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QUADY WINERY, CALIFORNIA
Andrew Quady?s change of career from making fireworks to making wine produced an explosion of its own kind when he created Essensia from the Orange Muscat grape. It was an instant success at tastings and wine shows and until 1985 he could not make enough to satisfy demand.
In 1975 Quady?s first port-like wine was made from Amador County Zinfandel. In 1979 Quady contracted Frank Alviso to plant an experimenal vineyard of Portuguese port varieties in the same area. Frank?s vineyard was originally planted to Tinta Cao, Tinta Amarela and Bastardo, but now sees the addition of Tinta Barocca and Tourigas grapes.
Andy, needing to rename his port for European sales, used some convoluted logic to arrive at a new name. ?Port?, to a sailor, is the left hand side. Standing in England and facing south, Portugal, the home of Port, is on the left side of the Atlantic. Hence, a port wine from the U.S.A, on the right hand side of the ocean, should be called STARBOARD. And so it is. When enjoying this wine, the decanter should only be passed to the right!
Notes: Starboard Batch 88 is a vintage character port. A vintage character port is a top quality ruby port with much of the fruit and complexity of a vintage port. Vintage- character ports are made from lighter wines which are kept in cask for 3 to 5 years, unlike vintage port?s 2 years. Hence, they do not need additional bottle age upon release. The advantage is a wine that offers much of the enjoyment of the classic vintage port now, without the need to cellar it for may years.
Grapes: 75% Tinta Roriz, a grape which gives a soft, almond/ chocolate flavour. Tinta Roriz gives very soft -tasting wines drinkable after only 2 years in wood, and is excellent for vintage-character ports such as this. The other 25% is Tinta Cao and Tinta Amarela, which provide the firmness and a ripe cherry quality.
Tasting Very rich and spicy, a well- Notes: made, Port-like wine, with concentration and character, with deep plum and violet hues and luscious ripe berry flavours on the palate. An exciting after-dinner choice.
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