Search found 6677 matches

by Eric Menchen
Wed Jul 16, 2025 8:09 pm
Forum: Other Portuguese Wines and Tasting Notes
Topic: TN: 2020 Luís Seabra Vinhos Douro Xisto Ilimitado Branco
Replies: 0
Views: 1191

TN: 2020 Luís Seabra Vinhos Douro Xisto Ilimitado Branco

Light and fresh aroma, with floral character, some hints of herbs, and lime. There was also a dried grass aroma as well. Lots of acidity, bright and fresh. Light bodied. Flavors were fruity, with apple, lemon, and lime. Refreshing and nice. 91 points.
by Eric Menchen
Wed Jul 16, 2025 8:03 pm
Forum: Other Portuguese Wines and Tasting Notes
Topic: TN: 2006 Esporão Reserva Branco
Replies: 0
Views: 114

TN: 2006 Esporão Reserva Branco

Tasted blind. Smelled thick for a white wine, with aromas of wax, marigold, saffron, citrus, and light petrol. Medium bodied, but didn’t present much acidity. This was tasted after drinking some white sangria with a lot of citrus, so perhaps that biased me. A bigger sip latter had some pucker and ac...
by Eric Menchen
Sun Jul 06, 2025 1:32 pm
Forum: Port Forum
Topic: What have you opened this week?
Replies: 6280
Views: 2699963

Re: What have you opened this week?

DR 30 Year Old Tawny
This is just an awesome wine. I think it suffers in this group in that is often tasted next to a DR 40, 50, or even the Lote 70.
by Eric Menchen
Tue Jun 24, 2025 10:47 am
Forum: Port Forum
Topic: Do you find yourself drinking more, or less bottles of LBV?
Replies: 15
Views: 45579

Re: Do you find yourself drinking more, or less bottles of LBV?

I'm pretty much in Glenn's rabelo. A while back I bought more LBVs as cellar defenders, but now the cellar doesn't need so much defending. I bought some 2011 Crasto LBV in 2020, but I can recall buying any since. They are great QPR and pretty great even without regard to price, which is why I throw ...
by Eric Menchen
Thu Jun 12, 2025 11:37 am
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: Event: SAMMAMISH PORT CLUB - JANUARY 2025
Replies: 3
Views: 20112

Re: Event: SAMMAMISH PORT CLUB - JANUARY 2025

Interesting that you got all those tropical fruit flavors in a non-white Port with that Vallado.
by Eric Menchen
Fri Jun 06, 2025 10:56 am
Forum: Madeira Forum
Topic: What Madeira Have You Opened This Week?
Replies: 792
Views: 579282

Re: What Madeira Have You Opened This Week?

A bottle of Justino’s Tinta Negra 1999 Colheita, bottled June 2024. It’s OK, but as hard as I try, I can’t love Tinta Negra. I think Tinta Negra flies all over the place, sweet, dry, medium sweet ... lots of differences from aging. I bought three bottles last December when visiting the island. One ...
by Eric Menchen
Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:24 am
Forum: Port & Madeira Marketplace
Topic: Some interesting things in Acker's Swiss auction
Replies: 2
Views: 85238

Re: Some interesting things in Acker's Swiss auction

Glenn E. wrote: Wed Jun 04, 2025 10:26 am I expect better from Acker.
I don't. The labelling by Taylor probably doesn't help since they've been doing the "Single Harvest" thing lately instead of "Colheita."
by Eric Menchen
Wed Jun 04, 2025 10:19 am
Forum: Port & Madeira Marketplace
Topic: Some interesting things in Acker's Swiss auction
Replies: 2
Views: 85238

Some interesting things in Acker's Swiss auction

I won't be competing against you for these ;-)
acker.jpg
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by Eric Menchen
Wed Jun 04, 2025 9:38 am
Forum: Port Forum
Topic: What have you opened this week?
Replies: 6280
Views: 2699963

Re: What have you opened this week?

2003 Fonseca, in a 375 ml bottle
I decanted this and it sat out on the counter at a dinner, and got too warm. I enjoyed it, but I liked the 2003 Croft from 375 a few weeks ago more.
by Eric Menchen
Fri May 30, 2025 9:09 am
Forum: Portugal Travel, Food & Offline Planner
Topic: 1980-1995 LBV Tasting in New Jersey, USA
Replies: 11
Views: 70732

Re: 1980-1995 LBV Tasting in New Jersey, USA

And while I appreciate Andy's tasting notes, I don't think this is quite right either:
Clipboard_05-30-2025_01.jpg
Clipboard_05-30-2025_01.jpg (29.01 KiB) Viewed 36292 times
I suspect a bot. But I wonder why just those posts.
by Eric Menchen
Tue May 27, 2025 7:51 am
Forum: Port Forum
Topic: What have you opened this week?
Replies: 6280
Views: 2699963

Re: What have you opened this week?

