For The Love Of Port

Hi Mike: How was the 1957 Niepoort Colheita? (That's my birth year) - mine too. While there will be a TN in the newsletter #125, as it is already written, I can say that it was a top performer and compared to other bottles, more light-medium ruby color mixed with tawny. But wonderful overall. That s...

150 year old Tawny Port cask sample. Unreleased yet.

1982 Graham's Single Harvest Tawny Port bottled 2018

Dos Santos 10 year old White Port

1957 Niepoort Colheita - bottled 1976

So, truth be told — two weeks ago yesterday, DR or Domingos Ribeiro, passed away in the presence of his family. Last week we attended his service held in Antas. DR started the eponymous named winery in 2001. RIP!

2008 DR White Colheita

A pair of Graham's 1966 VPs.

I don't think WOW was actually meant as a draw for Port lovers. The majority of people who come to Porto, or visit Gaia are not necessarily Port aficionados. Of course some are. But most are just Port-curious and not geeks like us. That said, I have visited 4 museums and enjoyed them, some more than...

I am finishing off a brief piece for the newsletter (FTLOP #124) on the project in Gaia known as World of Wine, and was wondering what your feedback is for those of you that visited the museums or dined at the restaurants there?

All feedback is welcome!

In the past, a company that wanted to join the Port wine trade, first and foremost had to be able to come up with 150,000 liters of Port wine stocks before they could begin to be approved by the regulatory agencies. In the past decade that quantity was reduced to just 75,000 liters and when that reg...

I'd have to go through my ratings to see, but off the top of my head, three that come to mind are the Noval, Taylor's, and DR for sure. I have had all three on many occasions and they stand out in the crowd.

Friday night, a 50 year old Quinta do Noval Tawny was just outstanding. I have now had it on a handful of occasions during the past 2 years and it is as good as any 50 Tawny I've had. I am sure there are still some I've never had, but that list is growing shorter. It is easy to love on these 50s, I ...

The "remastered" version of Romaneira 40 is still very nice, albeit not in the same out of this world realm the original used to be. Enjoy it Mike!

In my upcoming newsletter there are 9 top Terrantez and 6 old Malvasia bottlings tasting notes that appear in the subscribers PDF. Some incredible bottles to say the least. Definitely my best day of Madeira drinking this year.

After waffling back and forth the past week about what to open on Christmas Eve, as 4 members of my gal's family were not able to attend, I changed from a 1955 Kopke Colheita (750 ml) to a 500 ml bottle of Menin Tawny Port which was "slurpy" good, and 3 of us loved on it. I gave the rest t...

I have had a good year of tasting some brilliant young and old Portuguese table wines from a wide variety of red, white and Espumante categories. I will finish the newsletter and then go through my 2025 top picks of the year. Please don't wait! You can start to consider your tasting notes and TOP Po...

I have had a good year of tasting some brilliant young and mostly old Madeiras from a wide variety of categories. I will finish the newsletter and then go through my 2025 top picks of the year. Please don't wait! You can start to consider your tasting notes and top Madeiras now. Although it is Chris...

I have had a good year of tasting some brilliant young and old Ports from a wide variety of Port categories. I will finish the current newsletter and then go through my 2025 top picks of the year. Please don't wait! You can start to consider your tasting notes and top Ports now. Although it is Chris...

Bottled 2022. A 2005 hand-bottled Faja dos Padres Malvasia. So young, so tasty. I needed something to share with a friend who had done me a favor, and it was related to the 20th Anniversary of FTLOP, so this was extremely appropriate. He and his wife are heading to the island for Christmas, so I let...

You had me at 1966 Graham's Glenn. Such an incredibly near-perfect Graham's VP. Wish I hadn't broken 2 magnums of it.


My purchase was a pristine bottling of 1955 Kopke.

John M., Thanks man, keep in touch. waiting to hear about the article. :) I am going to visit NJ again, with more than a day available in 2026. Will be great to meet your tasting group and see friends like Mike and Matt too. Does Jeff Ghi ever join you guys?  As for the Enologo 20 Tawny -- did you t...

There are dozens of SQLBVs and Alex B. already expressed this admirably. Why this Graham's is anything special, or more than just a nice marketing strategy is anyone's guess. I generally prefer some of the other Symington LBVs, always in the past, Smith Woodhouse, unfiltered, and Dow's which were ty...