(2025) Not that much darker than the 50 Years White, but with more of a ruby hue to the colour. The nose again has that lovely, mellow, burnished character of nuttiness and dark mollases and raisins. But again, there is a freshness suggested by some citrus and a lifted, light shellac character. In the mouth sweet with 129 g/l of sugar, and more mellow and arguably more simple than the white. It is absolutely delicious, warming as it finishes between spice, toffee and that freshness.

(2025) Pouring a deep, burnished gold, this is an instantly powerful wine aromatically. Soaring from the glass are wonderfully warming aromas of walnut and toffee, a yeasty breadiness, some lemon and glycerine and hints of old polished furniture. With just over 100g/l of resudual sugar this has sweetness, really quite unctuous with caramel and fudge, but that vibrancy of lemon fruit is remarkable. Intense, golden raisin depth marries with coffee and chocolate in the finish, powered by perfect acidity and the golden richness of age.

(2024) If you have tried Noval's LBV before you are in for a treat: unflitered and aged five years in casks, the fruit (Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, Sousão) comes from their own vineyard and is trodden by foot in traditional lagares. It has a heavenly nose, spices and intense floral and dried fruit notes combine with juicier blueberry and a hint of dark cocoa. The palate is powerful and structured, framed by powdery tannins but abundantly sweet with 90g/l of residual sugar it seems endlessly long. This will also cellar for a decade or more. Watch the video for more information.

(2024) A Christmas gift idea with a difference, or just a chance to indulge in miniatures of four fine Ports along with four matching chocolate bars. Vinte Vinte Chocolate is owned by leading Port producer, The Fladgate partnership, and produced in Vila Nova de Gaia. Master Chocolate Maker, Pedro Martins Araújo, has crafted chocolates intended to perfectly harmonise with each of the Port styles in the selection. The Port and chocolate pairings are the fruity Fonseca Bin 27 with a classic, 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate, the more full-bodied Taylor’s Late Bottled Vintage with a 58% dark chocolate and the mellow Taylor’s 10-Year-Old Tawny with a milk chocolate of 35% cocoa solids. Also in the selection, Taylor’s Chip Dry White Port, matched to a white chocolate. A fold-out guide to the tasting is included, but in a nice touch, a QR code also leads to an online video guide, led by Pedro Martins Araújo. It's available from the stockists below and many independent wine merchants. Watch my video review for more information.

(2023) A rare beast, a tawny Port blended from wines matured for five decades in oak casks, a collector’s edition released in very limited quantities. A dark tany/caramel in colour, the nose is resinous and deep, polished wood, meatiness of umami, plus clove and cinammon spices. In the mouth, extraordinary raisiny intensity, marmalade and mollases coating prune, and yet intense angelica brilliance too. Plenty of acidity against the chocolate richness of the finish.

(2023) Launched in Britain 40 years ago, Bin 27 is blended from selected reserve Ports that have been matured in large, seasoned oak vats. Deep, vibrant crimson in colour, fenugreek and curry spices dominate, coal and chocolate beneath. The sweet palate (95g/l residual sugar) is thick and unctuous, very smooth with an intense blueberry and black cherry fruit, finishing with bitter dark chocolate bite and warmth, and balancing acidity.

(2023) A single quinta vintage Port from the Quinta da Roêda, just upstream from the village of Pinhão. Deep crimson, spices and cocoa flit around very dark berry fruits. There's a touch of curry leaf, and balsamic notes that are dark and subtle. The palate is exceptionally smooth and silky, the plum and blackcurrant gloss of fruit melts into a bittersweet chocolate and raisin fudge depth, a nice zestiness to the acidity extending the finish.

(2023) I often find the sweet spot for me with age statement Tawny Ports is 20-Year-Old, but Taylor's wines are lovely across the spectrum including this 10-Year-Old. Light ruby/tawny colour. Spicy, with lots of walnutty and caramel notes, exotic spices and tobacco. Fruit comes to the fore on palate, red berries perhaps, but the mellow barrel-aged warmth re-emerges into a long finish with a little bolstering tannin and good acidity. What a delight this would be with a baked fig pudding or chunk of mature cheddar.

(2023) Six grapes in the blend here led by Touriga Nacional, in a wine from the single quinta of Vargellas. It has 99% of residual sugar. Pouring a dramatically dark and opaque crimson-black, the nose is delightful, delicate floral and raspberry nuances around a core of darker, plum and liquorice. So deliciously sweet and full on the palate, the tannins and the spices are there giving a dry background character, but the elegant and sweet fruit moving into chocolate makes this a joy to drink now, or to cellar for a decade or more. Decant off sediment. Use the wine-searcher link to shop around as prices for this wine vary quite markedly. The quoted stockist is the cheapest we could find at time of review.

(2023) Widely available in UK supermarkets, Taylor's 2018 Late Bottled Vintage is dark as pitch and has a floral, violet-edge note to the fragrance, cassis and black cherry following. So much brighter in character than the Fonseca Bin 27 also tasted. In the mouth the 104g/l of sugar plays out with mouth-filling sweetness and weight, ripe berries and again, cherry, with a dustiness to the tannins in teh finish that adds a welcome, ashy dryness to counter the lingering sweetness.