1977 Rocha Colheita Port

[Glenn E.]

A bit of a rarity because there is no more of this Port at the lodge. This was the first Colheita that I ever tasted, and I liked it so much that I went back the next day and cleaned out the store. It can still be found occasionally online along with its sisters the Kopke and Barros, but once those are gone it's gone for good. Which is too bad, because I think that this trio is at least as good as their 1966 cousins and it would have been nice to see what another 10 years of aging would have been like.

Opened at 10:00 am 4/30/2010 for a tasting at 6:30 pm to welcome Dom C. and friend to Seattle.

1977 Porto Rocha Colheita
bottled in 2005
first notes with no decant time

Color: Light to medium tawny in color. Significantly more orange than red with slight yellowing at the rim. Very clear and crisp.
Nose: Light orange zest, marzipan, old oak, and faint aromatic alcohol. Some vanilla as well. There's a solid background of gentle ripe apricot. With effort, the old wood and alcohol combine to create something more like lacquer or varnish, but not in a bad way - more of an old antique furniture impression.
Palate: Tart apricots, creamy honey, faint wood with the barest hint of smoke. Very smooth and pleasant. Only mild warmth, but enough to remind you that it is alcoholic. Late and faint lemon meringue. Medium body weight, possibly medium full. Acidity is perfect - not too much, but enough to be noticable.
Finish: Tart apricots fade quickly into a creamy vanilla honey, which trails off evenly for a minute or more. Some oak or other wood shows over time, but more as an afterthought than a primary flavor. Granny Smith apples come and go earlier than normal in a finish. The fade out is sublime.

This is a beautiful Colheita, still one of the best for my palate. It still tastes fresh and young to me so it is an entirely different experience than something like the 1937 Warre, but to me it is equally good. I honestly cannot say which of the two I would prefer at any given moment. 5 years in bottle does not seem to have harmed it at all.

97 points.

[Eric Menchen]

Did you really need to decant this at 10 a.m., or were you just using that as an excuse to get a sip ahead of time?

[Glenn E.]

Um... uh... yes.

[Glenn E.]

I gave this the only vote for WOTN. Everyone else preferred the 1975 Kopke Colheita and 1970 Taylor Vintage Port.

In addition to the above, I noted more vanilla and caramel in the mouth after it had been open for 8-10 hours. I thought it developed very nicely.