11 best ports and fortified wines for a merry Christmas

Crusted? This rare style of port is only made by a small number of producers and is characterised by its lack of filtration, hence the name. The wine will form a “crust” in the bottle, so decant it before drinking. In fact, an accompanying decanter makes a great Christmas present, no?

Made with a blend of wines that have spent four years in oak, it’s then bottled unfiltered, and cellared for a further three years to let it improve. This particular example was bottled in May 2015. Give it a little time to open-up in the glass and it will reward you with wood, berries, a little stone fruit including apricot, and a beautiful long finish with a hint of almond.

With no heat here at all, there’s just a lovely, delicate sweetness that then gives way to more winey notes. But really, it is all about that beautiful creaminess. Pair with dessert; a crème brulee would be our ultimate match.

From one end of the flavour spectrum to the other, Pedro Ximenez sherries are made with the grape variety of the same name which are picked overly ripe, or sun-dried for intensity of flavour. These are deep, dark and rich wines. Co-ops is produced by Lustau, and is a true winter warmer. Pungent (in a good way) with a little must, apricot and candied fruit, it is wonderfully thick and decadent to sip. Think toffee, think raisin, think a little warming spice, and even a little coffee. Pour over your ice cream – go on, do it – or pair with your most offensive cheeses. Creamy ones will work best. It’s a much smaller bottle than the others – ideal if you’re the only sherry drinker. But that makes it incredibly affordable too.

We love Christmas food as much as the next person. But it can be a little… heavy. If you need to switch up the repertoire and lighten things up a bit, while still feeling a little festive, then this might be for you. Another long-standing brand, Graham’s has been in the port business since 1820. As it’s a white port, you’re going to find this a little more vibrant and rowdy than the longer-aged reds. Fresh, salty and with a little grapefruit and creaminess to the finish, there’s a lot going on here, but it all works. Serve chilled with tonic and you really can’t go wrong.

Kopke – which claims to be the oldest brand of port wine, founded in 1638 – produces a number of styles and age-statements, but it’s their white ports and tawny that really have us salivating. This 10-year-old tawny is multi-award winning for a reason. Rich caramel in colour, there’s a little warming spice, a hint of tobacco, some stewed red fruit and a touch of honey. Overall, it’s mellow and relaxed. But we have to give a shout out to Kopke’s colheita 2005 too; if you’re after a little more fruit, it may be the one for you.

This tawny port is made from a selection of several plots from one of the oldest vineyards in the Douro region. The result of that long ageing process is a beautiful deep, rich rusty brown liquid that bursts with fig, toasted nut and quince aromas. Velvety soft and smooth to sip, there’s zero aggression to this mellow little number – just a little gentle heat from the alcohol.

We love the slight sourness, roasted notes, and a caramel sweetness that all fade to a lovely, savoury note. An oily cheese is an obvious match, but we’re also partial to sipping this slightly chilled, alongside a mince pie. Its wooden boxed packaging also makes it a great gift, and depending on your budget, there’s also a 10 and a 30-year-old in the range too.

This multi-award-winner is a sure thing. And after 200 years of production, it’s fair to say Graham’s knows a thing or two. Having spent a decade in seasoned oak, slowly maturing, frankly, you’re getting a bargain here. What other drink aged for that long could you get for little over £20? There’s caramel, honey, a little cinnamon spice, and fruity figs, with of course, a little nuttiness. Yum.

A fino may not be your first thought when it comes to Christmas flavours. These dry sherries – in fact the driest type of sherry – are made from palomino grapes, and are known for being light, great with food, and refreshing. And after all that heavy food, and strong liquor, well, sign us up.

Our favourite Fino is a classic from Gonzalez Byass. Aged for six years, and made with liquid selected from three casks in which the layer of flor yeast is still alive, you’ll still get plenty of character. There’s orchard fruits, and that lovely freshness, but still a lot of dry, nutty and yeasty notes. As such, it’s a good match for salty foods, seafood, roast chicken, and of course, cheese. Serve chilled, always, and treat it like a dry white wine.

Well now, this is one fruity character. From the oldest British port house, founded in Portugal in 1670, comes this beautifully vibrant ruby-coloured tawny. This port has made our list for its stand-out flavour. The first sip will give you quite an intense hit of orange-peel, followed by a little burnt sugar, followed by a hit of berries and finishing with some savoury, pastry-like, bready notes. Perfect with a bit of Christmas cake. Accessible both flavour and price-wise, this is an excellent first venture into the deeper flavours of port for those beginning to explore it.

Founded in 1865 by two Norwegians, Wiese & Krohn is known in particular for its colheitas. The style, which has some similarities to a tawny, is aged in wood for a minimum of seven years before being bottled. Deep red in colour, this feels a little thinner in texture than some others on our list, but the wine itself really comes through. Overwhelmingly fruit-forward, this is a vibrant and fruity wine, with some delicious nutty notes. Also, because this one comes bottled with a cork rather than a stopper, open when you’ve got a crowd on hand to savour it with you.

Grab your decanter again. Created by one of the oldest port houses, Quinta ports are bottled after a couple of years in barrel, without filtration, and continue to mature in the bottle. As such, there will be a little sediment.

This 2010 vintage is wonderfully fruity with bold berry notes and a creamy finish with a little spice heat, and even a hint of chocolate. Pair it with pudding, or even blue cheese if you’re not sweet toothed. This needs drinking within two to three days of opening, so it’s perhaps best for a party of big family gathering.

Another super dry, supermarket sherry produced by Lustau, this is lip-smacking good. If you’re not familiar with the palo cortado style, that might be because it is the rarest. Described as combining the delicacy and refined aroma of an amontillado with the structure and body of an oloroso, its made from grapes usually selected to produce a fino. This feels particularly festive to use, with notes of baked orange, hazelnut, and a little bit of salinity that makes it particularly good with cheese.