The fact is that Port producers, like Champagne houses only release a vintage in a very good year and in the case of Port this usually happens in about three years in every ten. With other less perfect harvests they mainly restrict their offerings to ordinary Ruby and Tawny, aged Tawny and Late Bottled Vintage. 2011 is being compared with 1963, 1945 and 1908 which were arguably the best of the past century.

Vintage Port is, some would say, our world’s greatest wine and as it takes up to 20 years to reach its peak I like the lovely custom of presenting a new-born child with a bottle so that you may enjoy it with them on their 21st birthday. Of course it has the potential to last far longer and proof of this is that along with our 2011’s from Taylor, we received our third small allotment of their SCION, a wine that Robert Parker rated a perfect 100/100 and it is almost unbelievably from 1855 (not a typo). I love the expression “one should not leave this earth without first tasting a great vintage Port”.

Taylor’s Vintage Ports are renowned for their massive structure and aromatic power and they are the ultimate collector’s Port that will last and slowly develop elegance and harmony. Taylors 2011 was rated 97/100 by Master of Wine Derek Smedley who wrote “The nose is deep and brooding yet it has the fragrance of violets, roses, cedar wood and a hint of nutmeg. Black cherry mingles with black currant and it is deep, rich and sumptuous”. Jancis Robinson MW said “Super stunning” and The Wine Spectator commented “Very pretty pure fruit, balance, harmony, powerful and muscular 96/100.” $108.15.

Croft, that is owned by Taylor’s, rated 95/100 in the Wine Spectator that described it thusly, “Beautiful aromas of violets and blueberries with hints of blue slate. Full body, medium sweet with chewy tannins and a long, long finish. Hints of shaved milk chocolate. Very refined and beautiful, 5,000 cases produced of this foot-trodden wine”. I should comment that Taylor’s uses the old fashioned foot treading method for their best wines so that they can extract the maximum that the grapes have to offer. $96.60

Graham’s 2011, as far as MW Derek Smedley is concerned, is almost perfect as he rated it 99/100. The Wine Spectator gave it 96/100 as did the Wine Enthusiast and Robert Parker 95-97/100. RP goes on to say, “Beguiling scents of blackberry, wild hedgerow, tobacco and cloves. It is utterly harmonious with a pure core of ripe black cherries, damson, marmalade, cloves and spices, and the finish lingers long in the mouth”. $108.80.

During my recent trip to the New York Wine Experience I had the opportunity of tasting Graham’s with Director and owning family member Rupert Symington, Taylor’s with CEO Adrian Bridge, and a few other Port houses as well. Being guided by such folks was so very interesting to taste side by side as this is by far the best way to appreciate the subtle differences in wines of a similar background and heritage. We do not have large supplies of these Ports and I hope that it is not too early to suggest that they would make an excellent Christmas gift.

Michael Robinson is Director of Wine at Burrows, Lightbourn Ltd. He can be contacted at mrobinson@bll.bm or on 295-0176. Burrows, Lightbourn have stores in Hamilton (Front Street East, 295-1554), Paget (Harbour Road, 236-0355) and St George’s (York Street, 297-0409). A selection of their wines, beers and spirits are available on line at www.wineonline.bm