As a port lover, I'd like to know what you guys think of the port-like wines produced outside the Portugese Douro Valley (e.g. Australia, California, South Africa). I have tasted a few, but am not really surprised.

Hi Lady R! Only ever had a Penfold's tawny, which was perfectly respectable but, as you say, not surprising. Nice useful half-bottle though.

Just been out and got some half bottles of Port BTW. 2 Dow 1983 and a Dow Bomfin 1987 - nice prices too.

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The 83 Dow is ridiculously cheap here - CAD$66 for a full bottle, but halves are not available. I've only had it once but thought it excellent.

Hello again Lady Roots! We are trying most port-like dessert wines that we find on the local market, which are not many, and all from Oz or the US. The only one we have loved enough to buy buckets of was the Chambers Rutherglen muscadelle that you all tried a couple of days ago. Otherwise, we have found them disappointing. The Ozzies seem to have a bitter aftertaste that make the sweetness in the mouth pointless and self-defeating. The American ones are just too sweet, sometimes nearing the dreaded cough syrup taste.

I'll try to get around to posting TNs on these dessert wines another day.

snow sucks, cold is worse.......

I've tasted the Bomfin '87 a year ago. It came in half a bottle in which it ages faster than the normal 0.75 liter. It was quit good, not overwelming, but it still had some nice fruity flavors and soft tannines. I'd say, drink it now if its in the 0.375 size. Stevie had some problems finding a drinkable bottle, so beware...

My fiancee and I really enjoy RL Buller's Tawny Muscat. We also really enjoy MonteVina's Zinfandel Port!!!

I enjoyed the Chateau Reynella Old Cave Tawny over New Years.

I have enjoyed some of the OZ tokays and muscats, very well done, some of their tawney ports are quite nice as well. Good values down under, and not as wild of wines as the Parker palate shiraz.
California port- Sucks and is rediculously priced for such sucky wine (IN GENERAL ).
California Port = ((left over zinfandel or cabernet grapes + bad brandy + gobs of small cask new oak) X (current LBV price * 3))/ one half bottle
As shown above a rediculous equation.

There are a number of zinfandel ports available in the U.S. The ones that aren't pruney are often quite nice.

I don't drink a lot of port, but of the more traditional ports I'm familiar with sometimes Prager and Korbel put out a good one.

I don't drink much Port-style wine anymore & have never been impressed with most of them. Whidbey's, made by Chateau Ste. Michelle, is decent for about $15. I can't remember just what they call it, but they also bottle one with leather labels that is actually Martinez wine, I believe. I got the whole story at the winery last April, something about the parent company having bought the importer.... I've never tried it.
I had an '82 Burgess(?) (CA) several years ago, which was good enough.
One shop in Seattle a few years ago got some So. African KWV '83 & '69. The '69 was awful, like fortified prune juice with no backbone. I have one more & am in no hurry to open it, will make sure I have a backup.
I tried Yalumba Clocktower & Seppelt Trafford Tawny once. I've heard that the higher-end Yalumba Galway Pipe is good, but can't prove it.
I think it has a lot to do with personal taste, as well as how accustomed one is to drinking real Port.
I've enjoyed some of the Chambers & Buller's Muscat & Tokay, but they're a whole 'nother breed.

Through my work I've visited Australia 30+ times, spending from 2-7 weeks there each time. I got to know and like the tawny 'port' made by Lindeman's and Galway Pipe from Yalumba. Both have a soft palate and great QPR. The price of the Lindeman's in particular was so low that you didn't worry about finishing the bottle before leaving for the airport.

My cellar now is stocked with more Galway Pipe than Portuguese tawny.

I'm really surprised about the amount of tawny port-like wines you all appreciate . I'm not sure I can find those wines in the Netherlands, but I will put some effort in it. So far, I have only tasted the vintage type 'port', so it will be quit interesting to taste the tawnies.

The Aussie "tawny ports" tend to be a bit sweeter than their Portugese cousins. The wine is moving fairly slowly down here so prices are down and qulaity is up. All the big companies make reliable QPR 'ports'. Seppelts Para Port, I think they may call it Liquer Port is pretty highly regarded.

Penfolds have Grandfather and Greatgrandfather as their higher priced offerings and these are very nice to drink, if a touch on the expensive side.

Rutherglen is where most of the quality fortifieds come from in Oz, and you can't go wrong with any of that region's. In particular Stanton and Killen; Gerhig Brothers; and Pfeiffers make quite good 'vintage port' styled wine.

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The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. -Herbert Spencer

I liked the Justin "Obtuse" Port when I tried it at the winery this pasy October. Heading back up there soon, and had it in my mind to grab a few bottles this time.

In my opinion 20 year tawneys are far superior to 10s, 30s are not worth the price premium over 20s and vintage Colheitas are really the nice drinks. You may be able to find the '66 or if you get really lucky the '63 Krohn colheita in the homeland (surname begins with Van ). These are both very good wines with the '63 being just a sock knocker. I just had a California port tonight that I really enjoyed, Chateau Rodin, a nice zin port without the grapeyness or pruneyness one usually associates with CA port, BUT it still is 2 X LBV price.

Yeh, the price of those Ca or Ozzie 'ports' is far too high for the quality you get.

I do think that grapes like Zinfandel, cabernet and syrah are not suitable to make an outstanding and excellent port, at least I have never came across one.

Had a good d'Arenberg 1999 VP (I think it was 1999) awhile back for $14/375ml. I believe it was all shiraz. The Bullers Fine Tawny is about $12/375ml and it is also good maybe at the quality of a good 10 year (real port) tawny for sure.

No doubt they are different animals though.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Lady Roots:
Yeh, the price of those Ca or Ozzie 'ports' is far too high for the quality you get.

I do think that grapes like Zinfandel, cabernet and syrah are not suitable to make an outstanding and excellent port, at least I have never came across one.

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I can personally vouch for the fact that fortifies wine based on Shiraz does turn out quite nicely. I've recently posted a TN on a 1968 'VP' that was 100% shiraz.

As for the QPR of the Aussie 'ports', I'm not sure what's available where you are, but we get very drinkable 'ports' for under $20AUD (roughly 10 Euros).

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The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. -Herbert Spencer

I agree that many Aussie sweet wines have an off putting finish.

But.....I can honestly say that Yalumba Museum Show Reserve Muscat is as good as any tawny port from Oporto I have tasted. Better than Grahams, Taylors and Fonseca's 10, 20 and even 40 year olds.

It is a different style than vintage port (which I love and have quite a bit of), but if you like high end tawnies, try the Yalumba. I might have got a good batch as this was a few years ago but it is an amazing wine.

Haven't seen it in Canada, but the LCBO web site shows that it was released at some point in the past for $25/375ml.

I got a bottle of that, but am still cellaring it. I also have some 2000 D'Arenberg Fortified shiraz.

snow sucks, cold is worse.......

The two words 'shiraz' and 'sparkling' simply don't connect anywhere in my mind. I can't imagine when you would have it, what you'd have it with (if anything), and who would you drink it with? So I'd be curious to know what your plans are for it. And then, I'd be even more curious to see your TN for it.

(BTW, how did sparling shiraz come up in a discussion about fortified wine?)