In 30 years of contributing to Decanter, this is without doubt the most self-indulgent article I have ever had the good fortune to write. However, drinking a dozen bottles of Port over the 12 days of Christmas might be taking the self-indulgence rather too far – after all, some Ports are for life and not just for Christmas!
I want my case of 12 Ports to last the better part of the next year, or longer if I’m thinking about cellaring something special for the future. As well as fireside drinking this winter, I’m already thinking ahead to the lazy days of next summer, when I want to bide my time with a glass of cool tawny in the garden. Then there’s that most wonderful of aperitifs: white Port and tonic or Portonic. Port, so often associated with the winter months, is very much a drink for all seasons.
The following is a personal selection of some of the best and most innovative Ports I’ve had the pleasure to taste over the past year or so. My choice covers the entire style spectrum (and most of the price spectrum), though I do admit to a penchant for suave, aged colheitas and tawnies. One of the great advantages of these wood-aged styles is you
