Artisan Vineyard Notes
Characteristics: Aromas of chokecherries and heady orange rinds pull you into a remarkable palate that balances the taste of dried orange rinds with a nutty tinge rounded out by a delightful sweetness of semi dried fruit flavors. Pound for pound, this 500 ml bottle punches way above its weight class, kept us coming back for “just another little pour,” and makes just about the perfect wine to bring to a Winter housewarming all the while proving that Warres, though renowned for the flexing force of their darker Ports, can excel at the elegant end of the spectrum as well. 20% alcohol by volume 500ml
Wine review by Nicholas Livingston, December 2010
The grapes used in the production of Otima 10 years old are a blend of traditional Portuguese varieties from the Douro Valley, such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinto Cão. The wine is aged in oak casks at the lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia. Light tawny color, with an excellent nose of dried fruits and walnuts. On the palate, classic flavors of nuts highlighted by mature fruit. Well balanced with long fresh finish. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Food Pairings: "No longer is port pitched solely as an after-dinner drink. Bottles such as Graham’s Six
Grapes, Croft Pink, Warre’s Otima 10-year-old and Noval Black, at around $20 or under, are all about aperitifs and mixology.
My two favorites are Noval Black, which spends about three years in a barrel, and Otima, a 10-year-old tawny. They are mere youngsters when compared with the kind of ports people spend hundreds of dollars on. But I enjoy the freshness and lively fruit that you find here.
Just like many other now-neglected spirits and wines, port played a big role in cocktails
before Prohibition. The Port Sangaree, with port, soda water, sugar and grated nutmeg,
is a cocktail as old as they come.
Port also was used interchangeably with other fortified wines in the old days. Substitute
port for vermouth in a martini, for instance, and you’d have the Coronet cocktail. If you
added a dash of orange bitters to that, you’d have the Princeton cocktail. And if you
used Old Tom gin instead of dry gin, you’d have a Union League.
As a cocktail ingredient, port mixes best with all kinds of brandies, generally either a
cognac or an apple brandy like Calvados. I find port also works well with spices and herbs, ginger beer and pears.
I’ve been excited to rediscover port as part of my regular cocktail bar."
article by Jason Wilson, The Washington Post, February 28, 2012
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