A Review of 2004 Prager Royal Escort Port.
2004 Prager Royal Escort Port Napa Valley, Paladini Vineyard; 19% alc., $65
Vintage Port from Portugal has been considered to be in a class by itself. Best drunk 10 years or more after the vintage, they tend to be tannic when young and will often throw a sediment.
More approachable are the Late Bottled Vintage Ports (LBV), which are less richly flavored and much less tannic, making them good choices for early drinking.
While the New World offers many attractive alternatives to Port, there are few examples of wines that display the characteristic flavor profile and texture of Vintage Port. The Prager Royal Escort is an exception.
Deeply colored and almost opaque, Prager Royal Escort Port offers a nose redolent of blackcurrants, dried fruits, clove, and licorice. Exquisitely balanced, it has just the right amount of acid to brighten the rich fruit flavors so that the wine doesn't appear to be overly sweet. Priced to compete with Vintage Ports, the Prager Royal Escort stands shoulder to shoulder with the finest of them. While its velvet tannins are reminiscent of a quality LBV, its richer flavor, superb balance and silken texture marks it as a superior example of New World Port. Quite possibly the finest Port in the New World. Enthusiastically recommended.
