TAWNY PORTS
Vintage Port may be king, but colheita Ports [single-vintage aged tawnies] are popular by election,’ says Dirk Niepoort who, by a long chalk, holds the world record for the most expensive Port sold at auction. In 2019, a bespoke Lalique decanter of Niepoort 1863 fetched more than £100,000 at a Sotheby’s sale in Hong Kong.
With luxury packaging and positioning, the rise of rare aged colheitas this last decade has added considerable lustre to the tawny Port category – and broadened the scope for anniversary gifting beyond vintage Port (see ‘Anniversary wines’, p78). During this period, demand for non-vintage tawnies has surged too.
Thankfully, with an extensive range of styles (and small-format bottlings) available, you need not be as rich as Croesus to enjoy benchmark tawny Port and will find it a versatile companion. An excellent aperitif or digestif, it also excels with cheese and classic Christmas puddings or chocolate, nut and caramel-based desserts.
Maturing tawny Port in seasoned small casks or vats differentiates it from ruby Ports (including vintage Port), which mature in the bottle. Ready to drink on release and without decanting, tawny Port is best
