Speaking of the Douro and Port, it’s worth noting that many Port producers are exploring the market for dry table wines. This is a natural fit, seeing as the sales of Port are not exactly booming, the Port houses have access to exceptional fruit, and with the revolution in wine making, the dry wines made from that fruit have never been better.
Churchill’s is now bottling a line of dry table wines. They are a little less rustic than Quinta do Vallado’s wines, delivering brighter fruit and softer tannins, though the balance for ageing is obviously evident. Being a new project for Churchill’s, we’ll have to wait and see how these wines age, but based on how they are showing today I have confidence that time in the cellar will prove rewarding!
Occasionally, I actually agree with Robert Parker’s reviews.
Yes, really.
Such as in this case, when it comes to a 10 Year Tawny Port to which RMP Jr. dolled out 94 points, in sharp contrast to many other long-established critical voices who deigned to bestow it a high-80s score, probably because it retails for $33 (and usually less) for a 500 ml bottle.
And at over $25 a bottle, it’s a total bargain.
Yes, really.
This is a Tawny to which you need to devote some time, because it takes a good long while for it to totally unfurl (disrobe?) in your glass, after which it’s gorgeous to behold; gorgeous enough that it’s nearly as good as 30 Year Tawnies I’ve had which cost nearly three time as much.
So, yeah, I’d call that a bargain, even at a price tag over $25.
In another example of extreme positive wine pairing serendipity, I reached into the sample pool and grabbed the Churchills 10 Year Tawny Port on a whim over the holidays, in the hopes that it would match well with pecan pie.
This wine rocked the shizz out of that pecan pie. This wine owned the pecan pie. Hell, this wine is a pecan pie – toasted nuts, sweet dried fruits, spices, a slight sherried note and beautiful balance…
I know that technically speaking this wine could have received a 10 Year Tawny designation even though one could actually have aged this 40 years, or 5 years, so long as the IVDP in Portugal thinks that it tastes like a 10 Year Tawny, but I don’t give a rat’s ass if it was aged seventeen days in the back of someone’s pickup truck in the Douro, this is one hell of a 10 Year Tawny at any price.
So in my view RMP got it totally right, the other guys got it mostly wrong, and… well, there isn’t an “and…” in this case, just don’t get carried away and expect me to agree with all of RMP’s reviews from here on out, okay?
NV Churchills 10 Year Tawny Port (Porto)
Price: $33
Rating: A-One of the highest-“scoring” wines from me for the price, my tasting note on this wine started with “Uhm… WOW. Nailing the definition of 10 year Tawny with Britannica-like precision.” Actually, I think this wine slightly redefined for me how good I should expect 10 Year Tawnies to be, since it compares favorably to 20 and even some 30 Year Tawnies I’ve had. And while I’m not going to apply for a job at the IVDP anytime soon, I’ve had my fair share of Tawnies (hell, of Ports in general) over the last several months and over a few trips to Portugal so the opinion hopefully is at least a semi-educated one.
Bottom line is that this Tawny was good enough to make me want to share the experience with you. As for the pecan pie – it wasn’t homemade, alas, and while Wegmans makes a mean crust (and includes very tasty, sweet whole pecans layered on top), I agree with the cunty jew (that is the actual blog name, so no flaming me on that mention, please!) that you’d fare a whole lot better in my neck of the woods by taking the time to seek out an Amish-made pie instead (over $2 cheaper, and sooooo much tastier – not everything that tastes like pecans and costs a bit more is an actual bargain, it seems)…
Cheers!
Churchill's Port
I’m officially declaring November to be “Port & Fireplace Month”. As far as wines go, you can’t get much more autumnal than Port. Light a crackling fire in the fireplace scaring off the chill, and enjoy the fall foliage outside your window while savoring a glass of Churchill’s Port poured hearth side.
Even though the recommended way to serve is cellar temperature at 54-57 F, I think Port needs a touch more warmth to make its flavors really blossom. I’m not advocating warming it with cupped hands around the glass or placing it up close to a heat source. Rather, serving in a warm atmosphere such as fireside greatly enhances the imbibing experience. Like a bouquet of roses, you can’t truly savor the sweet fragrances and optimal color display without waiting until they are fully in bloom. Port responds in the same way. And then there is the visual appeal of looking through a full glass at the flames giving this ravishingly rich wine an undulating flare. No technique here, just sip slowly and with each mouthful, you’ll pleasantly discover light notes of sweet honey, spices, and hints of syrupy plum igniting your palette.
I’ve had my first in depth introduction to Port courtesy of Churchill’s and Frederick Wildman and Sons. Churchill has a short history of 30 years in an industry mostly established at the turn of both the 18th and 19th centuries. Founded in 1981 by British owner John Graham, Churchill procures its grapes from Quinta da Gricha, a grade “A” estate vineyard situated on the south bank of Portugal’s River Douro between Pinhão and Tua. All Ports including the 10 year aged Tawny I tasted are made in traditional granite lagares (treading tanks) built in 1852.
The next day I started with Johnny Graham at Churchill’s. Johnny’s deeply purple Estate Grande Reserva Red Wine blew me away with its milk chocolate, strawberry and garrigue elements, and my favorite sweet wine from this house was the Vintage Port 2007, loaded with red cherry, sage, white flowers and crushed violets.
Aged Tawny Port
Because they’re aged in oak casts for a longer period of time than reserve port, these wines take on a burnished-tawny color, which hints at the complex nutty, vanilla, toffee, caramel and sometimes sherry-like tones. Though tawnies may be cask-aged for decades, less-expensive 10-year tawnies have plenty of flavor to offer.
- Warre’s Otima 10 Year Old Tawny Port ($26/500-ml bottle)
- Graham’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port ($34)
- Churchill’s 10 Year Tawny Port ($30)
