If you aren't drinking Port and Madeira wines this season you are missing out big time.

If you don't think you like these wines, you just haven't tried the right ones.

I was going to publish my Castelão grape guide this week, but I needed to interrupt my plan to write about two incredible wines I had last week that should be on your radar this holiday season.

Dow’s 2018 LBV Port

I was given this bottle of Dow’s 2018 LBV Port this past week and boy, it is delicious. I am one happy lady.

Since the late 19th century the Symington family have been winemakers at Quinta do Bomfim and Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira. Bomfim is located in the Cima Corgo sub-region and Senhora da Ribeira is located in the Douro Superior sub-region of the Douro Valley.

Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Sousão, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Roriz make up the blend for this special wine. The grapes after being picked at each property are foot trodden in lagares on-site. If you are a super wine geek and want to know about what was happening in the weather during the 2018 vintage Charles Symington breaks it down:

“Although 2018 started off very dry, with the soils parched by the previous year’s rainfall deficit, the spring heralded abundant rain with the months between March and June all recording above-average precipitation. Soil water reserves were amply replenished, a good position to be in for the vines’ growing and ripening cycles. The wet, cool spring and generally unsettled atmospheric conditions continued into the summer and resulted in a diminishing of the crop size. Inevitably, the growth cycle of the vine was delayed by a few weeks, but a hot and dry August put maturations back on track. Climatic conditions in early September favoured an even and complete ripening of the berries with good levels of acidity that are reflected in the wines’ balance. Yields were very low, but that favoured the high quality that the wines from 2018 reveal.”

This is an LBV port that I think even those ‘Tawny only’ snobs will enjoy. It delivers everything you'd hope for bursting with rich dark currants, black cherries, blackberries, and overripe plums, all wrapped in the earthy, bramble forest flavors and a hint of spice that make it irresistible to me. Completely balanced with a lovely, long dry finish. Don’t just take my word at how lovely this wine is. Wine Spectator thought it was one of the top 100 wines in 2024, in fact in came in at number 26.

If you mix this with a bit of tonic over ice, it tastes like a cherry cola. Or what I remember one to taste like. It’s been decades since I had one but that is what my memory screamed at me while sipping it with tonic.

Blandy’s 2004 Malmsey

The Blandy family stands out as the only original founders of the Madeira wine trade who continue to own and manage their family’s original wine company.

Winemakers in Madeira give the name Malmsey to the grape Malvazia when they make wines from it. Malvazia is a white grape from Europe. When people think of Madeira wines, they most likely mean a Malmsey wine. Malmsey wines are typically sweeter and will always have a nuttiness to them. This is the style and grape that made Madeira wines famous.

You can find Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean, 480 miles southeast of Lisbon, off the coast of Africa. Madeira wines were placed on passing ships; brandy was added to the barrels to help them on their long journeys. The heat from the ships unexpectedly improved the wines. This is absolutely not typical for wine. But it not only improved the quality and flavor of the wines, it made them shelf-stable and able to age for a very long time.

Obviously the winemakers back in Madeira tried replicating this effect. In the most basic explanation, they let the sun heat the wine barrels naturally, and thus the Canteiro system was born. The wines are exposed to the natural elements, some temperatures reaching over 30^oC and 90% humidity. The barrel loss is about 4-5% from evaporation. I won’t go into further detail here, but if you have questions just ask me.

Now onto this incredible wine. Malmsey 2004 was aged 14 years in American oak casks in the traditional Canteiro system. It was bottled in 2019 and is absolutely perfect for your holiday table. You’ll get notes of burnt caramel, dates, salted almonds and then an acidic burst of orange marmalade. The finish is luxurious and long and leave you wanting more and more.

I do hope you’ll enjoy a dessert wine this holiday season. They truly are best paired with the holidays.