1970 Dow -- This was the clear POTN for me. Pretty dark caramel and just a bit of spice on the nose. Good weight in the mouth, smooth transition from attack to mid to finish. How I like my women -- rich and elegant, but somehow understated and comfortable. A bit of heat on the finish, but so many truckloads of bright red cherries all around you hardly care. 91
_________________
1986 Taylor Vargelles -- Quite a nice combination of walnuts and rose pedals on the nose. A bit lighter in the mouth than the Dow, but no slouch. Supple. Firm tannins still in place, with a bit of alcohol that suggests you can hold this guy for quite a few years still. While only two points lower than the Dow, a noticeable notch down in quality (IMHO). 89
1982 Sandeman -- group buy-in towards the end of the night for ~45gbp, this was quite an interesting port to finish with. I got what I can only describe as "Fall Forest Floor" (F^3) on the nose. A combination of dried leaves, dirt/mud, wood, and a bit of an almost decomposition-al component. Not bad, and certainly not flawed, but really quite curious. Actually not too dissimilar in a way from some 97 right bank claret I've had lately. In the mouth, it gives a very soft, almost floral/perfume component. Quite nice indeed. A different style than the Taylor, but of a similar caliber. 88
_________________
1975 Cockburn -- Like the other 75s, this was quite pale in color. Hints of vanilla and dark cherries on the nose. Fairly light in the mouth -- I got almost a cinnamon component about half way through. Someone also chimed in with red liquorices, which struck a chord. Lightweight, but not stupid. I would have been temped to write something like 'a burgundy lover's kind of port' -- except the person who liked it most hates burgundy.
![[shrug.gif]](./images/smilies/shrug.gif "Huh?"){kind=small}
851980 Croft Quinta do Roeda -- Fairly muted nose. Some maple syrup component which is rather interesting, if a bit feint. Very smooth in the mouth. Not a tremendous amount of flavor, but it is quite silky. More weight than the 75s, which stood out at first blush, but over time, the lack of flavor/complexity became increasingly clear. 82
1975 Martinez -- Again -- a bit of sugar syrup on the nose. Very thin in the mouth, and largely lacking in fruit. I believe 'grapefruit sugar water' hit this one quite squarely. 81
1975 Kopke St. Luiz -- Not hot, or difficult to drink in any way, but not the least bit interesting. Totally devoid of any flavor/complexity. At least it is an unusual bottle. 80.
