Fortified Wines (Sherries, Ports, Etc.)

Taylor?s Fine Ruby a blend of full bodied Port wines aged for around two years in large oak vats in Taylor?s cellars, or ?lodges?, in Vila Nova de Gaia.  

As they age, they gain smoothness and elegance while retaining their fruitiness, intensity and youthful ruby colour.  They are then blended together for balance and consistency. With its firm tannins and concentrated fruitiness, Fine Ruby is perfect for the classic port-and-cheese combination.

It is particularly good with blue-veined and richly flavoured soft cheeses.  It also pairs well with berry fruit and dark chocolate flavours and, like all red Ports, makes an excellent after dinner drink.

source - www.taylor.pt

Sercial is one of the traditional Madeira grape offering the driest style from the island. The base wine is fortified to 17-20% and stored in ?estufas? which are heated to 45 degrees celsius for no less than 3 months.

This wine is then aged oxidatively in casks called Canteiro, usually on the top floor of the wine cellar, where the temperature is higher. Serical is the lightest, most acidic and delicate expression of Madeira that takes the longest to mature.

Classic medium sweet Madeira made from the Boal grape and undergoing oxidative ageing and heating to boot. Deep caramel and dried fruit characters on the nose and palate with sumptuous balancing acidity. The perfect Xmas tipple to go with Christmas cake and even cheese.

This medium dry Madeira is an excellent aperitif. This wine is a light golden colour with a delicate, aromatic nose and a nutty complex palate.  

Warre?s Otima 10 Year-Old-Tawny balances the generosity of fresh, youthful fruit with the sophistication and elegance that a decade in seasoned wood brings to the wines. The Port displays amplitude, combining fruit-driven volume with the seductive mellowness and delicacy of wood ageing. 

Rich tawny colour, with an excellent nose of nuts and hints of mature fruit. On the palate light and delicate, beautifully rounded, with hints of dried fruits, and a long elegant finish.

Graham?s Late Bottled Vintage Port (LBV) is a superb wine, selected from the finest production of what was a spectacular year. Whereas Vintage Port spends two years in casks and then matures in bottle, LBV is matured in seasoned oak and then bottled at between four and six years of age; hence the term, ?late bottled?. Its ageing process encourages the wine?s development, and as such, at the time of bottling it is ready to drink without the need for decanting.

Kopke is a family owned port producer with a long and illustrious history of making complex tawny ports with long aging time in a range of styles, including this 10 year old, which is where the fun and complexity all begin. 

The average age of each of the component wines in this port is 10 years old, hence the name, which describes the style. It is sweet, richly flavoursome and drinks well either lightly chilled or at room temperature; even better served with walnuts, quince paste and aged cheddar. 

Deep, brilliant old gold in the glass offering aromas of toffee, honey and cold tea. On the palate we find toffee, dried fruits and tea leaf, with a cleansing hint of spirit and old oak on the finish.

This is an unctuous and rich Madeira of great intensity and finesse. Malvasia is one of the great grape varietals for making Madeira. This wine shows characteristics of caramel, toffee and dried fruits, complemented by a distinct nuttiness. 

Madeira comes from the Atlantic island of the same name, which is part of Portugal and is nearly 1000 kilometres south, situated off the African coast. This wine is fortified (as are most Madeiras) and has rich caramel flavours balanced by a touch of saltiness. It is ready to drink now and will not evolve further in the bottle. This Madeira is, like many fortified wines, extremely good value for money. 

Madeira comes from the island of the same name which is part of Portugal, despite being situated 1000 kilometres south west, off the coast of Africa. Its grapes grown on volcanic soils in a warm, relatively high rainfall climate and the wines were traditionally transported in barrels on ships, where the wine warmed up and baked in the heat, so that it maderised, hence the name. Today, Madeira comes in a wider range of defined styles than ever before. This wine is a sweet style and would typically contain between 78 and 100 grams of residual sugar per litre of wine, putting it firmly in the sweet/ luscious style. Drink it chilled as a beautifully complex dessert wine or use in cooking - it works well in both sweet and savoury dishes.

Madeira is a wine and the name of the Portuguese island it comes from, 1000 kilometres south west of Portugal, off the coast of Africa. The soils here are volcanic and the climate has a high rainfall. Wines made here were historically shipped in barrels in the hills of ships where the heat baked (maderised) them, hence the name Madeira came into being. Today the wines are baked in the wineries to emulate the style. This one is medium sweet with rich flavours of caramel, dried apricots, walnuts and spice. Fresh acidity adds balance and this is an ideal Madeira for cooking with or sipping lightly chilled.

Outstanding Barossa Valley fortified wine, matured in oak casks for several years to  allow the flavours to concentrate and develop complexity. This is a spicy, rich wine with dark fruit and pepper notes.

Rockford Wines' legacy

Rockford Wines is an icon itself and a relatively new one, established in 1971 by Robert O'Callaghan, who has forged a reputation for preserving winemaking tradition and saving many of the world's oldest grape vines from being pulled up in the Australian Government's vine pull schemes of the 1970s and 1980s.

The Rockford vintage shed houses equipment from 50 to 100 years ago, which was discarded by other wineries as modernisation took over.