LBV not LBJ!

I remember attending Port Wine Day in Porto a few years ago and A Parisian marketing guru I was sitting next to on the media bus said to me that Port is a luxury product at a bargain price. One may debate if Vintage Ports are available at bargain prices but Late Bottled Vintage Port (LBV) is a monstrously good deal usually clocking in at under $25 a bottle.

LBV’s are from a single vintage that has been aged in the barrel for 4-6 years before bottling. They are often very close to Vintage Ports depending of course on the quality of the grapes for the year whereas Vintage Ports are grapes only from exceptional years. Given the ruinous economic conditions caused by lock-downs I think LBV’s and their moderate cost are compelling buys for Port lovers or those that want to dabble and experiment with Port as a novice.

No Port goes beyond blue cheese and cigars but it can enhance a rare cut of ox or beef to subliminal levels.

Enough talking. Let’s try the Offley 2015 LBV. On the nose intense notes of blackberry, black cherry, chocolate and raisins. On the palate luscious black plum, blackberry, blueberry which finishes off with a rich, smooth and slightly peppery finish. Great on its own but if you want with blue cheese, geezers at the Club with cigars and Stilton or with a slab of Portuguese beef or ox go ahead. Port goes well with jazz too!

I have so many great memories of the Douro in summer and autumn a glass of Port brings back memories of great hospitality, great food, incredible scenery and many a Port.

Before these memories overtake me this LBV is yet another Douro gem. There just may be enough tannins in this LBV to take it to 2030 and at $19.95 this is luxury at a bargain price!

By the way LBJ is a reference to Lyndon Baines Johnson the 36^th President of the United States (1963-69) taking over the Presidency after the assassination of JFK in Dallas. I recall his election slogan was “LBJ all the way”. This Port goes all the way.

(Offley Late Bottled Vintage Port 2015, DOP, Sogrape, Villa Nova de Gaia, Portugal, $19.95, LCBO # 70086, 750 mL, 20%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 92/100).