For The Love Of Port

Before Romaira changed hands and became ''the sister'' of Noval, they were producing some really good and unique colheita. I had a 1970 bottled in 1984 not too long ago that I really liked. What year is the LBV? Sorry, M.Frederick, it was the 1988. The Romaneira 1967 was bottled in 1995, um, at abo...

Port friends: I got some 'mixed'auction-style purchasing delivered today. Some less-familiar are a a bottle of Colhieta 1967 Quinta da Romaneira Porto, and a half of Delaforce LBV 1988 , that I think did come into the Michigan market, and for which CellarTracker has a monograph stating 'unfiltered'....

With Coravin (cork finished), Riedel Riesling, and Le Taster. 2011 Marcel Deiss Altenberg de Bergheim (France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru), remembering the fight that this most genuine of Alsatian winemakers had to put up when a modern-style 'grand cru' system was installed. This incredible series of ...

1946 Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX (Pedro Ximenes) Convento Selección (Spain, Andalucía, Montilla-Moriles); $245/750 ml @ Benchmark Wines. When a bottle purchased for the 71st birthday of my wife Jackie, I note that the abv is now 17 percent, and that it was bottled not in 2011 but in May 2017 (about a...

Another sherry muscat is the Valdespino 'Toneles' vineyard, that I've greatly enjoyed, and have been sipping from a recorked bottle for months (sadly, only had a t-cork, not a standard cork or a screwcap, so my Coravin is useless. Haven't tasted many Rutherford sweeties; however, I hear the Calliope...

Van Volxem-Roman Niewodniczansky Scharzhofberger Riesling Beerenauslese 2010 (Saar), Wiltingen, AP 354 7222 25 11; $90/375 ml, WineBid; 7.5 pabv. Cork-finished. Via Coravin/le Taster. A rarity--I think I've seen two vintages of this in the last 18 years. One of Roman's unusual dessert wines, another...

link is broken

Hi John, Was the T-cork 'branded'? Typically, my Broadbent's have had a Justino T-cork. I'm still trying to figure out whether they are 'special bottlings' or just labelled Broadbent for the North American market. Don't know what a T-Branded cork is, Alan. There seems to be no branding on the T-cor...

I had the Taylor's 85 during Christmas time. Fine elegant wine, great complexity, still red berries showing, floral. At prime but no sign of declining. A light Taylor's but really enjoyable. Thanks, M. Blais. This was rated 90 points on release by WA because on muddiness of flavor,and seemed to set...

Time for the piano tuner’s tipple. Any recent impressions?

Broadbent Sercial 10 yr; 09 Constance; 11 Hugel Grossi Laui Pinot Gris; Castarede Armagnac XO. To be announced: 1970 Fonseca VP Whitwham’s; 1985 Taylor VP; 2003 Warre LBVP; ‘15 MF Richter Spaetlese Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr, the last 5 for Gene the piano tuner (it’s that time again!)

Did this go bang with Broadbent’s 10 y/o SERCIAL, ESPECIALLY DILUTED 1:1 with water. Also we took a whole wheel, reserving thE cloth and leaving it bound around the outside, removing an end, removing sufficient soft cheese to allow packing the cavity with roasted various root vegetables, replacing t...

Strange how little the often-brilliant, versatile and subtle but powerful Sercial can be Broadbent Madeira Sercial, 10 years old. Broadbent Selections; Sonoma; CA. Saratoga, Wines, $39.95/750 ml; Justino’s Madeira Wines S.A., Santa Cruz, 19 PABV. T-cork. Clear bright amber with almost imperceptible ...

Previously posted in a discussion about Valdespino Toneles old Moscato 3/17/2018 rated 93 points: At 14 percent alcohol for the 2009 version of the Vin de Constance, unlikely it's fortified. If you look at the data sheet present on the producer website http://www.kleinconstantia.com/our-wines/vin-de...

I've seen more than one critical score, including RPs, that were at 100 points. Of course my prejudice is that there isn't any such thing as a perfect wine (if there were, I'd have to never drink another bottle, having satisfied my ultimate quest, which hasn't happened yet!) So this is a chance to ...

At 14 percent alcohol for the 2009 version of the Vin de Constance, unlikely it's fortified; however, it's wood-aged in various oaks and acacia. If you look at the data sheet present on the producer website http://www.kleinconstantia.com/our-wines/vin-de-constance/2009 , there is lots of talk about ...

Is this fortified? I see different versions. If you look at the blurb on CellarTracker for Commandaria, the description of the making of the wine, it says that (it seems that) it is generally fortified. The alcohol levels that I've seen over the years have not been far from 15-16 percent, but to ac...

Thanks, Eric. I agree that the best Moscatos in the world are made on the peninsula of Setubal, with rare exceptions (perhaps old Madiera). (I've got a Groot Constantia '09 that I'm going to try with the dregs of this Toneles). Maybe there are still some Tsar-era Massandras from the Crimea, of which...

I've seen more than one critical score, including RPs, that were at 100 points. Of course my prejudice is that there isn't any such thing as a perfect wine (if there were, I'd have to never drink another bottle, having satisfied my ultimate quest, which hasn't happened yet!) So this is a chance to s...

Folks, this is really turning out to be educational. I haven't heard from the supplier mentioned but will call them right now.

jht