For The Love Of Port

Funny how sometimes you realize one of easiest to find Ports is one you've never had. Last week it dawned on me that I've never had this Port before. Not one to turn down an excuse to open a bottle of Port, I bought a bottle last week. Interestingly, our TNDB has only one other tasting note of this Port.

I've had several glasses of this over the past five days and it seems to show its best after about 2-3 days being open. Even now, almost a week later, this is still drinking about the same as day 3. A very youthful nose with a dose of spirit reminds me of some cask samples I've had. Initially a bit lean, this has put on some weight and a bit of youthful harshness has mellowed. Pretty straight forward plums and bramble berries and some rough-around-the-edges tannins that have also mellowed after a few days of being open. With a little aeration this has turned into a nice easy sipping Port with no noticeable flaws and offers a good value for the money.
83 points
01/11/10

The only time I've tried it, I popped-n-poured. Taken that way, it was disappointing, mostly because it seemed harsh.

I may have to re-try it, since a Symington rep once suggested it as a replacement for Nimrod. (I have always felt that Nimrod was a good-value-for-the-money tawny.)

Peter W. Meek wrote:I may have to re-try it, since a Symington rep once suggested it as a replacement for Nimrod.

That seems like an odd suggestion to me, because isn't Warre's Warrior a Ruby Reserve?

Nimrod and Warrior shouldn't be at all alike.

Glenn E. wrote:

Peter W. Meek wrote:I may have to re-try it, since a Symington rep once suggested it as a replacement for Nimrod.

That seems like an odd suggestion to me, because isn't Warre's Warrior a Ruby Reserve?

Nimrod and Warrior shouldn't be at all alike.

Does seem like an odd replacement recommendation, as Glenn mentioned these are two totally different types of Port.

Perhaps I've mis-remembered what was recommended to me at this point.

I have drunk Warre's Warrior port often. After having -- only in the last several months -- opened my port drinking horizon up somewhat by drinking a variety of LBV ports, I now see some of the harshness that Peter mentioned. At the same time, I found that this harshness was negligible when drinking in combination with Stilton cheese, which was my habit in the past when drinking Warrior. I suspect drinking Warrior in combination with figs and/or walnuts may likewise tame much of the harshness shortly after opening. What I experienced when drinking the Warrior with Stilton was instead a sense of fruitiness. Also, in the past I might simply have a glass at a time and return the Warrior to the cabinet, and so most often my experiences would be with a bottle that had been open for several days. I will confess that no doubt sometimes I was drinking from a bottle that had been open for several months. I'm sure if I had paid close attention I could have discerned a degradation in the quality of that long opened port, but that was not my purpose but rather to enjoy what I was drinking, and it was enjoyable even after being open so long. In the past I really wasn't a port drinker: I would purchase Warrior for making a rich sauce to serve over lamb chops and the like. My drinking of a glass of the Warrior was incidental to having it around for making sauces. At my local wine shop, Warrior costs about 2/3 the cost of LBV port, and so is good value as Andy says.

I opened a bottle of this last week and my notes correspond pretty closely to your impressions. As is the custom nowadays, the bottle didn't last long enough for anything past Day 1 tasting notes...

Marc

Comments from my fellws: Full bodied port--a wild child that is unruly yet lovable. Sweet, comfortable, cozy, rough were a few adjectives provided. Smells sweet; Rough on the finish-bright color. Decant at least 48 hours ()we did 48 and it could have used more). OK for everyday.

15 out of 20. Average.

Interesting notes here. I opened a bottle with friends this weekend and found it much better than I expected. I have to confess we finished it off within an hour or two of opening it , so now I will need to get another bottle to test how it does over a few days, and then perhaps post my own TN. I found it much more enjoyable than several LBVs and other Ruby Reserves, and it was one of the cheapest bottles I've seen ($13.50 was what I paid), so I was really happy. My friends seemed to really enjoy it too.