Blandy’s, Madeira, 5 Year Old, Bual nv Toffee meets raisins with a spriritous character in the nose. In the mouth the weight is there, with nuttiness, caramel and a lighter shade of residual sugar than you find with Blandy’s Malmsey. I would break out the strongly flavored cheese, like Stilton with this wine for a [...]

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Fonseca, Porto, 20 Year Old, Tawny nv The nose features brown sugar and cinnamon infused into oranges cooked over an open flame. In the mouth it is caramel personified, with a healthy dose of brandy and an underlying sense of acidity taking the flavors for a lengthy ride down your palate.
This wine was aged in [...]

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Dow’s, Porto, Vintage 2007 This baby of a Port smells of sweet black fruits, oranges, candied berries, a notion of flowers and the spirit that fortified it. In the mouth it is dense yet already smoothing out, approachable with a silky character, very much so considering the youthful state of this wine. Lay this away [...]

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Mas Amiel, Maury, Vintage 2006 In the nose you’ll find prunes and a sense of the fortifying spirit. The mouth shows a sweet and slick sense of cooked black fruits with caramel and a hint of acidity in the background.
This wine is a great destination for some lucky Grenache grapes in Roussillon. A natural for [...]

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Prager, Napa Valley, Noble Companion, Tawny Port You’ll find golden raisins, dates, nuttiness and a sense of the spirit in the nose – but more than that. The fruit character is citrussy, like oranges stuck with cloves and drizzled with brandy in preparation for a cafe diablo.
In the mouth there is chocolate, even more so, [...]

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Belo, Napa Valley, Vintage Tawny Port, Tinta Isabella 1996 The nose is pruny and spirtitous with some volatility. The mouth shows lots of caramel and nuttiness, like crunching up some almonds, wrapping them in milk chocolate and basting them with caramel. It’s appropriately warm with lingering acidity – a very nice Tawny style of Port [...]

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This summer we met with proprietor Peter Prager at the family winery in St. Helena. If you haven’t been there you must stop by for a visit if you’re a fan of the wines of the Douro. The Pragers have specialized in Port since they started the winery in 1979.
The tasting room is the definition [...]

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Niepoort, Porto, 10 Years Old, Tawny, nv Caramel and spirit entwined, with nuts and a nice thread of acidity. The RS is 106.3 grams per litre. Produced and bottled in Porto 20% $19.99 at Bottle Barn for a 375ml and $37.99 for a 750ml bottle.
Niepoort Vinhos

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Dow’s, Porto, Vintage 2003 Black fruits and brandy mark the nose, in the way that you would expect. In the mouth there is the trademark flavor that always reminds me of linzer torte. This is still a baby but a view of it at this point shows a nice integration of the fortifying spirit and [...]

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Woodbridge Winery, Lodi, Estate Grown, Portacinco 1997 This wine is moving along into its older years with raisins in the nose and an elevated sense of  volatility. In th mouth their is still a younger, middle-aged charm, with lots of sweet raisins and a light and appropriate sense of spirits.  The grapes are 75% Touriga, [...]

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St. Amant Winery, Amador County, Vintage Port 2006 This is well-done California vintage style of port with plenty of black fruit, thickness of texture and a spiritous undertone. The wine is dedicated to founder Tim Spencer who died in 2006. P&B in Woodbridge 18.5% $35 at the winery for a 750ml bottle
St. Amant Winery

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Chambers Rosewood Vineyards, Rutherglen, Muscat nv The nose smells of oranges and brown spices, as if wound into a custard. In the mouth the wine is rich, very complex, soft and luxurious. This wine and others like it from Rutherglen are a great value, giving you a great sense of complexity for the price. Lot [...]

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Graham’s, Porto, “Six Grapes”, Reserve nv The nose combines blackberry liqueur, raisins and a spiritous note. In the mouth you taste something akin to blackberry candy poured over a Tootsie Roll – chocolate and black fruit with a healthy shot of spirit for warmth. The grapes behind this wine are Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca, Tinta [...]

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Wiederkehr, Arkansas Moutain, Tawny Port nv The nose sports lots of vanilla with nuts and a very overt sense of oaky richness. In the mouth the nuttiness continues with caramel sweetness. The alcohol is perfectly integrated so watch that it doesn’t sneak up on you after a few glasses – delicious. The wine was aged [...]

