tantotinto
Posts: 346
Joined: 8/2/2009 From: Houston Status: offline
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I attended a Port tasting several years ago that was hosted by Dominic Symington. I was a complete beginner in the world of Port at the time so many of his points were probably wasted on me. I did, however, catch his answer to the original question. My notes follow: Vintage Port Life Stages: First five to six years is a bit of a fruit bomb stage. Then go into a dumb stage. At 10 to 12 years they come out of the dumb stage as a softer, smoother and rounder wine. At 20 to 30 years they reach a new stage with a much more aromatic nose and hints of smoke, leather and tobacco. Always decant vintage Port. If you decant the wine and then wish to place it back into the original bottle for serving, rinse the bottle with red wine, not water, before returning the Porto to the bottle. Vintage Port can last for several days after opening if you stopper the bottle and store it in a dark bottle and/or a dark room. The classic match for Vintage Port is Stilton cheese. Vintage Port is excellent with game dishes in a rich sauce. Young “wood” LVB Ports and Tawny Ports can last three to four months in the bottle after opening. They match well with soft, creamy and nutty cheeses. Tawny Port is especially good with Parmesan that has aged to the point that it is starting to crystallize around the edges. Tawny Port is excellent served cold. Sorry for the edits. My cut and paste skills on this board are lacking.
< Message edited by tantotinto -- 4/1/2015 5:37:22 PM >
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