200 Port anD the Douro
serving port
With the exception of vintage, crusted and unfiltered LBV, all Port can be poured directly
from the bottle into the glass. White Ports should be served chilled, straight from the
refrigerator. Tawny Ports also benefit from being served ‘cellar cool’, especially during
the summer months. Be careful not to over-chill the wine (an hour or two in the fridge
will suffice) as this tends to mask the delicacy of the aromas and flavours. All other Ports
should be served on the cooler side of room temperature, remembering that rooms in
modern centrally heated houses are considerably warmer than those of yesteryear. A Port
that is too warm will appear unbalanced as heat brings out the spirit on the nose.
Once a bottle has been opened, all Ports begin to deteriorate after a short period of
time. Rubies and filtered LBVs begin to lose some of their freshness and vibrancy a week
or so after opening and should be drunk within three weeks. Having matured for longer
in cask, aged tawnies will stay in good condition for longer after opening; a month or
more if kept in the refrigerator. Like all great wines, vintage Ports (along with crusted
and bottle-matured LBVs) should be consumed within a few days of opening. Older
wines tend to be more fragile and are likely to lose their freshness and complexity after
a relatively short period of time. Ideally these should be drunk within a few hours of
decanting.
The pleasure gained from a great wine is all too often marred by the use of an
inappropriate glass. I recall the occasion when a senior Port shipper received the Fortified
Winemaker of the Year award and a major London hotel served vintage Port in thimble-
one at eleven or eleven at one
there is a ditty, often recited in the douro, which is used as a good excuse for a glass of
Port mid-morning. the full rhyme is carved on a cask used by cockburn’s for picnics on
the river when a glass of Port (usually a chilled tawny) at eleven is mandatory:i must have one at eleven,
it’s a duty that must be done,
if i don’t have one at eleven
then i must have eleven at one.
so i must have one at eleven,
if i leave it at one it’s too late
For when i have caught up with eleven
i find i’m three over the eight.
i’ve taken my drink at eleven
and confirmed it with others at one
now i am in absolute heaven
as my spiritual duty’s been done.