Warre's Otima Port

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed)
Jul 23rd 2008 at 2:02PM

Lots of us have been put off by port's connotations of crusty vintages and even crustier connoisseurs. You don't actually need an English country house, a kennel full of fox hounds and a gouty leg to enjoy it, however.

Ironically, it fell to Warre's, the oldest British-owned port producer dating to 1670, to give the storied fortified wine a facelift. With the introduction of their Otima bottlings, Warre's managed to modernize the drink without turning it into some kind of silly snake oil marketed to wannabe rap stars.

Otima is a premium tawny (the best of port's non-vintage iterations) with a "lighter, more contemporary style," available in 10 and 20-year-old versions.

The "contemporary" vibe is admirably captured by the clean, elegant clear glass bottle and minimalist labeling, making for an aesthetically pleasing addition to your bar without sacrificing any of the wine's sophistication. On the palate it presents pleasing notes of honey, raisins, nuts and dried fruit. If you've never tried port before we suggest starting here.

Tags: England, Otima, port, Warres

Filed under: Wine

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

just me Jul 23rd 2008 3:57PM

JPS, I've been drinking this port for years now, as a matter of fact I had a glass before bed two nights ago. It's delicious and comes in a tall, thin bottle--making it look very precious and valuable, although it retails for around $20.00.