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Best fortified wines?

Posted: 19:10 Sun 26 Mar 2017
by JB vintage
May I ask what is your personal ranking och what types of fortified wine are the best?

State your top three or more. I will summarize a list of the votes.

Re: Best fortified wines?

Posted: 20:43 Sun 26 Mar 2017
by Alex Bridgeman
My top three would be:
  • Vintage Port
  • Late Bottled Vintage Port
  • Colheita Port
but I'm guessing that's not really what you meant.

Obviously my favourite fortified wine is Port. If I look at my cellar list it indicates that my second favourite is Cape Vintage Wine (port made in South Africa from the same grape varieties as in the Douro and often by the same people) and behind that would be Madeira.

Re: Best fortified wines?

Posted: 03:49 Tue 28 Mar 2017
by RonnieRoots
Interesting question. There are quite a lot of contenders, but I guess my current preferences would be:

1. Port
2. Sherry
3. Moscatel de Setúbal

Re: Best fortified wines?

Posted: 21:01 Sat 27 May 2017
by CranBurgundy
Rivesaltes has some hellaciously tasty wines. Domaine de Besombes Singla's Cuvée Amédée has nutty caramel & butterscotch notes reminiscent of Colheita.

Re: Best fortified wines?

Posted: 18:12 Sun 28 May 2017
by PhilW
I'd go with:
- Vintage port
- Colheita/Tawny
- old unfiltered LBV
- Maury long-aged Vin Doux Naturelle

(I've not yet tried any old Cape Vintage, though I do have a bottle in the cellar)

Re: Best fortified wines?

Posted: 19:09 Sun 28 May 2017
by Alex Bridgeman
PhilW wrote: 18:12 Sun 28 May 2017(I've not yet tried any old Cape Vintage, though I do have a bottle in the cellar)
What do you have?

Re: Best fortified wines?

Posted: 20:07 Sun 28 May 2017
by PhilW
AHB wrote: 19:09 Sun 28 May 2017
PhilW wrote: 18:12 Sun 28 May 2017(I've not yet tried any old Cape Vintage, though I do have a bottle in the cellar)
What do you have?
Boplaas Chocolate Vintage 2011

Re: Best fortified wines?

Posted: 21:19 Mon 29 May 2017
by Glenn E.
Has anyone tried Banyuls?

I visited Collioure, France on a cruise over the last couple of weeks and walked by a producer's shop. I wanted to go inside, but the place was very crowded and we didn't have time to wait around. Coincidentally, after we returned from our trip a friend posted a picture on Facebook of a 1962 vintage from that very same producer. He said it was pretty good, though he's not a fan of sweet wines.

Re: Best fortified wines?

Posted: 22:51 Mon 29 May 2017
by Alex Bridgeman
PhilW wrote: 20:07 Sun 28 May 2017
AHB wrote: 19:09 Sun 28 May 2017
PhilW wrote: 18:12 Sun 28 May 2017(I've not yet tried any old Cape Vintage, though I do have a bottle in the cellar)
What do you have?
Boplaas Chocolate Vintage 2011
Boplaas I know and rate as a good producer of fortified wine, but Chocolate Vintage is completely new to me. Why "Chocolate" I wonder. Anything on the label to explain why?

Re: Best fortified wines?

Posted: 03:47 Tue 30 May 2017
by RonnieRoots
Glenn E. wrote: 21:19 Mon 29 May 2017 Has anyone tried Banyuls?

I visited Collioure, France on a cruise over the last couple of weeks and walked by a producer's shop. I wanted to go inside, but the place was very crowded and we didn't have time to wait around. Coincidentally, after we returned from our trip a friend posted a picture on Facebook of a 1962 vintage from that very same producer. He said it was pretty good, though he's not a fan of sweet wines.
I like Banyuls a lot. I must admit I never really considered the vintage Banyuls to be for long ageing, but they are quite nice for their primary fruit (I never tasted a properly aged example, so am happy to be proved wrong). IMO, the solera aged tawny styles have the highest potential. One of the best I ever tasted was this one from La Tour Vieille, from a Solera started in 1952. They call it Vin de Meditation and that probably sums it up best.

Re: Best fortified wines?

Posted: 12:33 Tue 30 May 2017
by PhilW
AHB wrote: 22:51 Mon 29 May 2017
PhilW wrote: 20:07 Sun 28 May 2017Boplaas Chocolate Vintage 2011
Boplaas I know and rate as a good producer of fortified wine, but Chocolate Vintage is completely new to me. Why "Chocolate" I wonder. Anything on the label to explain why?
Not from the label, but from the producer's website, it seems that:
- The "Cape Vintage Port" is Touriga Nacional (80%); Tinta Barocca (18%); Souzao (2%)
- The "Cape Vintage Chocolate Port" is Tinta Barocca (70%); Touriga Nacional (30%)
Production methods seem to be (about) the same (as far as you can tell from detail on a website), though the "Cape Vintage Chocolate Port" is only bottled in half-bottles, and from the quoted drinking window looks aimed to be slightly earlier maturing (2-10yr vs 2-30yr). The varieties/vines used for the "Chocolate" are different per above, and "old vine Tinta Barocca and Touriga Nacional (± 30 years in age) is selected due to the distinctive cocoa after-taste in the wines crafted from these vineyards", apparently.

Re: Best fortified wines?

Posted: 17:59 Tue 30 May 2017
by Glenn E.
Just realized that I haven't voted, in which case:

1. Colheita
2. TWAIOA
3. VP

:)

Okay, okay, I'll stop being like AHB. Port, Madeira, and Moscatel de Setubal. The first two are firmly in place while the 3rd is a close one. I also very much like Australian stickies, certain kinds of Sherry, and the few white Vins doux naturels that I've tried. (Thus my question about Banyuls, which is red Vins doux naturels.)

Re: Best fortified wines?

Posted: 00:10 Wed 07 Jun 2017
by John Owlett
RonnieRoots wrote: 03:47 Tue 30 May 2017
Glenn E. wrote: 21:19 Mon 29 May 2017 Has anyone tried Banyuls?

I visited Collioure, France on a cruise over the last couple of weeks and walked by a producer's shop. I wanted to go inside, but the place was very crowded and we didn't have time to wait around. Coincidentally, after we returned from our trip a friend posted a picture on Facebook of a 1962 vintage from that very same producer. He said it was pretty good, though he's not a fan of sweet wines.
I like Banyuls a lot. I must admit I never really considered the vintage Banyuls to be for long ageing, but they are quite nice for their primary fruit (I never tasted a properly aged example, so am happy to be proved wrong). IMO, the solera aged tawny styles have the highest potential. One of the best I ever tasted was this one from La Tour Vieille, from a Solera started in 1952. They call it Vin de Meditation and that probably sums it up best.
We have a few bottles left of a 1949 Banyuls made, I believe, from Grenache grapes. The date is significant to the Pussycat, and we shall probably open another bottle when she next decides to have a 59th birthday.

We last opened a bottle in 2014, and my memory of it is of a good, but not outstanding, wine. Sadly, outstanding wines from the 1940s come at a price we are unwilling to pay.

Later,

John