Quinta De La Rosa Late Bottled Vintage Port – Luscious and Lovable LBV Port

A blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa and Tinta Roriz from Douro, Portugal.

SRP of $28 and available for as low as $20. Sample submitted for review.

From the winery:

“This LBV has a good, clean defined style similar to other La Rosa ports with a good structure, integrated, mature tannins and soft wood undertones. This port shows the harmony and equilibrium present in the La Rosa vineyards. La Rosa ports are always slightly drier than most, and the brandy is always well integrated. 2008 has produced an LBV with great complexity and length. Wonderful black moreno cherry flavors and a deep overall richness.

20% Alcohol”

Vintage Port, which makes up about 1-2% of all Port, is the cream of the crop — but it comes with a hefty price tag that is almost always out of the reach of Reverse Wine Snobs. There is; however, another option that is almost to the same level of quality but at a much lower price, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port. LBV Port represents about 3.5% of all Port produced.

Basically LBV is a small step down from Vintage Port, using the grapes that would have gone into Vintage Port in the 7 out of every 10 years (on average) that a vintage is not declared. Most LBV’s are produced a bit differently than Vintage Port in that they are not intended to be aged in the bottle for long periods but are made to be consumed upon release. They are bottled anywhere from 4-6 years after harvest, and like today’s Port are matured in large wooden casks called “tonels”.

The Quinta De La Rosa Late Bottled Vintage 2008 Port begins with excellent and perfumed aromas of plum, black raspberry, spice and lavender. Tasting the Port reveals rich, succulent flavors of dark fruit, smoke and cedar with lovely spice notes that carry all the way through to the long finish. Since Port isn’t something you drink in a day or two I tried this one several times over a two week period to emulate how it is likely to be consumed and it was excellent throughout that whole period.

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.

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