2003 Croft, in a 375 ml bottle
Even in a half bottle, this wine was still all primary with lots of berry flavors along with some eucalyptus and grape stem. I'll hold off and drink older bottles before opening another one of these. But hey, it was pretty enjoyable as it was.
by Eric Menchen
Sun May 18, 2025 9:20 pm
Forum: Port Forum
Topic: What have you opened this week?
Replies: 6280
Views: 2699963

Re: What have you opened this week?

1977 Warres Vintage Port
Still going strong was this bottle. I don't think it will get better, but I'm not going to rush to drink my remaining bottles either.
by Eric Menchen
Wed May 14, 2025 8:10 am
Forum: Website Questions & Suggestions
Topic: Where do I post Portuguese fortified wines that aren’t Port or Madeira?
Replies: 5
Views: 155418

Re: Where do I post Portuguese fortified wines that aren’t Port or Madeira?

I had previously put notes in the Portuguese Table Wine and Tasting Notes section, e.g.
viewtopic.php?t=46069

And yes, that Mouchão is wonderful.
by Eric Menchen
Fri May 09, 2025 4:50 pm
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 1989 Warre’s Quinta da Cavadinha Vintage Port
Replies: 1
Views: 1549

1989 Warre’s Quinta da Cavadinha Vintage Port

Presents as a very mature wine with a red-brown hue. The smell suggests its age as well, with aromas of dried flowers, fig, and sweet varnish. There is also a hint of a red Jolly Rancher candy. It tastes like with smells, with figs and dates dominating. Medium bodied, this had a fair bit of alcohol ...
by Eric Menchen
Thu May 08, 2025 8:43 am
Forum: Port Basics
Topic: Port Buying Decisions
Replies: 11
Views: 198399

Re: Port Buying Decisions

I wasn't sure if my buying should be counted as (a) or (c) in the poll. Like others here, I have plenty of VP in the cellar, so most of my buying is tawny and colheita to have something fresh to drink. That most fit (c), but has a flavor of (a) since I'm just buying a particular style and older vint...
by Eric Menchen
Fri May 02, 2025 10:37 am
Forum: Port Forum
Topic: What Port(s) have you purchased this week?
Replies: 4358
Views: 1517643

Re: What Port(s) have you purchased this week?

A.S. Demka wrote: Fri May 02, 2025 8:45 am 2x OWC-6 Calem 1997 (my bid was very low and I had not expected to win both lots)
In 2017 we held a 1997 horizontal blind tasting with 30 1997 VPs and the Cálem was my surprising favorite, and was well liked by just about everyone. I hope those bottles are still doing just as well.
by Eric Menchen
Fri May 02, 2025 10:29 am
Forum: Port Forum
Topic: What have you opened this week?
Replies: 6280
Views: 2699963

Re: What have you opened this week?

1989 Warre Quinta da Cavadinha
TN to follow.
by Eric Menchen
Thu Apr 24, 2025 10:44 am
Forum: Port Forum
Topic: On St. Georges Day ... 2023 announcement
Replies: 7
Views: 4558

Re: Symington Announce 2023 Vintage Ports

Andy Velebil wrote: Wed Apr 23, 2025 7:37 am Taylor’s has announced Sentinel is being released. But oddly, no others mentioned.
Yes, and it is described as a Pinhão valley blend. So what about Quinta de Vargelas? Was it a bust in 2023?
by Eric Menchen
Tue Apr 22, 2025 1:29 pm
Forum: Port Forum
Topic: Smith Woodhouse from the 1990s
Replies: 3
Views: 1607

Re: Smith Woodhouse from the 1990s

While there were votes for favorites, the averages are pretty tight there, 90.6 - 91.3, and the individual scores don't vary much more than that. My first reaction was that the 1994 should have scored higher, but then I checked and my last score at 93 was well in the range here.
by Eric Menchen
Mon Apr 21, 2025 9:31 am
Forum: Madeira Forum
Topic: What Madeira Have You Opened This Week?
Replies: 792
Views: 579282

Re: What Madeira Have You Opened This Week?

1996 Justino's Madeira Boal Colheita
One of my favorites when visiting there last December, and a great QPR.