November Wines of the Month: Graham’s Twenty Year Old Tawny Port & Fonseca Terra Prima Organic Reserve Ruby Port

With the festive season & Waitrose’s current (but be quick) 25% off deal in mind, here are my super-seasonal Wines of the Month:

Graham’s Twenty Year Old Tawny Port

And when I say super-seasonal, as the Sip & Savour lunch at Alyn Williams amply demonstrated, Port isn’t just to be wheeled out for Christmas pud, mince pies and Stilton. This wine, from Graham’s re-launched age dated Tawny Port range, went superbly with Michelin-starred Williams’ divine chocolate dessert – positively zingy with the orange sherbert. It’s incredibly long and lithe despite its sumptuous, honeyed layers – a sweet and savoury pick and mix of caramel, caramelised oranges, dried spice, liquorice, hazelnuts and walnuts, which lend a long nutty ring to its beautifully balanced, tapered finish. Graham’s have turned the sweetness dial down a notch to good effect. £35.49 (before discount) at Waitrose Direct.

Fonseca Terra Prima Organic Reserve Ruby Port

Effectively a single quinta non-vintage Port, now 100% sourced from the certified organic Quinta de Santo António, which was in no way cowed by some rather illustrious companions at a special Fonseca tasting last week. A refined, vinous nose and palate seemingly driven by its freshness as much as its fruit and alcohol, lends it a delightful rolling quality, as the acidity teases out layers of red cherry, earthy raspberry, dried spices (think gingerbread) and cafe crème.  Finely structured, with lovely complexity, flow and length.  Very good indeed and reasonably priced when one considers that the organic spirit (sourced since 2003) is harder to secure and, according to Bridge, cultivating the vineyard organically has cost 25% more for 25% less yield. £16.49 (before discount) at Waitrose Direct.