Ramos Pinto and Charbonnel et Walker
Posted: 12:20 Thu 11 Nov 2010
A smallish chocolate and Port tasting, very kindly arranged gratis at Charbonnel et Walker on Old Bond Street.
Anna, from Ramos Pinto, brought the 10- and 20-year-old tawnies and a 2004 filtered LBV. Charbonnel et Walker paired them with chocolate covered orange peal and brazil-nuts, caramels, plain chocolate truffles, port and cranberry truffles.
Unfortunately, the glasses let the Ports down a bit (and this is from someone who never otherwise complains about glasses); they were those very cheap ones that are cut off at the widest point so the aromas completely disappeared.
Tasting the 10- and 20- year olds together, the 20- came off far far better; it is a lovely, gluggable Port, with a wonderful balance of some fruit, some caramel and a slightly nutty aftertaste. The 2004 LBV was very drinkable but not very inspiring; I think there are better ones out there.
I had a brief discussion with Anna who told me that the 10- and 20-year-olds are properly single-quinta Ports (from Quinta de Ervamoira and Quinta do Bom Retiro respectively). She said this was because Ervamoira has mostly younger vines (which makes sense, since it is quite a young vineyard) whilst Bom Retiro has old ones and those are better for making the two different styles of tawny. Apparently they had quite a hard time with the 2010 harvest, which, combined with what I saw out there in October further reinforces my view that it's not going to be a very good year.
I enjoyed all the chocolates; the caramel was particularly lovely and the Port and cranberry truffle was also excellent (though oddly it doesn't particularly taste of either of its two main ingredients), though I'm not sure it will displace my view* that the best accompaniment for a glass of Port is another glass of Port.
*Possibly plagiarised from DRT.
Anna, from Ramos Pinto, brought the 10- and 20-year-old tawnies and a 2004 filtered LBV. Charbonnel et Walker paired them with chocolate covered orange peal and brazil-nuts, caramels, plain chocolate truffles, port and cranberry truffles.
Unfortunately, the glasses let the Ports down a bit (and this is from someone who never otherwise complains about glasses); they were those very cheap ones that are cut off at the widest point so the aromas completely disappeared.
Tasting the 10- and 20- year olds together, the 20- came off far far better; it is a lovely, gluggable Port, with a wonderful balance of some fruit, some caramel and a slightly nutty aftertaste. The 2004 LBV was very drinkable but not very inspiring; I think there are better ones out there.
I had a brief discussion with Anna who told me that the 10- and 20-year-olds are properly single-quinta Ports (from Quinta de Ervamoira and Quinta do Bom Retiro respectively). She said this was because Ervamoira has mostly younger vines (which makes sense, since it is quite a young vineyard) whilst Bom Retiro has old ones and those are better for making the two different styles of tawny. Apparently they had quite a hard time with the 2010 harvest, which, combined with what I saw out there in October further reinforces my view that it's not going to be a very good year.
I enjoyed all the chocolates; the caramel was particularly lovely and the Port and cranberry truffle was also excellent (though oddly it doesn't particularly taste of either of its two main ingredients), though I'm not sure it will displace my view* that the best accompaniment for a glass of Port is another glass of Port.
*Possibly plagiarised from DRT.