk it I wholehearteldy agree. Very fruity Port, lots of dark fresh fruits: plums, blackcurrants and cherries.

Thanks again to my Dutch friends.

Roy Hersh wrote:I am always intrigued to read what people buy as their "go to" Port, whether it is Tawny or Vintage, which producer, what vintage etc.

Roy,

I'm afraid mine is Taylor's VP. I've been buying it since I was eight or ten, and I just love the violets thing in the better examples. I'm sure there are better wines, but to me this is what VP is all about.

Oh, that I could still buy fifteen or twenty year old VP at children's pocket money prices!

I'm too much of a port newb, so at this point I don't try to buy the same thing twice. The only exception is Blackstone Ruby port, since I drove 1.5 hrs to their winery and back. So far the list might look like this:

Ruby:
Blackstone
Some powerful Portugese LBV (rotation)

Tawny:
1 or 2 Aus Tawnies (rotation)
1 Portugese Tawny (rotation)

Madiera:
Maybe 1 or 0 (rotation)

Other:
1 or 2 375 ml bottle of Aus Muscat/Tokay, etc (rotation)

So that means I will have about 1/2 dozen bottles open at any given time.

I've never has a bad '94 Smith Woodhouse '94 LBV..

Whenever money is tight, and I can't risk blowing any shekels on an unknown..

That's my go-to..

Alan Randomguy,

Stick with us. I have a feeling your list is going to change!



David L.

Roy,
I'm afraid mine is Taylor's VP. I've been buying it since I was eight or ten, and I just love the violets thing in the better examples. I'm sure there are better wines, but to me this is what VP is all about.

Oh, that I could still buy fifteen or twenty year old VP at children's pocket money prices!

There is no question that when I am next in the UK, we have to drink some Port together David. I'd enjoy hearing your stories and probably have one or two to share as well. For quite a few years now, I have enjoyed your posts on Port.

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It is good to see the diversity of opinions here with so many folks enjoying different producers from the smallest obscure ones to the solid core of reputable names to the legendary.