A Killer Port from a Top Producer
You don't have to be a hoarder or deep-pocketed auction-goer to drink well-aged wine. Here, we spotlight affordable old bottles to buy now.
1999 Niepoort Colheita Port: Though Dirk Niepoort is well known as the man who put Portugal's Douro Valley on the map for dry table wines, his family's traditional ports are fantastic as well. This one is a colheita, meaning it's made like a tawny port but comes entirely from a single year's harvest (rather than being made from a blend of vintages).
The (Wonderful) Effects of Age: Colheitas spend at least seven years in porous oak barrels before being bottled, which means they oxidize and develop flavors like dried fig and toffee. Both of those flavors are here, along with bright red fruit and black walnut, and they all mesh together to form an incredibly delicious, salty-sweet dessert wine. While some ports can be cloying, this one has plenty of acid to balance the sugar.
Pair it With: Fall dinner party desserts, like a giant fig pancake.
Best Price Online: $39 at We Speak Wine. (Find more stores.)
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