Four potent wines for after dinner
By Darryl Beeson
Often set a side for cold, rainy weather, a small glass of
any of these wines can offer a sweet or toasty finish to a large meal.
Warre's "Optima" Ten Year Old Tawny Port
Price $24
Rating 91
The color is a rosy shade of brick. The sip is hottish and chewy with caramel,
dried fruit and nutty nougat.
Port is a sweet fortified wine, name derived from the fact
that such wines are shipped out of the Portugese city of Oporto. There's a
specific region in northern Portugal's Douro Valley that has exacting
regulations for producing quality port wines, with the four basic categories
being Vintage, Tawny, Ruby and White. Tawny Ports, tawny in color and ready to
drink when bottled, are made from a blend of grapes from several different years
and can be aged in wood for as long as 40 years (labels typically indicate the
number of years).
Blandy's Sercial Five-year-old Madeira
Price $18
Rating 89
The nose hints of roasted cashew and acidity. The sip reveals roasted almond and
toasted wheat bread flavors in this complex, rather dry Madeira. Note that
Sercials are the driest of the Madeiras.
The first Madeiras evolved from the days when wines were
transported by ship. It was discovered that during the lengthy voyage, the air
circulation (which caused oxidization) and warm temperatures created wonderful
wines. Today this activity is emulated through a process called "estufagem."
Blandy's "Rainwater" Madeira NV
Price $18
Rating 89
The flavors are tangy with lime, subtle sweetness and a long complex length.
Madeira can range in color from pale blond to deep tawny
and runs the gamut from quite dry to very sweet. It is also an excellent cooking
wine and can be used in both sweet and savory preparations.
Royal Tokaji Wine Red Label, 5 Puttonyos 2000
Price $32 (500ml)
Rating 94
On the nose, there are fruit aromas dominated by apricot and quince, with a
lovely touch of wild flowers and orange peel. The palate exhibits ripe orange,
figs and orange and grapefruit peel flavors, with a hint of honey at the end.
Six vintages of the Royal Tokaji Red Label have been
produced since its premier release of the 1990 vintage. This wine is a blend of
carefully selected grapes from several of Royal Tokaji’s vineyards.
The methods and traditions of producing Aszú wines have
changed little since the 17th century. Aszú grapes are individually harvested
from bunches and collected in 20L (4.5 gallon) wooden tubs called “puttonyo.”
The number of puttonyo added to each barrel of non-Aszú wine that serves as a
base gives the final puttonyos level of the wine. On a scale of one to six, the
more puttonyos, the sweeter, richer and rarer the Tokaji.
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Darryl Beeson is an instructor for The International
Sommelier Guild www.sommelierguild.com
and is the American editor of
www.wineontheweb.com . He reports for
www.travellady.com as well.
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