2011 LBV Tasting Invitation

[John M.]

After Reading Roy's fine article on 2011 LBVs I did a quick scan of available ones and found a good variety including many of his favorites. That sounds like a good tasting event....I plan on sourcing as many as possible for my Port Club and would probably taste them in 2-5 months depending (the next one will not be Port but Rum and the I've got line-up set for the next one).

So, my next thought was like the "Ruby Reserve Taste Off" from 2012, perhaps some of you would like to do a parallel tasting of 2011 LBVs and then we could compare results (Groups across the world doing similar tastings). I thought the Ruby Reserve thing was so much fun especially that all the groups found the Taylor to be so good when it was on no ones radar going in. I love when that stuff happens.

Any of you thinking of starting a Port Club, this is a good intro/entry thing.

I would project August/September only to allow enough time to source and plan but am open to suggestion. Anyone game??

[Thomas V]

I wont join as I will only visit the US once this year

But I wanted to add that recently a Dane held a large 2011 LBV tasting. Here are the results for you to peruse. The wines were served blind naturally.

I was sad not to see Fonseca, Quinta do Crasto and DR in the lineup, but they are doing a second tasting where these will be included. They are all in my top 5 of 2011 LBVs including DR and Niepoort. (The DR did very well as you can see and it made my importer friend shut up a bit about me being to excited about it). If Quinta do Vale Maria have done a 11' I would for sure add it as well.

Surprised the Ferreira and Niepoort were not higher.

Rank House Point (20 point scale)

1 Noval 14,68
2 DR 14,42
3 Seara d Ordens 14,26
4 Viera da Sousa 14,23
5 Quinta das Lamelas 14,19
6 Dows 14,10
7 Grifo 14,06
8 Offley 14,06
9 Niepoort 13,90
10 Kopke 13,61
11 Ferreira 12,97
12 Andresen 12,84
13 Barros 12,58
14 Calem 12,10
15 Quinta do Portal 12,03
16 Burmester 12,03
17 Ventozelo 11,77
18 Infantado 11,35
19 Krohn 10,35
20 Quinta do Javali 6,58

[Andy Velebil]

John,
I'm game for it, assuming I can gather some folks to drink some Port...which I am sure shouldn't be too hard.

[John M.]

I wont join as I will only visit the US once this year

But I wanted to add that recently a Dane held a large 2011 LBV tasting. Here are the results for you to peruse. The wines were served blind naturally.

I was sad not to see Fonseca, Quinta do Crasto and DR in the lineup, but they are doing a second tasting where these will be included. They are all in my top 5 of 2011 LBVs including DR and Niepoort. (The DR did very well as you can see and it made my importer friend shut up a bit about me being to excited about it). If Quinta do Vale Maria have done a 11' I would for sure add it as well.

Surprised the Ferreira and Niepoort were not higher.

Rank House Point (20 point scale)

1 Noval 14,68
2 DR 14,42
3 Seara d Ordens 14,26
4 Viera da Sousa 14,23
5 Quinta das Lamelas 14,19
6 Dows 14,10
7 Grifo 14,06
8 Offley 14,06
9 Niepoort 13,90
10 Kopke 13,61
11 Ferreira 12,97
12 Andresen 12,84
13 Barros 12,58
14 Calem 12,10
15 Quinta do Portal 12,03
16 Burmester 12,03
17 Ventozelo 11,77
18 Infantado 11,35
19 Krohn 10,35
20 Quinta do Javali 6,58

Nice!. What I really meant is you do one there and we collaborate our results.

[Glenn E.]

I would project August/September only to allow enough time to source and plan but am open to suggestion. Anyone game??

That sounds like a great theme for our Port club's September meeting! I'll discuss it with Amy and the rest of the club and see what they think.

[Bradley Bogdan]

I'm game to see what I can do here in Texas with the bunch I've been cultivating


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[John M.]

Looking Good!

By online searching in B&M in NJ I can find the following:

1. Dows
2. Taylor
3. Graham
4. Fonseca
5. Noval (unsure if single vineyard)
6. Churchill
7. Sandeman
8. Niepoort
9. Q do Crasto (already have)

Niepoort and Ferreira, highly rated by Roy, are more of a challenge. I cannot find Ferreira.

[Thomas V]

Looking Good!

By online searching in B&M in NJ I can find the following:

1. Dows
2. Taylor
3. Graham
4. Fonseca
5. Noval (unsure if single vineyard)
6. Churchill
7. Sandeman
8. Niepoort
9. Q do Crasto (already have)

Niepoort and Ferreira, highly rated by Roy, are more of a challenge. I cannot find Ferreira.

Try and get the DR and Quevedo if you have the chance.

[John M.]

The DR and Quevedo show up nowhere on wine searcher. Pennsylvania carries Quevedo products--but right now no LBVs. We have time--maybe it will show up.

[John M.]

Thought I would resurrect this to gauge interest....Roy & Glenn & the Samammish Crew completed their 2011 LBV tasting and the NJ one will occur likely in February

I have the following:

1. Dows
2. Taylor
3. Graham
4. Fonseca
5. Noval
6. Churchill
7. Sandeman
8. Niepoort
9. Q do Crasto
10. Niepoort (I know where to get it, but its upstate NY)
11. 2012 Carvalhas (Same ringer as Roy/Glenn)

[Jasper A.]

You should try to find a Romaneira LBV 11 as well. Very good!

[Houston Porter]

Sounds like a great time.

We are doing a tasting this weekend, as we do every year for my birthday, and 2011 LBVs are on the menu.
I've been wanting to taste some LBVs against Vintages, especially because I love the Taylor Fladgate 2011 LBV so much, that at the $18 price tag we have been getting it for, I can't imagine liking the Vintage more...but we'll see.
So, we'll be tasting Taylor Fladgate's 2011 LBV and 2011 Vintage, as well as Graham's 2011 LBV and 2011 Vintage. And so long as we have those bottles open, we're going to open 2011 LBVs from Churchill, Delaforce, Dow's, Fonseca, Offley, Ramos Pinto, and Sandeman. And just for good measure, we're going to taste that same Taylor Fladgate 2011 LBV alongside their LBV's from 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, and 2006.

(The next night we're opening a couple bottles of Graham's 1970 Vintage (I was born in 1970, so we may break open another 1970 from another lodge), a Krohn 1968 Colheita, Sandeman 40yo Tawny, and a selection of 30+ Colheita's from Burmester.)

...it should make for a pretty good weekend.

[John M.]

You should try to find a Romaneira LBV 11 as well. