Have you experienced it? The cold weather of winter driving cravings for hearty foods and hearty red wines? I have; and for me, one of the first wines I think of is a dessert wine – Port from Portugal. And for our purposes here that means Tawny Port.
Tawny ports are distinguished from Ruby Ports by longer aging in oak barrels. This mellows the wines color from deep red to or tawny. It also balances the intense fruit of the base wine with wood character. As a result, the wines retain berry freshness even as they develop enticing qualities like almond and fig.
Two of the best are Dow’s and Graham’s. Owned by the Symingtons, a family with a nearly 140 year history in the Port industry, Graham’s was established in 1820 and the Dow’s we know today grew out of a merger of Port firms in 1877. The family became sole owners of Dow’s in 1961 and acquired Graham’s in 1970.
With a 10 Year Old Tawny you can discern these elements of age and a certain finesse. Dow’s ($39) offers bright flavors combined with intense fruit and fullness. Graham’s ($39) shows complex nutty aromas combined with hints of honey and figs followed by a luscious finish.
With a 20 Year Old Tawny you experience the freshness, elegance and pure fruit with intense complexity. Graham’s ($65) suggests mature fruits with a tangy element and luscious texture. Dow’s ($67) has an elegant balance of deep but mellow fruit and palate richness.
At the table Portugal’s reds also are a fine choice and they are fine everyday values. From Herdade do Esporão, a leading producer in southern Portugal’s Alentejo region, the 2019 Monte Velho ($10) is a blend including three indigenous varieties (Aragonez (aka Tempranillo), Trincadeira, Touriga Nacional, and Syrah.
Even more impressive is another Symington wine, the 2017 Prats + Symington Prazo de Roriz ($17). From a 20 year partnership between Symington Family Estates and Bruno Prats, the former winemaker and owner of Chateau Cos D’Estournel. The grapes – one third touriga franca and one fourth touriga nacional plus small portions of tinta roriz, tinta barroca and tinto cão – are sourced from the family’s Quinta de Roriz estate in the Douro Valley. Enjoy its fine concentration and balance.
During these colder months, medium to fuller bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignons And syrahs tend to be enjoyed more with hearty meat dishes than other varietals. I recently tasted a fine California Syrah, the 2017 Mi Sueño Napa Valley ($55). From a husband and wife team with a resume that includes making wine for and supplying grapes to some of California’s most prestigious wineries, expect a full, rich, wine of intense black fruits, with peppery, meaty accents and firm tannins.
And petite sirah, a French grape (from a crossing of syrah and peloursin) that has found California much more hospitable is the very definition of robust. I recently was turned on to BARRA of Mendocino, a family owned winery since 1955, with all their vineyards organically farmed. The 2017 Mendocino Petite Sirah ($22) ripe red and dark berries concentrated palate, typically chewy tannins, hard and unyielding unless you leave the wine in a decanter for a few hours.
I also enjoyed two of Escudo Rojo’s top red wine offerings from Chile’s celebrated Maipo Valley. Escudo Rojo is a Chilean winery established in 1997 by Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA, owner of the world famous Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Opus One. The 2018 Gran Reserva ($22) is mostly cabernet sauvignon, carmenere and syrah, which give it density, firm tannins, and a touch of spice. The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva ($18) sports ripe black fruits with toasty notes and drinks nicely balanced.
Finally, introduce yourself to the 2018 Lost Eden Red Blend ($20) from the country of Georgia. Few in the U.S. know much about Georgian wine. Tucked between the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains bordering Russia, Georgia is now considered the likely “birthplace” of wine, with evidence of winemaking from 8,000 years ago. Georgian wines have captivated the interest of many sommeliers and may eventually convert consumers, too.
Lost Eden is a made mostly from the ancient native saperavi grape, the region’s most renowned grape variety and signature grape of the country. A portion of the wine is made in traditional qvevris (pronounced kwevr-ees), large clay pots similar to amphorae). The result exhibits strong acidity balanced with somewhat sweet, brambly berries and earthy qualities.