For The Love Of Port

Looks fabulous!

I've recently taken delivery of some very young southern Rhone red. It's very disjointed and acidic. I've contacted the supplier about this who advise to wait a few weeks as it has only been recently bottled. Anyone else have experience of bottle shock?

dom carter wrote: i couldn't get this easily in the UK

This is stocked by the larger Tesco supermarkets for about £12.

Lovely pungent nose of orange peel. Good acidic tang balanced by sweetness. Good, but the finish fades a little too fast.

Thanks for the feedback. Roy - yes decanted for 3.5 hours. Did not improve over time. Left a bit to try the following day with no improvement. Maybe bottles from a poorly stored case? I only purchases these a few months ago. AI B - thanks for the invite but I'm up in Durham a good 6 hours away. I t...

I've been indecisive about this one. Under the stairs is relatively constant in the low to mid 70's, or in the garage where it varies from low 40's to low 70's, but takes 6 months to go from one extreme to the other. I may opt to keep some in one place and some in the other to see what difference th...

Opened 11/18/09 Dark ruby colour with a little brown showing; red holding to the rim. Pungent leathery nose, plums, prunes and a little rubber, sweaty. Tasting, the fruit is light, the acidity and sweetness more prominent, with the sweetness a little clingy on the finish. Hot. Tannins smooth and mos...

Opened 11/25/09 Sainsbury's BOB. Decanted with very fine sediment at the very end of pouring. Notes as per Derek's, very fruity and thick, and still dark. At first, tasted a touch simple like a reasonable LBV, but after 2 hours some of the fruit has blown off to reveal some structure, though there d...

Opened 12/01/09 Bottled 2008, gifted to me in January 2009. Not sure why it's sat around for 11 months! Light marzipan nose, some other nice smells I can't put me finger on. Red-brown fading to the rim. In the mouth, warm texture but fairly light. Balanced sweetness, prominent acidity and heat which...

Opened 12/06/10 Decanted, sediment firmly set at the base of the bottle from being on the shop shelf. At first, sweaty whiff of changing room, with some acidity and dried fruit. Good fruit-forward taste, silky, with tangy acidity and tongue-puckering tannin, heat and sweetness provide the finish. Pr...

Opened 12/12/09 Sainsbury BOB. Cork came out cleanly, and in good condition. Decanted, very fine sediment. Deep purple/red, opaque in the centre. Syrah-like blackberry nose, very evident heat. Thick in the mouth, grippy tannins, but heat, heat, heat on the finish. Some liquorice there too. Hopefully...

Drunk 01/09/10 Had lots of this at the hotel bar (in Lisbon). Lovely tears from swirling. Lots of marzipan here, some coffee. Good concentration. Spicy and dry-ish finish - I like a port that doesn't cloy. Good stuff. As it was at a bar, I should note that I don't know how long this bottle had been ...

Opened 12/13/09 Label says bottled by Symington Family Estates. Cork gives no clue to the house - VINTAGE PORT 1994, with a small capital 'B' in a circle underneath. Dark ruby colour. Nose is leathery and plummy, and in the mouth, thick, sweet. Closed, flavours hidden behind a bitter chocolate finis...

Opened 01/14/10 Bottled 2009. Opened 14/1/10. From a shop in Lisboa. Attractive bottle. Light mahogany colour, fading brown at the rim Fresh nose, nuts and chocolate, some heat. Fills the mouth well with good balance. Acidity holds well with a nice zing of heat. Marzipan dominates a long finish; a l...

Opened 01/28/10

Young and lively, lots of blackcurrant, very sticky up front. Finish is short but a nice balance of acidity and smooth tannins. Surprisingly sweet (for Dow). Simple, but a nice quaffer, and can't argue with the price.

Opened 01/24/10 Bottled 2009. Just for interest, this was tasted alongside Warre Otima 10 year old (opened a few days before). The Kopke looked surprisingly young, indeed only slightly browner, and no darker, than the Warre. The usual nuttiness, dominating heat but good acidity. Didn't show like a 2...

Opened 10/28/09 Unfiltered. Bottled 2009. Half bottle. Much better than the likes of a lot of filtered LBV (all but given up with LBV!), it has richer plumminess and better balance. The sweetness balances with the fruit nicely (Prunes and plums), with a good acidity in the background, the tannins pr...

Opened 02/16/10 From a half bottle. Cork (smaller than usual) came out cleanly. Poured into decanter, thick and opaque - even the tears have colour to them. Little sediment - a few thick chunks at the bottom. Dark fruit nose, touch of herbs. In the mouth smooth, lovely black fruit, touch of mint, ve...

Opened 02/16/10 Bottled 2009. Unmarked and short cork. Lovely tawny colour, hint of pink in the middle. The usual almond / marzipan nose, very intense and fresh. Hint of freshly baked bread too. In the mouth the intensity continues, great acidity and sweetness. The finish has a little acid twang, so...

Opened 02/25/10 Wouldn't normally post a ruby review, but was surprised by this one. Purchased for just under a tenner (GBP10). Dark red colour, almost opaque in the centre. Nice legs, though a swirl shows little viscosity. Pungent nose of dark fruits. In the mouth, it's a little thin but there's so...