Grape Press: Fortify Me

“Grape Press” is a regular magazine column in which we recommend wines to suit various occasions and price points.

In this adopt-a-dog issue, you might think we’d be scraping out the barrel with dog-themed wine labels taking center stage. It’s true that winery dog calendars may be all the rage in tasting rooms the world over, but this month we’d like to focus on the oft-overlooked category of fortified wines. (Insert “hair of the dog” quips here.)

Not that canine references are irrelevant. Consider one of Portugal’s key grapes for the fortified wines of the Douro: Tinto Cão (literally, “red dog”). It contributes structure to the field blends of the various grapes that can make up port (with sometimes 20-30 different varieties being planted together).

Buying fortifieds in Beijing is a bit tough (head to Shanghai for M&S and Tinta Fina Wines). However, this month’s wine picks are all designed to ward off the Beijing cold, especially if you don’t have a canine friend at hand.

ONE TO QUAFF
NV Lustau Deluxe Cream Capataz Andrés Solera Reserva, Jerez, Spain
(ASC Wines, RMB 286)
Available at Jianguo Hotel and The Opposite House
Lustau is a fantastic producer. “Cream” indicates here a sweet style of sherry. Dark brown with oxidized nutty notes, rich burnt caramel, low acidity and a complex finish. A premium Cream!

ONE TO DRINK
2006 Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage Port, Douro, Portugal
(Everwines, RMB 321)
Available at 1949–The Hidden City, Agua
This wine, by one of the top port producers, is from a single year but designed to be drunk earlier than the big, unfiltered Vintage examples. Dark ruby with heady black fruits and a wide range of spices. Full-bodied with hefty tannin, marked sugar, lifting high acidity and very good length.

ONE TO SIP
NV Broadbent 5 Year Old Madeira, Portugal
(Ruby Red, RMB 325)
Available at Bar Veloce, The Loop
A favorite of these pages, but very little Madeira is sold in these shores! Deep brown, this 5 Year Old shows the complexity of caramelized walnuts and even Indian spices with coffee/cocoa notes. Full-bodied, high acidity, generous sugar with that signature cooked/heated character and compelling length.

Edward Ragg is co-founder, with Fongyee Walker, of Dragon Phoenix Wine Consulting, China’s leading independent wine consultancy and education service (www.longfengwines.com). They write for the world’s wine magazines and several publications in China.

Click here to see the December issue of the Beijinger in full.