AFFORDABLE PORTS

The 1994 vintage was particularly outstanding. Port authority James Suckling gave 1994 a 99 rating, higher than the legendary years of 1963 (98) and 1977 (97). In addition, the Wine Spectator named the 1994 Taylor Fladgate and 1994 Fonseca Ports -- both rated a perfect 100 -- its wines of the year for 1997.

You have my sympathies if you have tried to buy either of these Ports. Both sold for about $55 upon release, but are now commanding $150 and up -- if you can find them. However, there are plenty of alternatives to pricey vintage Ports. The most obvious one is Ports from lesser-known houses. At a blind tasting of 1994 vintage Ports, I found several I liked that wont break the bank. My second favorite, in fact, was the Churchill Vintage Port ($35), which had rich black fruit, good acidity and that tannic "grip" one expects in a good vintage Port. Ditto for the Martinez Port ($45), which also had nice black pepper notes.

Tannins and acidity give vintage Ports their longevity. And while many of the 1994 vintage Ports can be appreciated now for their jammy fruit, their true glories will not be savored for at least another 12 to 15 years. Other reasonably priced 1994 vintage Ports are Osborne ($30), Cockburn (pronounced "Koburn," $45), Quinta do Noval (not the single vineyard Nacional, $45), and Quinta do Passadouro by Niepoort ($35).

Because 1995 was a very good but not a great year, many Port houses decided to make single "quinta" or single vineyard Ports instead of vintage Ports. Suckling compares the best of the 1995 single quintas with vintage Ports from 1992 and 1987. Examples include the Churchill Agua Alta and the Smith Woodhouse Madelena, both $30. Still, value or not, $30 is not chump change for a bottle of wine. Luckily, well over 90 percent of all Port doesn't fit into the vintage or single quinta categories. And a good chunk of that 90 percent is priced under $30. These alternative Ports fall into two categories, ruby and tawny. In color and flavor, ruby Ports emphasize intense fresh red fruit and berry characteristics, whereas tawny Ports are more mellow and nutty with flavors of butterscotch and caramel. In the ruby category are Late Bottled Vintage Ports, which should not be confused with true vintage Ports. These spend about five or six years in wood (as opposed to about two for vintage Ports) and are lightly filtered (vintage Ports are not). This makes LBV Ports drinkable upon release, though they will improve some with age. "These are the merlots of Ports because they emphasize fresh, vigorous fruit," said Rupert Symington, whose family owns Dow, Graham, Smith Woodhouse, Gould Campbell, Warre, Quarles Harris, and Quinta do Vesuvio Port houses.

LBV Ports like the 1991 Graham ($18) and 1991 Dow ($17) can satisfy the need for a solid ruby Port on all but the most special occasions. "The characteristics of the vintage still come out in these wines, which used to be made only in non-vintage (i.e. non-declared) years, but are now being made in both (declared and non-declared years),"

Symington said. Even better is the 1984 Traditional LBV from Smith Woodhouse ($24). Traditional LBVs, which are less common, are unfined and unfiltered and spend a four years in wood. They are also bottle aged before being released. All this adds up to a taste that is more like a mature vintage Port.

Vintage Character Ports are blends of more than one year. As a result they offer a "wider palate of flavors," said Symington. They also emphasize fresh fruit even more than LBV Ports, though they will not improve in the bottle. Fonsecas Bin 27 and Grahams Six Grapes are two excellent examples of Vintage Character Ports. "We believe they offer you the best you can get in an every day Port," said Symington. "My parents drink Six Grapes with chocolate almost every day of their life."

Dows Boardroom ($16) is the tawny version of Grahams Six Grapes. It has some fine old tawny characteristics like toffee and nuts, as well as a luscious chocolate cherry flavor, but because it is a blend, it is cheaper than a typical 10-year-old tawny.

Your basic ruby or standard Port is also fine for everyday drinking and even kinder on the pocketbook. Though it has less oomph than LBV or Vintage Character Ports, Dows Fine Ruby Port ($11), for example, is smooth with an agreeable level of richness.

When it comes to Port, I agree with Symington who said, "There's no such thing as a bad Port. Even at the entry level, you cant go wrong with Ports from well-known houses."