Wine By Nine

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Dow's from Portugal. 20 Years indicates and average age - this Aged Tawny Port is a blend of older wines, which offer complexity and younger wines, which bring fresh fruit flavors and vibrancy. During their long maturing period in oak casks, Aged Tawnies undergo subtle color changes: the deep red hue which characterizes Port's youth gradually gives way to a paler golden amber color. Dow's is known for its characteristically drier house style. This 20 Year has a full, nutty bouquet, concentrated, citrus, almond and caramel notes on the palate and a lingering finish. Many consider the 20 Year to be the perfect blend of complexity and vibrant fruit when it comes to Aged Tawny. Serving and pairing suggestions Dow's 20 Year is bottled ready to drink after an average of at least 20 years of cask aging. It has a t-cap closure, which means that you don't need a corkscrew to open it and that it will stay fresh for four to six months if stored in a cool, dark place or refrigerator. Serve it in a glass with at least a six ounce capacity so that you may appreciate the wine's aromas. Dow's 20 Year is delicious when paired with soft ripened cheeses, flan or fruit tarts. In warmer months, try it chilled for a refreshing dessert in a glass.

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Ch?teau de Rayne Vigneau from Sauternes and Barsac, France - Bordeaux. Good pale yellow. High-toned aromas of peach, pineapple and licorice, along with a whiff of bug spray. Pineapple and citrus flavors offer modest flesh and show a slight dry edge. Not bad, but could use more thrust and length. Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 86-88 points Spicy honey and apricot character. Medium-bodied and medium sweet, with a good finish. Better for this estate than in 2003. Wine Spectator Barrel Tasting, Score range: 85-88

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Ch. Doisy Vedrines from Sauternes and Barsac, France - Bordeaux. Intense aromas of honey, dried pineapple and botrytis spice. Full-bodied, very sweet and very powerful, with loads of dried fruit and sweetness on the finish. Lots of clove and orange peel. Same quality as the 2001. Best after 2013. -Wine Spectator

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Broadbent from Portugal. Aged in oak casks for at least 10 years. A superb, full-bodied, wonderfully rich Madeira with a sweet, rich chocolaty flavor and a concentrated bouquet. Best enjoyed with desserts, or on its own after a meal.

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Jaboulet from Rhone, France - Rhone. Crystal clear color with golden reflections. Exceptionally intense bouquet, with aromas of peach, grape, apricot, mango and lychee. Full, velvety, sweet. Perfect balance between sugar-alcohol-acidity. Gives the impression of biting into a freshly picked Muscat grape. Food Match: foie gras, desserts.

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Ch. Coutet from Sauternes and Barsac, France - Bordeaux. Spice, dried pineapple, honey and light apricot aromas, like freshly crushed grapes. Full-bodied and very sweet, with masses of crushed fruit character and a long finish. Best after 2010. -Wine Spectator Medium yellow. Deeply pitched aromas of honey, orange and fresh apricot, with a suggestion of candied sweetness and some spicy oak. Rich, sweet and wonderfully pure, with a nectar-like quality to its flavors of overripe peach, orange and spices. Plenty of botrytis character here. This boasts an exhilarating chewy texture and superb aromatic persistence. Today this is a fruit bomb, but it's still an infant. Its superb inner-palate energy suggests that it will evolve very slowly and last well. Promises to be a great vintage for this chateau. -International Wine Cellar 91-94

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Warre's from Portugal. Black pepper, ceiling wax, spices, and toast are found in the nose of the potentially exceptional 2003 Warre's Vintage Port. A concentrated effort, its youthful, classically ungenerous, masculine character reveals black pepper laced dark fruits. Silky-textured in its immensely endowed mid-palate, this top-flight effort displays an admirably long, tannin-filled finish. It will require serious cellaring. Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate 93 Points

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Sandeman from Portugal. The dense purple-colored, seriously-structured 2000 Vau Vintage reveals outstanding ripeness in addition to abundant amounts of black currant, cassis, and mineral characteristics as well as firm tannin in the finish. Fuller-bodied, richer, and significantly more impressive than its sibling, it will drink well between 2007-2020. Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate 90 Points

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Warre's from Portugal. An outstanding wine that epitomizes everything that is great about a superbly balanced Twenty Year Old Tawny; the translucent copper colored tone of the wine is matched by the beautiful soft nutty aromas gained by a full twenty years ageing in seasoned oak casks. Otima 20 Years is rich and delicate, but never cloying; the tannins and acidity ensure balance and perfect length.

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Mer Soleil from Central Coast, California. This luscious dessert wine, made from Viognier grapes, is the result of Botrytis cinerea-the organism responsible for some of the world's most highly regarded dessert wines. The Wagner family's vineyard site in the Santa Lucia Highlands provides optimal conditions for late-season botrytis. The vineyard's climate also results in wines with great natural balance because the cool temperatures help maintain excellent acidity in the grapes. This balance is crucial in a dessert wine like this one, with a residual sugar of 17 percent at bottling. The grapes for this wine were hand-picked on December 8 and 9, 2000 An expansive nose of floral aromas, apricots and spice. In the mouth, flavors of ripe apricots and honey. The wine has a mouth-coating, nectar-like texture and a lingering honeyed-fig finish. This is a true dessert wine, with a dense, velvety body and flavors that stay with you long after you've put the glass down.

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Royal Tokaji Wine Company from Hungary, European. Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2006! The 2000 Red Label is straw-colored with a hint of gold. On the nose, there are fruit aromas dominated by apricot and quince, with a lovely touch of wild flowers and orange peel. The palate exhibits ripe orange, figs and orange and grapefruit peel flavors, with a hint of honey at the end. This is a well-balanced wine, with a nice velvety texture and excellent length. Six vintages of the Royal Tokaji Red Label have been produced since its premier release of the 1990 vintage. Since then, the Red Label wine has been made in 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999 and 2000. This wine is a blend of carefully selected grapes from several of Royal Tokaji's vineyards. The summer and fall of 2000 were dry in the Tokaj wine region, resulting in finely-matured grapes. Harvest began mid-September and went through early November. Rating: 94 points, Editor's Choice An amazing wine that is a benchmark for its class. Pure scents of dried apricot, citrus, jasmine and melon are coated with Asian spices, while the mouth is honeyed but nuanced, with flavors of dried spices, apricot marmalade and citrus fruits. What sets this wine apart is its mouthwatering acidity. A blend of grapes from multiple vineyards, this ... wine is a steal at this price. - Wine Enthusiast, June 2006 500ml bottle

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Delaforce from Portugal. Aged for an average of 20 years in old oak casks, the 20 Year Old is a finely balanced wine of phenomena richness and complexity. The additional 10 years of aging yields an elegant balance between the nutty honeyed finish and the vivid raisiny fruit. The 20 year old tawny is an extremely versatile dessert wine essential to complete the meal. The soft, honeyed nose is entirely inviting, hinting at the refinement this wine carries from start to finish. Though not a heavyweight, there's a goodly amount of apricot and quince mixed with toffee and creme br?lee. Scrumptious, racy and recommended for those who like good Port. -Wine Enthusiast