It has been a beautiful day walking my ageing West Highland Terrier Dylan at an off-leash park. November and it is 18 degrees. No winter coat but a light sweater. This is Douro weather and not Torontonian weather so how fitting to try a wee bit of Port after priming my testbeds with Baldersons four-year-old cheddar cheese. Dylan is crashed out exhausted and limping just a bit. He must have been inspired by the fabulous weather because he was almost galloping around today!
So it is a Kopke 2015 LBV Port. On the nose blueberry, black cherry and blackberry are whirring around in a hyperactive state fighting for dominance but none are clearly winning the battle but it is not a case of an US presidential election being stolen but rather a high-powered Port with a delightful internal conflict! On the palate mega black fruit and in this case the blackberries win which rather detracts from the possible multidimensional potential spectacularity. This is no Vintage Port but given the meteoric rise in wine and spirit prices to close the year this is affordable luxury the hallmark of many Ports below the Vintage Port categorization. It matches aged Canadian cheddar particularly well and of course a slab of Portuguese ox if you are a carnivore. The finish is a bit of a wanderer lacking firmness and complexity. This can motor on to 2027
(Kopke L.B.V. 2015 Porto, Sogevinus, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, $18.95, LCBO #18461, 750 mL, 20%, RKS Wine Rating 88/100).
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 