Sumptuous Aged White Ports
Who knew that there was so much aged white Port waiting in the wings? When the rules changed in 2005 and again in 2022 allowing white Port to be bottled with the same age designations as Tawny, a large number of new wines were bottled aged from 10-Years-Old upwards. These wines had been always hiding in plain sight; used to fine tune old Tawny blends until, all of a sudden, they now exist in their own right. As red Ports loose colour with age, turning amber-tawny, so white Ports gain in colour until (after about 50 years) the two meet somewhere in the middle. But it is worth remarking on the fact that none of these wines (even the oldest) show any of the so called vinagrinho (the slightly volatile character) that you expect to find in Tawny Ports of the same age.
All these wines stand up for themselves but I hope that it is not sacrilegious to say that an aged white Port makes a wonderful base of a Portonic mixer (white Port and tonic)! The following samples were submitted to me over the course of the year and were tasted side-by-side in the order set out below:
Ramos Pinto 20-Year-Old White ****
Mid-amber orange in hue with a glint of green on the rim; gently spiced and slightly sprity dried apricot fruit with an appetising hint of something savoury; fresh and gentle on the palate with spicy citrus peel (just a touch of cinnamon and clove) which all comes together beautifully on a lovely long fresh, seamless finish. Beautifully defined. 18
Kopke 2012 White Colheita ****
Pale orange-amber; rather subdued and seemingly ill-defined on the on the nose, liquorous with a touch of malt and a savoury-nutty character underlying; rich and quite sweet in style with a manuka honey character offset by spice and fresh fruit-driven acidity and a lovely lithe finish. 17
Kopke 20-Year-Old White ****
Mid-orange amber with the palest glint of green on the rim; a rather lovely gently lifted, savoury-spicy aroma emanates from the glass with just a hint of polished leather and hazelnut; lovely savoury-creamy richness with Brazil nut and spice, dried apricot richness lingering on the slightly spirited finish. Lovely poise. 18
Dalva 50-Year-Old White ****/*****
Mid deep amber with a glint of orange; lovely, quite profound savoury richness on the nose, showing depth and focus; textual richness and density on the palate with malt and butterscotch offset by a lovely, long finish with the freshness rising in the mouth as it goes on. The richness here might not be to everyone’s taste but this wine is very beautiful to behold. A wine to sip and admire. 18.5
Taylor’s VVOP 80-Year-Old White *****
The letters ‘VVOP’ stand for Very, Very Old Port and this has eight components in the blend dating back to 1896. It is the first time that Taylor’s have blended and bottled a white Port with an average age of around 80 years. (The 80 Year tag hangs from the decanter in which the wine is bottled). Deep golden amber with a glint of blood orange; calming, beautifully integrated aromas with spice, dried apricot and a hint of butterscotch underlying; glorious textural richness on the palate combining dried fig depth with candied citrus peel and apricot freshness, delicate and just a touch piquant on the long, gentle yet lithe finish. Remarkable for its age and vitality. 19
