Graham's Crusted Port

Graham's Crusted Port is the best-kept secret in the port world. Crusted port is a multi-vintage blend that is bottled unfiltered and unfined, designed to throw a sediment, or crust, in the bottle. The result is a wine that offers much of the character and structure of a vintage port at a fraction of the price. Graham's version is one of the finest examples available.

The nose is richly layered, with blackberry and dark cherry joined by dark chocolate, warm spice, dried herbs, and a hint of leather. There is a depth and complexity here that rivals many LBVs and approaches the character of young vintage port. On the palate, the wine is full and concentrated, with cassis and black plum providing generous fruit, dark chocolate adding richness, and firm tannins providing genuine structure. Hints of coffee add further complexity.

The finish is long with dark fruit, chocolate, and building tannins that recall young vintage port. This is a wine with real substance and presence.

Graham's Crusted Port is the thinking drinker's alternative to LBV. It offers more concentration, more structure, and more aging potential at a similar price point. The trade-off is that it requires decanting due to its unfiltered nature, but that small effort is richly rewarded. For anyone who loves the idea of vintage port but cannot justify the price or the decades of cellaring, crusted port is the answer.