Fortified wines for Autumnal times

I am so stoked about Autumn! Here in the Mid-Atlantic the leaves are peaking and I’ve been waking up early on cool, crisp mornings whenever possible to go birdwatching, hiking, climbing, really anything outside. It’s all wonderful to me this time of year.

October in Shenandoah National Park.

Halloween is just around the corner as well, and sugary sweets and spooky fun abounds. Don’t worry – I’m not writing about pairing wine with Halloween candy. No thanks. But, this week I want to highlight some frightfully delicious fortified wines that would make a great adult treat for this time of year.

Tawny Port is such a fun style, from the younger, more accessible – but highly delicious – offerings, to the richer, nuttier, more savory styles of longer-aged wines, there’s a lot of unique flavors and variations to explore. To start, I think it works best to pick a producer and see if their style aligns with your palate.

Dow’s is one of my favorite Port houses, ever since I bought two 2003 Vintage Ports upon release – the first time I spent more than $80 on a bottle of wine. (They’re still both sleeping, of course, and will for years to come.) While their Vintage Ports are well-known and heralded, the Tawnies really rock, too. And this week I have three to choose from. 

And I can’t forget Sherry. But let’s focus on a dry wine, shall we? The Tio Pepe brand from Gonzalez-Byass offers several of these Spanish delicacies, but their dry Palomino Fino is bright, zesty, and makes for such pleasant sipping. Bring out the bleu cheese and Marcona almonds for this one. 

These wines were received as samples and tasted sighted. 

Dow’s 10-Year Tawny Port - Portugal, Douro, Porto 
SRP: $45
Rich, deep ruby/tawny color. The nose exudes roasted figs, sweet dates, candied pecans, along with toffee, notes of honeyed tea, and some clove and light roast coffee. The palate is rich and suave with a mouthfeel moderated by the acidity, and flavors of yellow raisins, plum compote, and dried mango. Sweet but vibrant tannins with nuances of black tea, salted caramel, milk chocolate, and toffee. So smooth and pleasant. (91 points)

Dow’s 20-Year Tawny Port - Portugal, Douro, Porto 
SRP: $78
Beautiful amber color. The nose smells of warm rooibos tea, caramel, apple pie, along with clove, roasted nuts, toffee, and hints of earth and clay. The palate is plush and sweet with a lovely depth of texture and fresh acidity to keep things balanced out nicely. Flavors of fig paste, apple butter, candied orange peels, along with nuances of toffee, dark chocolate, and some cigar box. Suave, deep, complex, yet refreshing and so fun to sip. Lovely stuff. (93 points)

Dow’s 30-Year Tawny Port - Portugal, Douro, Porto 
SRP: $175
Deep auburn color. The nose is exquisite, as the nuances and depth are dialed up even more. I get dates, figs, candied apple, orange peel, along with toasted nuts, vanilla bean, cinnamon crumb cake, and salted caramel – lovely! The palate is suave, rich, and deep yet expressive and vibrant, and balanced wonderfully. Baked figs, dates, and yellow raisins for days. The fruit is backed up with honey, black tea, salted caramel, cinnamon crumb cake, crème brulee, and even some cool black tea, leather, and cigar shop tones. Harmonious, expressive, and simply beautiful. A sip of this lasts for a really long time. This on a cold night with some loved ones – a perfect idea. (95 points)

N.V. Gonzalez-Byass Palomino Fino Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Tío Pepe (Muy Seco-Extra Dry) - Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
SRP: $20
Light yellow color. Aromas of oyster shell, salt brine, lemon, quince, papaya, with elements of corn husk, candle wax, and almond skin – a lot to sniff, ponder, and enjoy. The palate shows racy acidity with a briny, spicy appeal and a creamy, waxy texture. Flavors of lemon, orange peel, and green apple, and the fruit is laced with tones of almond, honey, oyster shells, crushed limestone, and sea salt. Fun, bright, dry, bracing, but shows delightful texture and complexity, and finishes with tones of green herbs and white tea. Delicious, versatile, would be good at pretty much any time and for any occasion. And a great value. (90 points)

Digging into Paso Roble's Broken Earth

I’ve only visited California’s Paso Robles wine country once, and toured a lot in a few days, and I have the fondest memories. I often wish to return to visit new wineries, relive the love, and score more waves on the nearby Central Coast.

The diverse soils, the hills, the microclimates, it all fascinated me, and helped explain why certain Paso wines just hit differently. And the wine folks who live there are scrappy, tough, really smart, and willing to experiment. All sorts of vines find their way in this varied terrain, and I’ve found lots of joy in Mediterranean white wines, Spanish reds, Italian blends, and other unexpected varietal wines.

Recently, Broken Earth rekindled that Paso spark for me. Broken Earth was established in 1973, and celebrates the heritage of the Continental Vineyard property, which was originally named Rancho Tierra Rejada, or “land of worked earth.” They have a large portfolio with what seems like a bunch of interesting wines. I was happy to taste through the trio of their “CV” wines – which are their allocated, higher-end wines made only in certain vintages.

These wines allow winemaker Chris Cameron to shine. An Australian by birth, he’s worked harvests for four decades and first showed up in Paso in 2007. And he’s got a lot of great fruit with which to work his blending prowess.

Also of note: they’re also a California Certified Sustainable Vineyard, and seem to take stewardship seriously, so that’s always a great thing. And as a big owl nerd, I’m a fan of any vineyard that utilizes owl boxes!

Check out these wines below, which I received as samples and tasted sighted.

2020 Broken Earth Winery Studium Red CV Reserve - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
SRP: $80
Deep purple color. The nose is so inviting with black currant, fig paste, black cherries, accented with sage, tobacco, mint, along with deep stony, graphite, coffee grounds, and cocoa nibs. The palate is structured but silky with crisp acidity, smooth tannins, and deep flavors of mulled cherries and plum fruit. I get a lot of spicy herbs, black pepper, and barbecue sauce, with dried violets and hints of clove. Complex, saucy, savory, and a lot underlying minerals, earth, and graphite. A decant is a good idea if drinking now, but this will also age very well. (92 points)

2019 Broken Earth Winery Cabernet Franc CV Reserve - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

SRP: $80
Bright purple color. A deep yet integrated nose of red and black currants and cherries, mixed with plenty of roasted red pepper, bay leaf, tobacco, black pepper, and grilled steaks – really cool stuff to sniff. The palate is full and suave and shows a solid core of tannins along with fresh acidity. I get black currants and saucy cherries, dark but crunchy fruit, and a host of fascinating savory tones: mesquite, sage, anise, black pepper, leather, incense sticks – there’s so much to parse through. Expressive with air but this will age wonderfully, and I’d like to revisit in like eight years. Excellent Paso Cab Franc! (93 points)

2019 Broken Earth Winery Cabernet Sauvignon CV Reserve - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
SRP: $80
Dark purple color. The nose is a dense display of currant, plum cake, and roasted figs, but it opens to show savory spices, dried violets, potting soil, tar, tobacco, and some dark chocolate shavings. On the palate, this is rich and full but shows nice grip, balanced with lively acidity. The black cherry, wild blueberry, and plum compote flavors blend really well with the graphite, charcoal, spicy herbs, and earthy tones. Suave, full, but deep and vibrant. This really needs some time in the cellar to unfold, but even now it tells a great story. (93 points)