Drink a fair bit of port (bottle a week/ fortnight) and find that the minute it leaves the barrel it stops it's ageing process rapidly. Years of drinking many aged ports but different years I find that drinking a 10yo tawny 5 years later will not add as much taste as is found between barrel ageing. (10-12 aged for 10 years in the bottle will not age as good as 20 years barrel aged )
As Dennis mentioned I also find some of the best ports are 10-12yo as 20yo are always sweeter due to barrel time.
There are some great ports around and I find that like wine the expirence is tasting the different flavours in each brand and age is more enjoyable than sticking with the one. ( the difference just in the Penfolds (Brand in Australia) ageing in ports is always interesting to new port drinkers )
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