#150 Tinta Madeira

Ficklin "Old Vine" Tinta Port

In the production of the OV Tinta Port, which is not vintaged, winemaker Peter Ficklin uses wine from the winery's unique Solera system. Because of this, the blend for any particular bottling cannot be precisely measured. 60% to 80% of the blend is Tinta Madeira, 2% to 10% is Tinta Cao, and Touriga and Souzao each constitute 10% to 25% of the final blend. Unique and a super value!

I think the most observant of my millions of readers will notice that this is in fact an American made "Port" but that its primary grape is Tinta Madeira which is not a major player in the Portuguese version. What is Tinta Madeira? It seems to be its own varietal but is down to its last 50 acres or so.

While this bottle doesn't have all the lushness of a proper port it is certainly an enjoyable effort and for $15 you cant go wrong. This will make a nice aperitif for a cold fall evening or late night tipple to warm your insides and allow for a slow drift into a long winter slumber.