The COLOR of Port ... misconception?

[Roy Hersh]

When young we know that Vintage Port is usually has a purplish magenta hue, sometimes fully opaque and others less so. Tawny and Colheita Ports can run the gamut from a brilliant bronze topaz optic, to an amber-orange color, to a coffee brown at the far extreme. Last weekend during a tasting, the younger of two Colheitas was the darker one. Often times it is the eldest bottle of Colheita that shows darker, but I've seen plenty of times where the older, the lighter it becomes.

I've also seen 35 year old Vintage Ports that show little to no signs of their age and even (for example) a 1900 Taylor VP, a 1912 Vargellas and numerous bottles of 1931 Quinta do Noval Vintage Ports have ranged from deep dark magenta to inky purple (to just name a few off the top of my head). Anyone who has been around VP for enough time, has certainly been fooled in blind guessing due to the extraordinary youthfulness of the color. Right?

Really it seems like there is no rhyme or reason with so many exceptions to what is expected from empirical evidence. Ultimately, does it matter to you?

[Moses Botbol]

Color has an initial impression that can't be avoided. Unless we are vision impaired or drink in a black glass, there's no way to get beyond that. I do find that color and taste perception are linked. I have never had a rusty to orange colored VP that tasted young and robust.

Color does matter some, but ultimately it is only the taste and smell that matter. It's just that they are often hand in hand. I could care less what the color is if I like what I am drinking... As you have mentioned, I too have seen 100+ year old VP that is still quite dark and the flavor was inline what I saw visually in the glass.

[Derek T.]

Colour is very important to the overall experience. There is nothing quite like the golden red hue of a perfectly mature VP. Whether or not that traces back to an inky black youngster I do not know.

But there are some vintage ports with colour that is not normal. Fonseca Guimaraens 1976, Smith Woodhouse 1977 and Dow 1980 being three specific examples. There are many others that fit the same mould. These are examples of where colour turns me off from fully enjoying the Port. Do others have the same thoughts?

[Andy Velebil]

But there are some vintage ports with colour that is not normal. Fonseca Guimaraens 1976,

And a very peculiar nose and palate as well.

Roy,
As to your question, regarding Tawny's the one thing I've learned is colour can vary greatly by a number of things. Most notably how good the overall quality of grapes were during harvest and where it was stored. Tawny's stored in a hotter area, say in the Douro in a non-temperature controlled room, lose their color faster than one stored in a cold area. Of course the larger the vessel, and depending on wood, stainless steal, or concrete, also plays a role in the color. Grapes from a better overall year also tend to hold their color longer. So to answer your question, color can be deceiving in Ports.

With that said, I propose we try and get a bunch of producers to donate to the cause (i.e. to us FTLOP'ers at a future gathering) lots of bottle aged and tawny Ports stored in various mediums, in various parts of Gaia and the Douro, and from various years both good and not so good, so we can properly address this question.

and why is the transplated Scot trying to make us spell like those on the other side of the pond? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_a ... our.2C_-or

[Roy Hersh]

Andy,

Sadly, bottle variation would come into play. Think about the 1955 horizontal as just one of many examples.



Derek,
As you've mentioned the deeply extracted VP's ... some might classify them as "overly" extracted ... can seem like freaks of nature. Two recent bottles of 1977 Gould Campbell also fit that mould. However, if not just looking at the bottles we've mentioned, they also taste freakishly young and even in a black glass, there's almost no way to guess correctly at the age of the aforementioned bottles. But, one can say the same for the likes of 1931 Noval too. I still consider that one of the greatest Ports I've ever tasted (fortunately a good number of times) but I don't take issue with VP's that appear far younger than they really are. I do realize that's not quite what you were saying though.

[Derek T.]

Roy,

Let's just say that VP that is of a dark and youthful ruby red colour that is consistent with the colour evolution we would expect to see is very different from the inky, brownish stuff we see in the ports I mentioned. I am always delighted to see a lovely rich red, dense colour in an old VP. When I see something that looks like molasses I lose a lot of the romance connected with what I am tasting.

Derek

[Roy Hersh]

One day maybe we'll get you to appreciate great Colheitas.

[Al B.]

I'm another committed vintage / ruby lover and get a thrill of anticipation when I see a port sitting in the glass that is a crystal clear burnt red colour. To me, that promises the perfect combination of smooth flavours that I so love in mature, full-bodied ruby port.

I am much less experienced in, and generally much less impressed by, colheita ports but there are some notable exceptions. The most recent exception has been the Noval 1968 - a stunning port.

[Rob C.]

But there are some vintage ports with colour that is not normal. Fonseca Guimaraens 1976, Smith Woodhouse 1977 and Dow 1980 being three specific examples. There are many others that fit the same mould. These are examples of where colour turns me off from fully enjoying the Port. Do others have the same thoughts?

I'd say with Dow 80 it is almost the opposite - with the colour garnering it more favourable reports than would otherwise be the case. I've yet to see Dow 80 receive as much love from people at a blind tasting as when sighted.

I have found both FG76 and SW77 to be very enjoyable, despite the questionable colour!

Cockburn 63 or Ferreira 70 are the ports that spring to mind when i think of the perfect shade of red for current drinking. And when i see a glass of something that colour, i probably taste it with an initial bias!