Wine Reviews
At this time, I am limiting my Wine Reviews to the sweeter wines which I refer to as Dessert Wines. I have only completed a few reviews so far, but hopefully this section will grow with time as have the other sections on my website.
Port Wine
Port is a fortified wine which is properly produced in the Douro Valley of Portugal. Although this style of fortified wine is also produced outside of Portugal, in many jurisdictions, only the wine from Portugal is labelled as Port or Porto. (In the United States (and Canada) however the rules are less stringent and wines labelled “port” may come from anywhere in the world.)
- Cálem 10 Year Old Tawny Port Wine
- Cálem Late Bottle Vintage 2006 Port Wine (Pending)
- Dow’s Late Bottle 2006 Vintage Port Wine (Pending)
- Fonseca Porto Late Bottled Vintage 2003 “Unfiltered”
- Quinta De La Rosa 2007 Late Bottle Vintage Port Wine (Pending)
- Sandeman 2007 Late bottled Vintage Port Wine (Pending)
- Taylor’s (Fladgate) Porto Late Bottled Vintage 2007 (Pending)
- W & J Graham’s “Six Grapes” Reserve Port
Botrytised Wines
The grapes selected to produce this style of wine are not picked when they have ripened; rather they are left to “rot” or “Botrytise” on the vine and picked by hand as late as possible in the growing season. The agent at work is a specific fungus called “Botrytis cinerea“ which affects grapes by absorbing their moisture making them dry. As the fruit loses moisture, its sugar content increases dramatically. Other factors may be at work as well with the final result being that the “botrytised” or rotten grapes are able to produce an intensely sweet and flavourful wine. The appearance of the “noble rot” depends not only upon the location (or terroir) of the vineyard, but upon the irascible weather. It is not uncommon for no suitable botrytised grapes to appear for several years at a time.
Other Dessert Wines
- Alvear Pedro Ximénez Solera 1927 (Pending)
- Jost Maple Wine
