The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance

The Anglo-Portuguese alliance is the oldest one in the world that is still in force. Ever since the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty of 1373, which is in turn the oldest active treaty still in existence, Anglo-Portuguese relations have been strengthened by the constant threat of France and Spain, whether Habsburg or Bourbon. In comparison with the Anglo-French Entente Cordiale, which was often not very cordial, the Anglo-Portuguese alliance has been by and large mutually beneficial to both countries.
Whenever wars broke out between England – and later on Britain – and France or Spain, it was Portuguese wine that quenched the thirst of the British Isles. Due to the lack of reliable storage and transport, fortified wines were the safest bet, hence the British obsession with Port, Madeira, Sherry and Marsala. If Italian is the language of opera, Spanish the language of cigar, French the language of haute cuisine and German the language of philosophy, English would be the language of fortified wine.
Starting from the 2nd half of the 17th century, English – and later on British – wine merchants began to take root in the Douro region. As the Methuen Treaty of 1703 gave Portuguese wine preferential duty rates, Port became hugely popular on the British Isles. Today, a clear majority of Port houses – known as shippers – bear English names, followed by German and Dutch names, and curiously only a few have Portuguese names. Established in 1981, Churchill is the first independent British Port shipper to emerge in the last 50 years.

The Port story to be continued…

Churchill’s Tawny 20 Years Old
Tawny is typically a blend of several harvests; the age designation refers to the average age of blended wines, not their actual or minimum age. Barrel-ageing exposes the wine to gradual oxidation and evaporation, hence the nutty flavour and silky tannins. Once bottled, tawny can be enjoyed without decanting as it does not throw sediments, but it does not improve with age.
This tawny was bottled in 2011. Bright chestnut-mahogany with auburn-rosso corsa reflex, the nose is aromatically redolent, presenting dried apricot, dried fig, caramel, roasted walnut and mushroom, infused with Qimen red tea. Underpinned by lively acidity and mellow tannins, the intensely multifarious palate radiates mandarin peel, dried cranberry, allspice, toffee, Stollen and caramelised oak. Medium-full bodied and medium-sweet at 19.5%, the composed entry evolves into an exuberant mid-palate, leading to a lavishly spiced finish.

Churchill’s Late Bottled Vintage 2007
Sourcing entirely from one single vintage, LBV is barrel-aged for 4-6 years. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, “traditional” LBV often comes from good vintages. It is ready to drink, but can improve with age; it does throw sediments, and so decanting is necessary. Often filtered and cold stabilized, “modern” LBV does not require decanting, but generally does not improve with age.
From the excellent 2007 vintage, this LBV was bottled unfiltered. Dark garnet with cardinal-crimson rim, the nose is evocatively perfumed, exuding black cherry, prune, confit de cassis, liquorice, Christmas spice and dark chocolate, elaborated with lily. Buttressed by vibrant acidity and seductive tannins, the fragrantly seething palate supplies plum, damson, dried blackberry, clove, cocoa, sous bois, enriched with lavender tisane. Full-bodied and medium-sweet at 20%, the honeyed entry transforms into a spicy mid-palate, leading to persistent finish.

Churchill’s Crusted 2004
Crusted is usually a blend from several vintages, although single-vintage Crusted does exist. The indicated year refers to bottling, not vintage. Both barrel-aged and bottle-aged for a minimum of 4 and 3 years respectively, Crusted is ready to drink, but can improve with age. Bottled unfiltered, crusted requires decanting; indeed, its name comes from the sediments that form in the bottle.
Rich garnet with cardinal-rosso corsa rim, the nose is captivatingly scented, effusing bilberry, black cherry, black olive, cocoa, spice box and sandalwood, adorned with rose. Supported by vivacious acidity and delicious tannins, the elegantly rich palate oozes dried damson, dried prune, confit de cassis, allspice, tobacco leaf, coffea arabica and cedarwood. Full-bodied and medium-sweet at 19.5%, the spiced entry continues through an energetic mid-palate, leading to a lingering finish.

Available at Palatium Fine Wines; Contact: Mr Pedro Lobo; W: www.palatiumwines.com; E: [email protected]; T: +852 2875 0782

by Jacky I.F. Cheong

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Jacky I.F. Cheong is a legal professional by day and columnist by night. Having spent his formative years in Britain, France, and Germany, he regularly writes about wine, fine arts, classical music, and politics in several languages.