Late bottled Vintage Port is a Ruby Port of high quality from a single year. These wines are deep ruby in colour, full-bodied and rich on the palette, conserving the particular style and personality of a wine from a single harvest.
Unlike Vintage Ports, LBVs are only bottled after 4 to 6 years of ageing in oak. This process of late bottling allows the wine to benefit from micro-oxygenation in large barrels making them soft, round, and enjoyable to drink on release. The LBV Port has been an alternative for vintage port lovers who do not wish to wait for long-term bottle ageing.
Taste Profile:
A port of deep ruby color with intense aromas of plums, fresh berries and liquorice revealing immense complexity. Very fruity on the palate, with round tannins in a perfectly balanced structure.
Vineyard location & varieties:
Old vine parcels with a mixture of Douro classic red grapes located in the Rio Torto & Roncão Valleys in the Cima Corgo, planted at lower altitude with south exposure.
Alc./Vol.:
20.00%
Wine Making & Aging:
Just like vintage Port, the grapes selected for the Delaforce LBV are placed in the traditional “lagares” (granit tanks) and foot trodden before fermentation starts. Due to the limited timeframe between fermentation starting and having to fortify the must (usually 2 to 4 days), there is a need to ensure maximum extraction of tannins, colour and aromas. The traditional granite “lagares”, which, due to their size and format, allow for perfect contact between the must and the grape skins, which combined with regular “punch down” of skins, ensures the necessary extraction. Fermentation is interrupted through the addition of wine spirit leading to a final ageing stage of 4 to 6 years in oak vats.
Food Paring:
Pair this brilliant LBV Port with blue cheeses and dark chocolate desserts.
