5 | Wine | Porto, 91 or higher, 750 ml

"It is my opinion that Taylor's tawny ports are the best of their type. The Ten Year Old Tawny is a personal favorite, as well as the best bargain among these ports."

"It is my opinion that Taylor's tawny ports are the best of their type. Although I find the Thirty Year Old Tawny admirable, I prefer the richer, more vibrant Twenty Year Old Tawny.'

"The 2003 Fonseca Vintage Port exhibits a nose of profound depth. Its sweet black mass of dark fruit and spice aromas leads to a character of immense depth, richness, and weight. Full-bodied, viscous, and almost impenetrable, this dense, backward port is powerful and exceptionally long in the finish. Possibly the most masculine Fonseca I’ve ever encountered, it coats the taster’s palate with licorice, jammy black fruits, and notes of chocolate that last for over a minute."

"Softly-textured and seductive. ...The complex aromatics of the opaque, black-colored 2003 Dow Vintage Port display chocolate, dried oak, black cherries, blackberries, copious spices, and a myriad flowers. This fresh, backward wine offers a medium to full-bodied, deeply concentrated core of spice-laced dark fruits....it boasts abundant layers of candied Damson plums, blueberries, black cherries, molasses, and hints of chocolate before revealing its firm structure."

"Green-edged tawny, like a maturing Madeira. Fabulously complex aromas of toasted marshmallow, fig, toffee, cinnamon and curry. A wine of great extract but much softer than the 30-year-old. A nutty, marzipan-like sweetness contributes to the wine's uncanny mellowness." Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"In a port tasting, tasting Graham's is almost like tasting a big, rich, succulent Merlot after a group of blockbuster, tannic Cabernets. Sweeter and more obvious than many ports, the opaque purple-colored 1994 is fruity, powerful, and rich, with an addictive hedonistic quality. It will be ready to drink in 8-10 years and keep for up to 30. As always, this is a showy, flamboyant port that has the advantage of being slightly sweeter than other 1994s. A great Graham's. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2035." -Robert Parker October, 1996

"A strikingly provocative aromatic display. This firmly-structured, classic, tightly-knit, restrained port exhibits brilliant purity as well as impressive intensity."

"This is black in color. Sweet berry and plum on the nose, with wet earth, pepper and leaf notes. Minerally. Full-bodied and medium sweet, with a solid core of tannins and a dense palate. Long and chewy, with a core of sweet fruit." 92-95 pts.

"Graham is another great port house, producing one of the deepest-colored and sweetest styles of vintage port. Along with Taylor and Fonseca, Graham has probably been the most consistent producer of great port in the post- World War II era. Their tawnys are quite good rather than exceptional, but their vintage ports are truly sublime and sumptuous."