Proper LBV

[uncle tom]

Supping an excellent '89 Burmester LBV, I can't help thinking that when it comes to LBV, we have the good, the bad - and the ugly.

No prizes for guessing that filtered wines rank as 'the bad'

But to distinguish between the good and the ugly?

I would be very surprised if this Burmester did not spend it's formative years in a pipe - a wooden barrel of around 550 litres capacity. With that exposure to wood, the wine is just a little more concentrated, with nutty wood notes. It was also very approachable when first decanted.

But how many unfiltered LBV's are spending their early life in large wooden vats - or worse, stainless steel?

Perhaps we should have a hall of fame - and another of shame..

- Nominations please!

Tom

[DRT]

Before I visited VNG for the first time a few years ago I had the notion that all VP and LBV spent their formative years in pipes. I was surprised to find that this is not the case. Almost all of the VP and LBV I have seen in VNG is in large vats (tonels) to limit the exposure to wood and avoid excessive oxidation. The rows of pipes you see in photographs of the shippers cellers are mostly filled with Reserva, Tawny or Colhieta. The role of the pipe for VP and LBV has all but gone now that it must all be shipped in bottle.

Derek

[Frederick Blais]

Basically Ruby is in Vats and Tawny is in barrels.

It has become fashion to age 2 years the LBV in stainless and 2 years in vats to preserve some more fruit. Of course, stainless is cheaper and easier to clean. I've never seen or heard of LBV aging in small pipes. Well... only one that had a Tawny of 7 years old and wanted to sell it as a LBV... just an unaware new producers

One thing I tried to find out during my last trip was about the difference between a VP and a LBV in a bottle. I mean, yes the VP is produced from the very best, but still the LBV is made from very decent grapes and vines. Why is no LBV I've tasted to date can develop the same texture and layers of complexity a VP can develop. In Bordeaux in some years it does happen that a 2nd or 3rd growth produces a better wine than the first growth. Is the answer only the 2 more years spent in vats? If so why don't they release it as single quinta or non-classic VP for the same price of a LBV after only 2 years of barrel, it will even be cheaper for them to produce it.

Just some thoughts, I could not find any decent answers in the Douro... politics?

[mosesbotbol]

The whole LBV vs VP is quite interesting and does not make sense to me on the surface. One would think with 2 extra years of barrel or vat aging would be a good thing.

I did like to see a list of what we think are the top LBV’s. I have had some that I thought were great and then had them again and thought they were average. So far, I find Warre and Ramos Pinto to make the best. Maybe’s their port style lends better to LBV, than lets say Dow or Fonseca?

[Frederick Blais]

The only LBV I buy are

Noval
Niepoort
Smith Woodhouse
Warre's
Ferreira

I do like Offley, Quinta do Tedo, Ramos Pinto too but I haven't dig into LBV recently. I'll try to taste what is available at the next IVDP show in Montreal in 2 weeks.

[Simon Lisle]

Tom I love those later Burmesters The 1980 vintage port was poorish,But some of those off vintage and lbv's are good.I've had the 89 vintage from Burmester which surprised me a good solid mature port.I struggle to get hold of them Tom.

[PortDude]

The best ones on my list so far are the traditional LBVs from Smith Woodhouse and Warre's.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I had a stunningly good Smith Woodhouse 1984 unfiltered LBV a couple of days back. I would certainly buy up more of these if I came across them.

Alex

[KillerB]

OK, I am going to open up one of these Croft Unfiltered LBVs to find out what they are like. They are excrutiatingly young for a bottle-aging LBV but I should be able to gain some idea from it. I will open and decant now and guzzle some later.