Wellington Vineyards Port + Chocolate Cow Almond Bark: Tasting Notes
-fulfills the “wine must be sweeter than the food” rule
-each port brings out subtle nuances in the chocolate
-caramel & lemon zest flavors in White Port accentuates nuttiness of almonds
-sweet blackberry jam & carob notes in the Old Vines Port blends with sweetness of chocolate
-brown sugar & toffee notes in Criolla Port highlights sweet & savory chocolate/almond notes
-flavanoids put you through graduate school
-feels like like a hammer in your hand
-empowering like a woman’s magazine
-this is another item on a list
We've been making port since 1992, when only a couple of other wineries in Sonoma or Napa were making port. Working with the same grapes, from ancient vines, we've had ample opportunity to fine tune our processes. Of all our winemaking techniques, we're a little more secretive about our port than anything else regarding yeast strains, fermentation temperatures, maceration, etc.
As with all our wines, we strive for intensity of character, balance and finesse. And achieving balance in port can be a tricky proposition, due to the higher alcohol levels and residual sugar. Anyone can make a stable three legged stool, but building a sound four legged chair is a lot trickier. We pride ourselves on producing Ports that are bold and flavor-packed, but with a fine balance of sweetness, acid, alcohol, body and tannin. To this end, our ports are higher in acid and lower in alcohol and residual sugar than most of their counterparts.
Visit the Wellington Vineyards website
Wellington Old Vines White Port, Sonoma Valley, 500ml
We make white port in the traditional (Portuguese) style. We blend from multiple vintages after several years of barrel aging. We use a solera style system of fractional blending, always keeping some of the oldest stock and topping with younger wines, so each batch of white port has a small amount of wine from every vintage since 1993.
This new release (batch #17?) has great aromatic intensity and complexity, with aromas of dried fruit, caramel, coconut, honey and a potpourri of dried flowers and orange peel. The entry is only moderately sweet, the mid-palate supple and rich yet still delicate. The finish is only slightly warm, and not at all heavy or cloying. This makes a wonderful companion to fruit tarts, gingerbread, and other spicy desserts.
Semillon, Monbadon, Palomino, Muscadelle de Bordelais, Sylvaner, Columbard and Trousseau gris, all from vines planted between the 1880’s and 1920’s.
2009 Wellington Old Vines Port, Sonoma Valley, 500ml
Unlike the Criolla and white ports, our vintage port is made in single batches. This means that the timing of fortification is crucial, as there are very limited opportunities for blending. Murphy’s Law would have it that fortification almost always needs to be done outside of normal working hours, usually in the wee hours of the night. 2009 wasn’t too bad, with fortification at 10:45 PM.
Dark purplish red with youthful aromas of cassis, blackberry and other dark fruits. Notes of carob, coffee cake and herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary) add complexity. The entry is moderately sweet, the mid-palate full and rich, balanced with good acidity, and moderate heat on the finish. If you’re a port and chocolate fan, this is the port for the job; also great with sharp cheddar.
Wellington Criolla Port, Sonoma Valley, 500ml
This is also a blend of multiple vintages with extended barrel age. 100% from Criolla (aka Mission) vines, planted between 1892 and 1924. Medium brick, slightly tawny color, with aromas of toffee, cocoa, dates, citrus, brown sugar, roasted nuts and brown spices (clove, cardamom, cinnamon). The entry is a bit sweeter than the white port, the mid-palate is rich and viscous, and the finish is warm. Great with walnuts or Stilton cheese.
Wellington Old Vines White Port, Sonoma Valley, 500ml
2009 Wellington Old Vines Port, Sonoma Valley, 500ml
Wellington Criolla Port, Sonoma Valley, 500ml
Wellington Old Vines White Port, Sonoma Valley, 500ml
2009 Wellington Old Vines Port, Sonoma Valley, 500ml
Wellington Criolla Port, Sonoma Valley, 500ml
Wellington Vineyards is owned Peter Wellington. Peter's father John purchased the winery site in 1986. At the time, it consisted of 20 acres of old vines and a few decrepit old fruit and nut trees. Replanting of part of the old vineyard and orchard started in 1988. The winery was completed in time for the 1989 crush. We grow approximately half the grapes we use and purchase the remainder, primarily from small, unique vineyards.
The estate vineyards consist of 21 acres, 8 of which are 85 to 117 years old. There are 24 different varieties in the old vineyard, with the most common being Zinfandel, Carignan, Alicante Bouschet, Grenache and Syrah. In addition, there are 10 acres of eleven to sixteen year old vines that consist of Merlot, Chardonnay, Marsanne, and Syrah. We grow more Merlot than anything else. Three more acres were replanted in 2001, predominantly to Syrah, Zinfandel and Grenache.
| 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
|---|