Malcolm Jolley finds an after dinner treat for the pandemic holidays…
There is an awful lot of wine coming through the LCBO in this week’s Vintages release. A lot of it is quite fancy, too. It’s the beginning of what should have been the holiday season, when wine is bought for entertaining and as hostess gifts, or just presents to our colleagues and friends. There won’t be a lot of that going on in this lockdown, though, and most of the wines we buy will be consumed within our family and household bubbles. If it’s not going to be the greatest holiday season ever, then we may as well treat ourselves. I’m going to spend a little more on the weekend wine, and pivot my budget from quantity to quality. And, I’ve decided I’m going to indulge in some things I might not regularly, like dessert wines, spirits and fortified wines like Port. One reason for the latter is a Port I had the opportunity to taste recently, that’s coming into Vintages on November 28: the C. Da Silva Dalva 10 Year Old Tawny Port ($37.95 | LCBO# 583021).
C. Da Silva is a traditional Port maker, established in the 19th century. ‘Dalva’ is a brand they developed for export by simplifying their name. The 10 Year Old Tawny It’s made from a blend of wines with an average age of 10 years. It’s surprisingly fresh with a good line of acidity to balance its sweetness and a brighter fruit profile than I would have thought from it fine rusty, garnet colour. The oxidization process of long barrel ageing has given it classic nutty and dried fruit notes. I tried a glass after dinner the other night while watching The Crown (seemed appropriate) and wished I’d had some Stilton to pair with it, as I surely will after Christmas dinner. I settled for a few pieces of dark chocolate, which worked well. At just under $40, the Dalva 10 Year Old Tawny Port is good value for a treat that ought to stretch out over a few winter evenings. If you’re looking for a bit of cheer to get through the pandemic holidays, then it’s certainly worth a try.
