For The Love Of Port

Mystery solved: Timbre as in a stamp....So it designates that a tax was paid to the local authority-was displayed as a badge of authenticity so to speak to indicate it's origin. Cheers PMD

Checked the site -learned a lot about production methods etc...but still no answer to my original question. Here is a wild guess: I encountered some referenced translation to cardiac noises in the hart as in a medical term - is it possible that this was prescribed as some sort of medication in the o...

Does anyone know what the term "Timbre a Metalico" mean. Beyond the simple wood & metal what does it designate? History? is it still used today? TIA

Sorry to hear Andy. 2 bad ones this past year for me. One when Eric visited us last Summer. This is now officially black listed with me.

Well it was my first time tasting this wine & I enjoyed it. The 95 we had right after it was so different: Very fruity and still so young & tight that I am going to go out on a limb and guess that this is more than just variation due to vintage conditions. It was hard to believe that only 4 ...

Nice notes Don. Thanks for posting. I popped the cork on a 1980 Graham yesterday. A bottle I intended to serve this evening during a presentation I am conducting on Port. While there was a whiff of what I hoped was just bottle funk, by this morning the TCA ginnie has completely gotten hold of the bo...

Hi everyone -what a great weekend indeed. A little late here, & stumbled on this thread while surfing. So here goes; I am with Eric: the 91 Barca was my favorite amongst the older wines. Stuck in the middle of a tasting of powerful wines (mostly fortified) this took some concentration to appreci...

The older ports will be a real treat. And 4 Madeiras over 100 years old wow! I am sooooo thirsty :twisted:
I won't be able to fall asleep tomorrow in anticipation

Hang over what's that? The party is starting 2 mile high in the Colorado mountains this Thursday: 50 here I come!. By the time I stumble onto the tarmac in Seattle I should be well trained and hope I can just keep going .....

Yo Roy -the cellar rumored to be raided is yours .....:D Of course with the amount of wine to be consumed, this may prove a little difficult as we may be in a Madeira coma.... Did you already print the liability wavers....For those not familiar with Roy's events spitting will not be tolerated and is...

Andy, Roy is such a tease -he's keeping his cards close to the vest
I am hearing some rumors about an after hrs cellar raiding party at his house .... :twisted:

David those are worrisome figures. One of my local friends just had 2 of those bad 83 Cockburns on the same night.....Unfortunately the bad cork issue which started to effect wine in significant numbers during the mid 70's has also effected the port world. There is hope as I have noticed a much smal...

While VP's are sturdy, the best way to try to have the odds in your favor is by purchasing them on release. Unfortunately my original release purchases only go back to the 94 vintage. Older ones, I had to back-fill. So it is with old bottles -provenance is hard to verify. That's a chance you take. F...

This sounds a lot more impressive than a 1977 we consumed this past weekend (from 375 bottled in 2006). Here's my CT note:"Nice aromas of coffee, toffee, and sweet dried fruit. There is a little scent of VA here as well. The flavor was nicely balanced with good acidity though this was a little ...

A "good" 63 Fonsi (rather than excellent) would be a disappointment.... a bottle of this for me still stands out as the single best vintage port I have ever had the pleasure of sipping. I know several folks who I respect as seasoned port heads who also list this one very highly. But so it ...

David Spriggs wrote:This port has a high rate of TCA infection. I've had my fair share of these.
-Dave-

That is good info to know as I have had a bad one recently as well. What do you consider a high rate?

Thanks for the kind wishes. I would like to take the o port unity to wish you and all the participants a great and happy new year! Really looking forward to this event -it will cap a month long celebration of my 5o years on planet earth. I asked Mitch if he'll join but he's got other fish to fry. I ...

Well now that the year end craziness is subsiding it is time to give this serious consideration. Got the green light from the "authorities" and arranged to crash at a friend's place -next stop shopping for flights. Roy please add me to the insider's info e-mail - Hope I can make it, see yo...

Yeah unfortunately I was asleep at the switch as well. Don't get me wrong I am in need of more Madeira for future consumption purpose -not price speculation ....Hey Roy ! maybe we can form a FTLOP purchasing syndicate and go after a cask -I am sure you have looked into this before? is this feasible ?

You are always welcome -we always look forward to visits...I have a sneaking suspicion though that I may end up seeing you in Lompoc Pinot Prison one of these days -I'll let you know next time I come out to the left coast.