Take your pick from ten cracking ports

White port Quinta de Santa Eufemia Fine White

This is from a tiny family quinta high above Regua in the Douro, run by Alzira Carvalho, who was taught to make port by her grandfather whilst her sisters learnt to sew. A combination of traditional foot treading and modern stainless steel winemaking with three years oak ageing in large Portuguese oak results in very elegant, clean, floral, grapey character with good complexity for the price. Serve as an unusual aperitif with salted almonds and olives. £10.95 for 50 cl bt, Appellation Wines, Edinburgh; Wineline Portugal

Kopke White 10 Year Old

A serious mature example which tastes more like tawny than white port, this is made from seven white grapes (the best of which is malvasia fina) with the fortifying process added over three or four stages to ensure well integrated spirit. There’s an enticing spicy aroma with hazelnut, almond and orange flavours. It’s beautifully smooth and superbly packaged in a wooden box – it would make a great gift. Serve alongside a pâté starter or with cheddar. £22, Oddbins; Inverarity 121, Glasgow; Oxford Wine; Cambridge Wine; Harrods, Nicholls & Perks

Aged tawny port Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny

Twenty year old tawny is my favourite number when it comes to aged tawny. With just the right balance of nuttiness and fruit, this is deliciously delicate with a pale colour and hazelnut, cinnamon, orange peel and dried apricot flavours – made from a blend of on average 20 years old cask-aged tawny ports. Serve with Christmas cake, pecan pie or Manchego cheese. £37, The Wine Society; £37.99, Waitrose; Ocado

Colheita tawny port Quinta do Noval Colheita 2003

Long matured in cask and

bottled last year, Noval’s vintage tawny has impressive rich ripe fruits from the very hot 2003 vintage. Nutty spicy flavours like a beautifully aged tawny. There’s no need to decant this – serve straight from the bottle with roasted almonds, cheddar or Manchego.

£42.95, Ocado

Kopke Colheita 1981

This is a real treat for tawny lovers from the oldest port shipper, Kopke (established in 1638) – today one of the best Colheita tawny specialists. There are spicy aromas, a very refined nutty palate, a beautifully sleek, silky texture and rich powerful concentration. Serve with tangerine parfait or a carmelised fruit dessert like tarte tatin – or just sip on its own with roasted almonds. £79.95, Inverarity 121, Glasgow; Hedonism Wine; Nicholls & Perks; www.vintagewinegifts. co.uk

Premium ruby: crusted port Exhibition Crusted Port, Bottled 2007

This is a great price for this luscious vintage blend of two or three harvests – treated like a vintage port with just two years in wood and bottled unfiltered. With hints of its maker’s Taylor’s style with sweet voluptuous fruit and vibrancy, it’s a similar price to many LBVS, but better value. It needs decanting, but it’s really worth the effort – serve with Lanark Blue or Fleet Valley Blue cheeses. £13.95, The Wine Society, www.thewinesociety.com

Premium ruby: single Quinta vintage Warre’s Quinta da Cavadinha 2002

A very impressive effort from Warre, the oldest British port shipper, from their top steeply terraced ‘Grade A’ Quinta near Pinhao in the Cima Corgo, central Douro region. For those who like ruby port with deep colour, this is deliciously rich with damson and prune aromas, generously sweet with firm ripe tannins and a little grip to the finish. £32.99, Waitrose; Marks & Spencer; Ocado; The Whisky Exchange

Niepoort Quinta do Passadouro 1997

This was unanimously chosen as the favourite single Quinta port at our recent tasting. A really impressive effort from Dutch port shipper Dirk van der Niepoort – if you can track it down. Beautifully mature, generous blackcherry fruits, liquorice and spice with fabulous length. £41.90, Berry Bros & Rudd, www.bbr.com; www. laywheeler.com

Premium ruby: vintage Quinta do Noval Vintage 2003

Remember the hot summer of 2003? The blazing heat in the Douro Valley produced grapes with fabulous richness and structure. This is a very stylish vintage port, traditionally made with foot trodden grapes in Noval’s old granite lagares. Dense ruby, liquorice, violets and damsons, still tightly knit, but very drinkable now. Intense and elegant. Needs decanting. Serve with creamy Stilton. £69, Raeburn Wines, Edinburgh

Taylor’s 1985

For those who prefer their vintage port robust and firm, Taylor’s style is a little more muscular and peppery. Rich, dark cherry and liquorice notes with cedary spicy edge, velvet smooth palate and a firm fiery finish. ■ £75, The Wine Society; Raeburn Wines, Edinburgh; Majestic Wine

Join Rose’s Chocolate & Wines for Christmas Tasting in association with Thinking Chocolate in Edinburgh on Tuesday 12 December, £42, www.rose murraybrown. com