Taylor Port

This is a Port-style fortified wine bottled at 20 percent alcohol by volume, sold under the Taylor name, with the Douro Valley listed as its region. Fortified wines in this style are made by stopping fermentation with grape spirit, which leaves residual sugar and the higher strength. The details on file describe a deep ruby colour, a smooth, velvety texture and balanced sweetness, built from a blend of traditional Douro grape varieties. The listing does not specify a ruby, tawny, reserve or vintage style, so treat the notes below as what ruby-coloured Ports of this kind usually deliver rather than a measured profile. Expect ripe black cherry, plum and blackberry fruit, some warm baking-spice or cocoa notes, and a rounded, fairly full body with soft tannins and enough acidity to keep the sweetness from feeling heavy. Because of its sweetness and strength, serve it in small pours of about 60 to 75 ml. A standard Port glass or a small tulip-shaped wine glass concentrates the aromas better than a wide tumbler. Serve it at cellar temperature, roughly 14 to 16°C, which keeps the alcohol from feeling hot and lets the fruit come through. Slightly cool is better than warm. If you open it within a few hours of serving, a short rest in the glass is enough. A bottle without a long ageing history typically does not need formal decanting, though a decanter does no harm and helps the wine open up. With food, this style works well with salty, blue-veined cheeses such as Stilton or Gorgonzola, where the sweetness offsets the salt. It also suits aged hard cheeses, roasted walnuts and almonds, and chocolate desserts made with dark chocolate, since the fruit holds up against the bitterness. Flourless chocolate cake, berry tarts and simple dried-fruit plates are all reasonable matches. It can also be enjoyed alone as an after-dinner glass. On ageing, a ruby-style fortified wine at this strength is usually made to be drunk on release rather than cellared for decades, so there is no need to wait. Once opened, recork it tightly and keep it in a cool place. A bottle in this style generally stays pleasant for a few weeks, though the fresh fruit fades gradually over that time.