The Joy of Port & a BlackJack Block 6 Shiraz 2010 Reviewed
Cockburn's Special
Reserve
The Symington family have been making Port in the Douro Valley, Portugal, for
over 350 years. At present the family business employs 12 Symingtons,
six of whom are the thirteenth generation of the family. Paul Symington, one of
the 13, was named Man of the Year in 2012 by Decanter magazine. He is the first
person from Portugal to ever have been recognised in this way.
The Symington family is the largest holder of land in the Valley, with 920ha
of those planted with vines. Recently it bought out Cockburn, a major
competitor. This has pushed its total sales from all their Port companies to, in
excess of, one-third of all top Ports sold throughout the world.
Dan Murphy's claims it has just about every Port from the Symington cellars
covering all tastes and budgets, with five Cockburn's ranging in price from
$19.99 for a Fine Tawny, to $59.99 for the top shelf Cockburn's Quinta
dos Canais Vintage Port. In addition, it boasts three Blandy's Ports also
sourced from Symington's, an Aged 5 Years Bual Madeira and a Madeira Five Year Old Malmsey
(each priced at $29.99). They also stock Blandy's Madeira 10 Year Old Malmsey, priced at
$49.99.
Over the years, it seems Port has been neglected and we may have forgotten
the pleasure of a good one on the palate. But with Spring in the air and Summer
just around the corner it can be a fantastic and refreshing drop served with a
chill with anything from chocolate pudding and cakes to desserts and cheeses.
A Glass For Lunch:
The rain that fell over the Harcourt Valley down south of Bendigo during
the first quarter of 2010 was more than they had had for the period January to
March in the preceding decade. To the surprise of all it caused little damage
but seemed to freshen up the vines and slightly slow the process of
ripening.
To come out of that period is a 2010 BlackJack Block 6 Shiraz. This is a good
young Shiraz and it can be drunk now, particularly if you combine it with, let's say,
some slowly cooked tasty lamb shanks. You'll find this at around $35-40 a
bottle.
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