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Quady Winery, California, Starboard Batch 88 The nose features caramel, nuts and spirits, like a nutty liqueur. In the mouth the nutty theme continues, with appropriate warmth for a Port-style wine and a sense of brown-sugar dusted raisins. The grape behind this wine is primarily Tinta Roriz, a.k.a. Tempranillo grown in the area of Madera, [...]

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Prager, Napa Valley, Imogene’s Vineyard, Tomas, Port 2004 This wine is full of dried fruits, prunes and dark chocolate, with sweetness and warmth. The grapes were sourced from the family’s property in Calistoga. GP&B in St. Helena 19.5% $45.99 at Bottle Barn Prager

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M. Chapoutier, Banyuls 2007 There’s lots of pruny complexity in the nose. In the mouth it is spot on, nuttiness and raisins tossed in molasses – yum. There was a touch of TCA in the first bottle tasted, described here but it wasn’t terribly noticeable.
A second bottle tasted in October ‘09 was quite delicious after [...]

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Broadbent, Madeira, 10 Years Old, Malmsey nv This Malmsey has floral notes, minerality and a sense of the fortification. The mouth features a combo of toffee, sweetness and a balance of cranberries and acidity. The more time spent with this wine the more it grew on me – very nice. Produced & Bottled by Vinhos [...]

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Dow’s, Porto, Boardroom, Reserve Tawny nv In the nose there is caramel and overt alcohol. In the mouth the same follows through though the often tolerated burn is a bit too much given the rather light concentration of flavor. Bottle by Symington Family Estates in Oporto 19.5% $22.49 at the Wine Merchant

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Domaine du Mas Blanc, Banyuls, Rimage 2006 There are Port-like notes of dried and stewed fruits topped with a nutty piece of pastry. The wine tastes of sweet black fruits and chocolate, sweet but not overly so, tasty with some bittersweet chocolate. Mis par Docteur Parce & Fils, proprietaires a Banyuls-Sur-Mer 17.6% $22.99 for a [...]

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Domaine Fontanel, Rivesaltes, Ambre 1998 This golden wine smells of citrus peel and nuts. In the mouth it like eating nuts and toffee, very sweet and viscous with acidity that offsets the richness and a little warmth from the fortification – a decadent value. Grenache Blanc is the grape behind this wine and the vines [...]

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Les Clos de Paulilles, Banyuls Rimage 2005 There are stewed fruits and raisins to smell while the mouth is a supple presentation of evolving fruit and moderate sweetness that is crying out for dark chocolate. The grapes are 100% Grenache Noir. Rimage derives from the Catalan for vintage and this wine represents a selection of [...]

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Cossart Gordon Madeira 5 Years Old Malmsey nv
This is a rich style of Madeira from the Malvasia grape, known as Malmsey. The nose features toffee and caramel with a healthy dose of toasted nuts. In the mouth, you taste all of that in a framework of acidity. There’s plenty of weight from the underlying alcohol [...]

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Chambers Rosewood Vineyards Rutherglen Muscat nv
This wine is concentrated and thick displaying its fruit with great complexity. The raisined grapes come from old vines, some from beginning of 1900s. P&B in Rutherglen Lot#6338 for the first sample and Lot#06039 for today’s sample. 19% $12.69 at Bottle Barn

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Robert Hall Paso Robles Margaret’s Vineyard Orange Muscat 2006
A lighter version of dessert wine that is perfect with fresh raspberries.  With only 4.3% RS and a light mouthfeel, this wine could do double duty with spicy prawns in a Thai curry sauce that featured some sweet coconut milk. Hand harvested, whole cluster pressed, fermented 50/50 [...]

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Jocelyn Lonen Napa Valley Zinfandel Port 2004
This wine combines sweet fruit, an essence of chocolate and spirit.  One of the class affectionately described it as like a chocolate candy filled with liqueur,  ‘alcohol in an envelope of something sweet’. 100% Zin, sold out at the winery. P&B Napa 18.2% $21.99 (375) at Traverso’s Jocelyn Lonen

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Marsala is known the world over but like Madeira it often gets categorized as a mere cooking wine. This is unfortunate as the flavors can delight and since the wine is out of fashion, it’s price point is attractive.
Florio
Marsala DOC Fine Ambra Secco
Marsala DOC Fine Ambra Dolce
The former makes a nice aperitif in that [...]

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Milliaire Sierra Foothills Vineyard Selections Clockspring Port 2004
About 80% Zinfandel with 3 Portuguese grapes as well, 19.5% P&B Murphys $28 at the winery www.milliairewinery.com

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