For The Love Of Port

In 2001, Port guru James Suckling wrote: Some Englishmen consider Americans barbarians since we drink our Port much too young. Plenty of people in the States are already drinking 1997s and 1994s. In a perfect "English world" those wines wouldn't be drunk for another 20 years. However, I o...

Not in the near future unfortunately. Come up to Edmonton with Roy, we'll make a weekend of it. I've some older Portuguese wines, nothing great but who else better to share it with than people who like them.

Mahmoud.

A double post error. Sorry.

However, the most important thing to remember is the winemaker doesn't want them to age in bottle as they won't be the same, or in the winemakers opinion "better", than when it was bottled. So while a person may prefer that taste of an older bottle aged tawny, the vast majority of the tim...

This just found on Christian Seely's Blog: "I am not aware of any particular rule about the definition of a general declaration, but my own view is that it is exactly what it says, a Vintage that is generally declared by everyone. Or at least nearly everyone: sometimes there will be one or two ...

What I wish would change is the fact that if two companies don't "declare" then it's not a "generally declared" vintage. So if 50 producers declare and two don't then it's not a "general declaration"....that I have issues with. I did not know that. Does that mean that ...

One theory is those wines filtered before bottling tend to decline while those that don't seem to improve. This sounds very plausible. Recently I had a Quinta do Ventozelo 10 Year-old Tawny that was bottled in 2008 and I feel certain that it had improved in bottle but that is only a guess since I'v...

I would prefer to leave it as is or go the other way... This tradition is elemental to vintage port and I'd hate to see this tradition cast aside simply to sell more port. Vintage port is supposed to be really special only coming out only in the best years. I'm inclined to agree with Moses. I thoug...

Come to think of it, I'm game to get some folks together and do a vertical of the Reserva's. I've got all from 2003 onward, except 2012 for some reason. Sounds like a great idea. Too bad we're not in the same town for I have a '99 and '01 that I could have contributed. Oh well. Cheers ................

While John M on another thread was tasting the 1994 Ramos Pinto, I was drinking the 1991 vintage. It seems to have fared much better in that it was more youthful, powerful, and deep. 1991 Ramos Pinto Vintage Port (20%) This was a recent sale-priced purchase so the I have to presume that it didn't ha...

We had a bottle of Quinta de Ventozelo's 10 Year-Old Tawny the other evening. Being a 2008 bottling it had some age in bottle and that may have added to it's savouriness and complexity. I've not had this before but was surpised by the drier style, having expected a Portuguese house to be somewhat sw...

Thanks for the note on such a rare beast Gerwin. Lovely colour and a great result for an LBV with the full six years before bottling. Clearly a commercial style that turned out well. As for you Andy, I feel somehow that you should be one to taste my only 1973 vintage "port", the inverted c...

Which tastes better? Clever, and funny. I like it. Wish I knew but all my bottles are the same. Interestingly, my 1996 Fereira LBVs have the black livery, whereas from the responses above it seems that the change may have come with the 1997 vintage. I also prefer the older label as well as the olde...

Sounds lovely Andy. You say that it is an unfiltered port and so I assume that it was also bottled the minimum four years after the vintage. From what I recall of the 1994 and 1995 Ramos Pinto LBV it was bottled after four years. I do not recall if the label mentioned that it was unfiltered but I as...

I recently bought a few bottles of Ferreira Vintage Port and am now surprised to see that there appears to be two different labels for this port. One is a light, cream-coloured label, the other is black, as pictured below. My bottles have the cream-coloured labels Ferreira'97b.jpg Ferreira'97a.jpg W...

1985 Rozés Vintage Port (20.5%) Last Friday evening I opened a bottle of this vintage port that I have had since the late 80s. This was a vintage port that my friends and I were drinking back in the day because it was both inexpensive (about C$25) and very approachable, with plenty of fruit and rip...

Andy, when you say older moscatels are you referring to things like Fonseca's 20 year-olds or do you also include these vintage moscatels that have been cellared. Do you think the acidity in this moscatel will auger well for some cellaring?

Cheers ................. Mahmoud.

John Trombley wrote:There might be a value to the sommelier attracting attention of such as you, who would think most of the top end wines on the list were affordable after the conversation you had. It may, in other words, be a simple display piece.

Good point John ............... Mahmoud.

That's a fair point Andy, and I defer to your experience since I certainly haven't had two '77 ports side by side.

Mahmoud.

Thanks for the notes Eric. The 1977 Fonseca is sentimental because my bottle of '77 was signed by Bruce Guimaraens when he visited Edmonton many years ago. It was then, in Edmonton, at a Fonseca tasting that he declared the 2000 vintage while we were tasting it in our glasses. Naturally I am pleased...