Croft 2016 Vintage Port

Samir Patel — Good but not cheap

7/10

Got this as a birthday present and it's a solid vintage port. Nice dark fruit on the nose and the finish lingers nicely. £66.50 is a lot though — I've had ports at half the price that come close. Would I buy it myself? Probably not at that price, but I'm glad someone else did.

Erik Strom — The one that got me into port

8/10

Wine shop guy recommended this when I said I wanted to try proper port for the first time. Really glad he did. It's got loads of fruit but doesn't taste sweet and syrupy like cheap port. The acidity gives it a freshness I wasn't expecting. Great with stilton after dinner.

Yuki Nakamura — Proper stuff

8/10

Had this at a friend's place after dinner and immediately wanted to know what it was. There's a real clarity to it that I don't always get with port — you can actually taste distinct flavours rather than just sweet and boozy. Went out and bought my own bottle the next week. 20% ABV but it hides it well.