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11 best ports for 2025, from £7.99
Whether ruby, LBV or tawny, these expert-approved ports are the ones to buy
Tested by Callum BlackFood and Drink Testing Manager
Whether you prefer white, ruby, tawny or vintage, there's a port to suit every taste and budget.
The Good Housekeeping Institute tested 24 bottles from all the leading supermarkets and big-name brands, to see which ones are worth stocking up on for the year ahead (because no, port is not just for Christmas). And happily, our picks start from just £7.99.
Best port for 2025
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Different types of port — explained
White port – Best served cold, white port is delicious and refreshing with a splash of tonic, and makes a great alternative to your beloved G&T. Often drunk as an aperitif, we recommend serving it with a side of salted almonds.
Rosé port – Just like rosé wine, here you can expect to find notes of strawberries and raspberries, alongside a caramel sweetness. Cheese, chocolate, fruity puddings and sorbet are all excellent pairings – serve ice cold for maximum enjoyment.
Tawny port – The name refers to the colour the wine turns after ageing. To have this label, they must be at least two years old, but you’ll also find much older examples, such as our winning 10-year-old (below). The age statement means the liquid is a blend of vintages with an average barrel ageing. Flavours here tend to be nuttier, and can include caramel, cinnamon and chocolate.
Ruby port – These tend to be inexpensive, deep ruby-coloured, and often paired with a cheeseboard. Within this category, you’ll find your slightly more premium reserve ports, late bottled vintage port (otherwise known as LBV, these are aged for longer but still designed to be drunk young) and vintage ports.
How we test port
To find the best port, the Good Housekeeping Institute's panel of 10 WSET-trained experts and consumers tried 24 bottles – from white to ruby – from the leading supermarkets and big brands. Each was tasted blind to prevent brand bias, and experts were looking for easy-drinking styles that would work well either savoured straight-up or paired with food.
These are our top-rated ports.
Score: 89/100
The second wine to be released in Grahams’ “Blend Series”, Nº12 is a fresh take on a typical ruby port. The grapes have been specifically selected to create a wine that’s made for mixing (the brand suggests creating a spritz with sparkling wine, such as cava, ice, a strawberry and a slice of orange).
Whether you’re already familiar with ruby port, or a complete newbie, this approachable spirit should appeal, with its fresh, juicy red fruit and bracing acidity. It would make an excellent aperitif, or team with a fruity dessert.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 19% |
Score: 88/100
Our runner-up wine is an elegant 10-year-old tawny from leading port producer Sandeman. The barrel-ageing means it’s rich and fruity, and bursting with light caramel, dates and walnuts.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Score: 86/100
Fonseca’s aromatic vintage port leads with blackcurrant and black cherry on the nose and stood out as one of our panel’s favourites on test, thanks to its deep, complex aroma. It’s equally powerful on the palate, with hints of chocolate and toasted oak.
This luxury set comes with a funnel for easy decanting and is beautifully presented in a wooden case. This, coupled with the reasonable price tag, makes it a top choice for gifting.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Score: 85/100
This LBV port from Taylor’s proved the best buy in this category, appealing to those with a sweet tooth. With delicious jammy fruit, spicy black pepper and a hint of caramel, it's made for the cheeseboard.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Score: 79/100
Waitrose’s own-brand port scored well with our panel and is nearly half the price of our winning tawny wine. Our testers thought it was deliciously smooth and easy drinking, with notes of caramel, sweet cherry, dark chocolate and toasted hazelnut.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Score: 78/100
This is like Christmas cake in a glass, with hints of citrus peel, cherry, molasses and warming spice. A lengthy maturation in seasoned oak casks imparts a subtle, bitter flavour that proved popular with our panel.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Score: 78/100
Made for Co-op by Taylor's (the port house has over 300 years' experience under its belt), this caramel-flecked tawny is a great choice for those who like their port on the sweet side.
It was described as “delightfully Christmassy” by one of our testers, and with hints of red berries, blackcurrant leaf and spiced oak, it offers decent complexity given the price.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Score: 77/100
A white port and tonic is the ultimate aperitif, and our panel loved Kopke’s refreshing fortified wine, making it the perfect choice for your P&T. It’s fantastic for entertaining, with notes of stone fruit and citrus on the nose and a floral, fruity finish.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 19.5% |
Score: 75/100
Testers felt this 10-year-old tawny had the fresh, fruit-forward nature of a ruby port, with caramel sweetness, dates and cinnamon spice coming to the fore as the flavour developed. It’s more powerful than the price tag would suggest, and a stellar choice to savour on the sofa after dessert.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Score: 72/100
Our best budget port leaves you with plenty of change for the rest of your bar cart. The ruby style is zinging with red fruit and a touch of black pepper. An excellent buy to serve lightly chilled alongside cheese.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV. | 19% |
Score: 71/100
At the other end of the spectrum, we have this 2003 bottling, a vintage year as declared by all the major port houses. Croft’s elegant example is the most expensive bottle we tested, and one for the true connoisseur. With notes of plum, blackcurrant, chocolate and caramel, we’d pair this with a cheese board and quince jelly.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Callum is our Food and Drink Testing Manager and has been part of the world of professional catering for 10 years, from cheffing to food manufacturing. While working in manufacturing he specialised in bespoke product and menu development for several start-ups and well-known brands such as Wrap It Up! and HOP Vietnamese. He holds the WSET Level 2 in wine, a Level 3 in spirits and has a particular interest in agave spirits.
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