511 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
505-982-2629
Niepoort Vintage Port Add
Quinta do Noval Late Bottled Vintage Port Add
Barros 20-yr Tawny Port Add
Wines are recomendations only and may not be carried by this store.

Niepoort Vintage Port

Attributes:
Producer:

Niepoort
Region:

Oporto, Other
Varietal:

Vintage Port
Bottle Size:

375 ML

2003: WineSpectator Rating: 95
Body:

full-bodied
Flavors:

blackberries, licorice
Fruit:

sweet

2000: WineEnthusiast Rating: 97
Flavors:

black pepper, blackberries, chocolate, mint

2000: WineSpectator Rating: 94
Body:

full-bodied
Compliments:

powerful, racy
Flavors:

berries, earth, flowers, tobacco
Fruit:

huge

2000: Tanzer Rating: 93
Acidity:

bright
Flavors:

licorice, spices
Fruit:

ripe

1997: WineSpectator Rating: 98
Body:

full-bodied
Flavors:

earth

1997: Tanzer Rating: 90
Flavors:

cassis, chocolate, flowers, raisiny, walnut skin
Fruit:

concentrated

1994: WineSpectator Rating: 91
Body:

full-bodied
Flavors:

berry, earth, plum, plummy

1994: WineSpectator Rating: 90
Flavors:

meat

Food Matches:
Cheese: Blue Cheese
Desserts: Bread Pudding, Cakes, Chocolate, Chocolate Cake, Pecan Pie
Fruits & Nuts: Plums, Walnuts

Oporto:

The second city of Portugal and its commercial centre is Oporto. It is the city that gives its name to the port wine variety. The grapes for port wines are grown in the harsh conditions of the Douro valley and shipped down river to Oporto to be crushed and vinified into the uniquely strong and sweet port wines enjoyed around the world.


Vintage Port:

Vintage Port, a fortified Portuguese wine, is the best known and most sought after type of port. Made from a mixture of red grapes, it is produced only in good years when conditions are favorable for the production of a fine wine. The decision to declare a vintage is made by each individual port house and all the grapes included come from top vineyards in that vintage. Vintage ports are aged in barrels for a maximum of two and half years and then require another 10 to 30 years in the bottle before they are ready. Since they are aged in barrels for only a short time, they retain their dark red color and full-bodied strong fruit flavor. Younger vintage ports remain exuberant and powerful, while the older varieties have more finesse and integration, a result of the slow maturation process. To maintain its intensity, Vintage Port is neither fined nor filtered and throws a great deal of sediment as it matures and must be decanted. The flagship style of port, Vintage Port represents only 2-3 % of the total Port production. (See PORT for more information on the region and fortification process.)

Quinta do Noval Late Bottled Vintage Port

Attributes:
Producer:

Quinta do Noval
Region:

Portugal, Other
Varietal:

Late Bottled Vintage Port
Bottle Size:

750 ML

1997: WineAdvocate Rating: 88
Acidity:

soft
Complexity:

complex

1997: WineEnthusiast Rating: 85
Body:

lean
Fruit:

fruity

1994: WineSpectator Rating: 90
Acidity:

soft
Body:

full-bodied
Compliments:

delicious
Flavors:

blackberries, cherries, licorice

1994: WineAdvocate Rating: 88
Fruit:

sweet

1991: WineSpectator Rating: 90
Fruit:

sweet

1991: WineSpectator Rating: 80
Acidity:

clean
Body:

medium-bodied
Flavors:

minerals

1989: Tastings Rating: 87
Acidity:

soft
Compliments:

fragrant, mature
Flavors:

raisins, spice

1989: Tastings Rating: 83
Body:

medium body
Texture:

delicate

Food Matches:
Cheese: Blue Cheese
Desserts: Bread Pudding, Cakes, Chocolate, Chocolate Cake, Pecan Pie
Fruits & Nuts: Plums, Walnuts

Portugal:

Well known for its Port and Vinho Verde wines, Portugal is one of Europe’s leading wine producing countries. It competes closely with Germany for the position of fourth largest wine producer in Europe. Portugal is also the worlds leading producer of cork. Single-handedly it accounts for nearly 70 percent of the worlds commercially traded cork supply.


Late Bottled Vintage Port:

Late Bottle Vintage Port (LBV) is a fortified Portuguese wine, representing port from a single vintage, aged in barrels for 4-6 years and then bottled. Representing good quality wines from good years, the extra years of barrel aging mature the wine more quickly without the decade-long bottle aging. Generally not as substantial as Vintage Ports, some LBVs are fined and filtered prior to bottling while others are not and will require decanting. (See PORT for more information on the region and fortification process.)

Barros 20-yr Tawny Port

Attributes:
Producer:

Barros
Region:

Oporto, Other
Varietal:

Aged Tawny Port
Bottle Size:

750 ML

NV: WineSpectator Rating: 90
Acidity:

fresh
Body:

full-bodied, light
Flavors:

caramel, chocolate, dried fruits, honey
Fruit:

sweet

NV: WineEnthusiast Rating: 90
Complexity:

supple
Flavors:

citrus, minerally, nuts, peppery, smoky
Texture:

delicate

NV: WineEnthusiast Rating: 85
Complexity:

rich, simple
Fruit:

sweet

NV: WineEnthusiast Rating: 86
Acidity:

fresh
Compliments:

pleasant, well-balanced
Flavors:

citrus, toffee
Fruit:

austere

Food Matches:
Desserts: Bread Pudding, Cakes, Chocolate, Chocolate Cake, Pecan Pie
Fruits & Nuts: Plums, Walnuts

Oporto:

The second city of Portugal and its commercial centre is Oporto. It is the city that gives its name to the port wine variety. The grapes for port wines are grown in the harsh conditions of the Douro valley and shipped down river to Oporto to be crushed and vinified into the uniquely strong and sweet port wines enjoyed around the world.


Aged Tawny Port:

Aged tawny port is a fortified Portuguese wine aged in wood and one of the best known styles of port. It is generally a blend of ports from several years, aged in barrels for at least six years until it takes on the nutty, brown sugar and vanilla flavors, a silky texture and changes in color from deep ruby red to tawny. It is designated on the label as 10, 20, 30 or more years old (the age is the average age of the wine by taste). Many prefer its gentleness compared to the full intensity of vintage ports. It can be drunk both as an aperitif and as a dessert wine. (See PORT for more information on the region and fortification process.)

Frosted Chocolate Fudge Cake

Rated

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, for cake
1/3 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 whole eggs
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp light corn syrup
1 ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips, for frosting

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325F. Line two 6-cup loaf pans, each 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2 inches.

Combine the butter, oil, sugar, chocolate, milk and 2/3 cup water in a large saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves and the chocolate melts. Remove from the heat.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl. Beat into the chocolate mixture (using a wire whisk means the mixture is less likely to form lumps).

Gradually beat the eggs, one at a time, into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the loaf pans and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Place the pans on a baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center of each cake. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack; peel off the paper and cool completely, crust-side-up.

To make the fudge topping, bring the cream and corn syrup just to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from the heat.

Put the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and gradually add the cream a little at a time, stirring after each addition, until all the cream has been added and the mixture is smooth.

Place the bowl into a larger bowl of ice or refrigerate until the mixture has cooled and thickened. Spoon onto the cakes and spread over the top with a flexible metal spatula. It may run a little over the sides.

Yield

Makes About 16 slices

Cook Time

Prep Time: 10 mins.
Cook Time: 60 mins.