Port, Whats happened to it?
Discussion
Please bear in mind I very rarely drink port and when I do its normally fairly bog standard stuff.
Im round at the olds for christmas and they've decided to open a pretty old bottle of port(61) that was a gift. Its been mistreated a bit, it was stored upsided down for over a year by mistake and left upright for a while too.
The corks completely had it, tipping the bottle on it's side resulted in moisture showing pretty swiftly. When I took the cork out it was a bit of a battle because it pushed in very easily, so obviously it wasn't making much of a seal at all.
Anyway its decanted now, beautiful golden colour, smells great and doesn't really tasted like any port i've ever had, more like a desert wine, but then for all I know, it could be exactly as this port should be.
What effect does oxidization have on port? how long can we keep it for?
Im round at the olds for christmas and they've decided to open a pretty old bottle of port(61) that was a gift. Its been mistreated a bit, it was stored upsided down for over a year by mistake and left upright for a while too.
The corks completely had it, tipping the bottle on it's side resulted in moisture showing pretty swiftly. When I took the cork out it was a bit of a battle because it pushed in very easily, so obviously it wasn't making much of a seal at all.
Anyway its decanted now, beautiful golden colour, smells great and doesn't really tasted like any port i've ever had, more like a desert wine, but then for all I know, it could be exactly as this port should be.
What effect does oxidization have on port? how long can we keep it for?
threesixty said:
Please bear in mind I very rarely drink port and when I do its normally fairly bog standard stuff.
Im round at the olds for christmas and they've decided to open a pretty old bottle of port(61) that was a gift. Its been mistreated a bit, it was stored upsided down for over a year by mistake and left upright for a while too.
The corks completely had it, tipping the bottle on it's side resulted in moisture showing pretty swiftly. When I took the cork out it was a bit of a battle because it pushed in very easily, so obviously it wasn't making much of a seal at all.
Anyway its decanted now, beautiful golden colour, smells great and doesn't really tasted like any port i've ever had, more like a desert wine, but then for all I know, it could be exactly as this port should be.
What effect does oxidization have on port? how long can we keep it for?
Been going to Portugal since i was 5ish so im a BIG Port fan and often bring some of the good ones back with me. Still no better after dinner drink.Im round at the olds for christmas and they've decided to open a pretty old bottle of port(61) that was a gift. Its been mistreated a bit, it was stored upsided down for over a year by mistake and left upright for a while too.
The corks completely had it, tipping the bottle on it's side resulted in moisture showing pretty swiftly. When I took the cork out it was a bit of a battle because it pushed in very easily, so obviously it wasn't making much of a seal at all.
Anyway its decanted now, beautiful golden colour, smells great and doesn't really tasted like any port i've ever had, more like a desert wine, but then for all I know, it could be exactly as this port should be.
What effect does oxidization have on port? how long can we keep it for?
Un-opened and stored correctly you can keep Port for a long time, but once its opened you really need to drink it within a month for it to be at its best. Normal Port reaches its maturity in the barrel. Vintage Port is still maturing in the bottle, so when that is opened, you are best advised to drink it within a week.
Port is not as stable as most people think. You should treat it like a slightly more stable red wine. It will still oxidise so try to keep the wine away from air if you wish to preserve it. It does take longer for the port to turn to vinegar however because of the high alcohol and sugar which act as a preservative, perhaps for up to a week, if it has been kept chilled and sealed with something to keep the air our such as a vacuvin. Tawny ports are an exception as they are more stable to oxygen. After all, they have spent years in a barrel, exposed to air, and they have the high alcohol and sugar levels so they take longer to turn to vinegar.
Edited by stimmers on Monday 24th December 20:04
Vintage Port once decantered should be drank within a week, it rapidly goes down hill after that.
I went on a 3 day business trip to the Douro Valley last year and visited Porto, we were entertained by Taylors, tasted 40 different Fonseca and Taylor Ports. Tbh I found some of the younger Ports much easier to get on with, ok they don't have the finesse and charactistics of some of the Vintages but easy to drink. My pick was an Organic Fonseca and a 20YO Taylors Tawny. A lot of older Ports that are incorrectly stored and handled can be dahn right bad.
We stayed in a Quinta who produce Vallado Wine and Port they had this 15 year old Tawny which was served cold, almost Rose in colour and very drinkable, 15 bottles between 8 of us!
I went on a 3 day business trip to the Douro Valley last year and visited Porto, we were entertained by Taylors, tasted 40 different Fonseca and Taylor Ports. Tbh I found some of the younger Ports much easier to get on with, ok they don't have the finesse and charactistics of some of the Vintages but easy to drink. My pick was an Organic Fonseca and a 20YO Taylors Tawny. A lot of older Ports that are incorrectly stored and handled can be dahn right bad.
We stayed in a Quinta who produce Vallado Wine and Port they had this 15 year old Tawny which was served cold, almost Rose in colour and very drinkable, 15 bottles between 8 of us!
VTECMatt said:
SPR2 said:
White port is nice too have not seen it around for a while
Yup we serve Porto O'Tonic basically White Port with a twist of lemon topped with Tonic, really refreshing try it, makes a change from a Pimms on the lawn in the summer. I have a case in our cellar 
[/quotYep that sounds good ,where can we find you? Do you do Blue Ccuraco too - very nice with vodka and tonic ice and slice
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