The cake is a lie, I tell ya!
You take the white one, the evening ends. You wake up tomorrow and think it was just another fine evening with friends. You take the red one, you arrive in wonderland and it shows you how deep your senses can dig into your mind. Have you ever been presented with such an apparently meaningless choice? On the one hand, you have conformity, on the other the unknown. Surrounded by friends, I chose the unknown and during the first “bite” was thinking to myself: “It’s just a cake. No need to be worried too much.”
But the cake is too strong at first, witch I didn’t expect. I took my time to disassemble it a bit. I sniffed it and the aromas started to make their way into my mind. Crushed hazelnuts with butter, combined with some powdered sugar and egg yolk for the baked crust. Milk, jelly and sweet cake cream creates the fluffiest filling that probably tastes like sweet cloud in a parallel universe. Then the fruit kicks in, berries dominating with cherry being the strongest of ’em all. But not just any cherry. Cherry aroma of a passionate lover’s kiss, while she’s wearing a lip balm on those softest lips of hers and a hint of a coffee stirred with some cocoa she had just took a sip of. After a kiss, I opened my eyes and realized. There is no kiss, no cake. I was having my first Port wine.
Don’t be mad at me. I told you at the beginning – the cake is a lie. This, Taylor’s LBV 2012, took me to a Matrix-like state, where you know the things that are going on are just a fabrication of your mind, but you enjoy it. You enjoy it ’cause of the power it has to control your mind. And I’ll end my text with a quote from the Matrix – Mickey, I think he likes it. How ’bout some more? – Hell, yes. Hell, yes!
Grape varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão
Aging: 4-6 years in oak casks
Abv: 20%
Average price: 18€
GN score: 93/100
Region: Portugal – Douro – Oporto
When mentioning the term “Port”, people rarely jump to the conclusion that this wine can be made from 40 different grapes. Port? I’ll have me some of dat sweet thaaang. This is why we use the phrase Port blend, with 5 major grapes used – Touriga Nacional (for extract, high tannins and grip), Touriga Franca (for fruit, aroma, suppleness and roundness), Tinta Roriz (for color and fruit), Tinta Barroca (for elegance and sweetness) and Tinta Cão (for spice and bite). LBV stands for Late Bottled Vintage, meaning, as the name suggests, that it is bottled later, remaining in casks between four and six years. During the ageing, an LBV blossoms and settles down – it is ready to drink the moment it hits the market, does not need decanting and can be served by the glass for several weeks after the cork is drawn.
For many, Taylor’s is the quintessential Port house that needs to be on your list if you are a Port aficionado. It was established in 1692, which makes it one of the oldest founding houses. It is dedicated entirely to the production of Port wine and in particular to its finest styles, from which Vintage Port jumps out – noted for their delicacy and grace as well as for their reticent strength and longevity.
Written by Adin Bulatović.
Born and raised on beer, wine came into my life at just the right time. A few years back, I found my passion in squash, the sport that let me become a coach and lead young (and old) people to rad health and fun times. Manager @ Delikatesna Radnja. Find me at @ad1ns7agram
Grape Nomad 