For The Love Of Port

Meh. Nice, but not outstanding. 88 points. (18 May 24)

(Bottled 2023.) This has different sugar aromas than the previously tasted wine (Viera de Sousa 50), with butter, lime, and key lime pie crust. Then I noted some herbs like tarragon or marjoram. A really great tasting port with a nice body and finish. 96+ points. (17 May 24)

(Bottled 2023.) Aromas of spicy caramel, brown sugar, crème brûlee, and alcohol warmth. Then I noticed leather and mahogany. Tasting, I find lemon acidity, lots of sugar, and lots of acidity. This is thicker than the Dalva 50. I didn’t note a score, but my recollection is that it was in the 94-96 po...

Tasted blind. Smells of wood and figs, with black walnut. Smoky, thick, and with medium sweetness, I’m guessing that this is a Madeira. It has Bual level sweetness, but isn’t overly acidic. Pleasant overall. (17 May 24)

(Bottled 2018) Tasted blind. Swirling gives chemicals in the aroma for this wine as were found in the previously tasted one (1996 Krohn Colheita). There are alcohol spirits as well, and then some sugars show up. With some time, the aroma develops, with sugars and cinnamon. At first the body seems me...

(Bottled 2018) Tasted blind. There is a little bit of a chemical element in the aroma, almost like a cleaning solution. There is some sugar hiding behind that. The flavor is much better than the aroma, with refreshing acidity. It is lighter bodied, but has the flavor of a 20 year old tawny. 91 point...

Tasted blind. Light in color, presumed to be a white Port. Smells of raisin, honey, nougat, and almond; followed by caramel, brown sugar, and dried leaf. The flavor shows caramel with pleasant lemon acidity. Guessed to be a white colheita, circa 2007. This was nice, but I didn’t score it at the time...

(500 ml, bottled 2009.) Aromas of honey, nougat, spice, cinnamon, and lemon, with some light spirit. Medium bodied, plenty of acid, nice acidic and tangy finish. 94 points. This was the first time I had tasted this wine. Other people present who had tasted an earlier bottling thought the earlier one...

1967 Kopke Colheita
Vista Alegre 50 Year Old Tawny
1985 Vista Alegre Colheita
purchased at their sources.

Two weeks ago I bought two bottles of Flagman's Port in a German auction. ... THE DOURO WINE SHIPPERS AND GROWERS ASSOCIATION, LDA VILLA NOVA DE GAIA - PORTUGAL FOR FLAGMAN LTD - LONDON I wouldn't pay much attention to the Flagman part. The Douro Wine Shippers and Growers Association is more releva...

1952 Dalva Golden White (500 ml) How does it compare to the older 750ml bottle (if you’ve had the larger version)? This was a 2009 bottling, and I think it was good to drink now instead of later. I will post a separate tasting note, but the short answer is that I gave it 94 points, and while I have...

1952 Dalva Golden White (500 ml)

(Bottled 2021.) Smells of cream soda, honey, apricot, fenugreek, sweet mango, and cantaloupe. Incredibly sweet flavor with a little wood character. Really nice, but the sugar is straightforward and overpowering the other flavors. Later this tasted more like vanilla cream and improved. And chilling f...

(Bottled 2017). Deep spirit and mahogany in the aroma, along with sweet sugars. Deep and thick in the flavor, with molasses without the sulfur, and sugar syrup. Later the aroma suggested walnut and balsamic wood, without the acetobacter. This improved and was even thicker later. 96 points. A good, b...

Very light spirit shows up for the first aroma, and is followed by some honey and wood, perhaps Cyprus. Lighter bodied. A little musty later. This is really nice, but suffers against a line-up of outstanding wines. 93 points. (19 Nov 23)

(Bottled 2019.) Presents a more subdued aroma than the previous wines, with a little floral character, and some spirit. Swirling makes the aroma a little more solventy. Wonderful balance of acidity and flavor. But not as complex as the 1937 Kopke. 94-95 points. (19 Nov 23)

(Bottled 2017.) Like the 1957 Kopke colheita, this wine was also spirity in the aroma, but the varnish character was lighter. Then there was some sugar aroma. There is more sugar complexity than most of the other wines tasted, with some caramel, treacle, and brown sugar. Great acidity, nicely in bal...

(Bottled 2011.) Aromas of a musty cellar with some wood dust. It tastes a bit musty too, but nicely integrated. Medium-heavy bodied, and syrupy. Lots of acidity, suggesting orange. The mustiness is not a detractor, and thus this was a really great wine. 96 points. (19 Nov 23)

(Bottled 2019.) Spirity Pledge lemon furniture polish aroma, with brown sugar as well. Tastes of orange, pear, and marmalade. Lighter bodied. Warm in the finish. 94 points. (19 Nov 23)

(Bottled 2012.) Tangy sweet and sour aroma, then woody. Not as much acidity as the previous wine (1966 Kopke colheita), but the acidity is more integraty into the body and flavors which overall are very nice. A great wine. 95 points. (19 Nov 23)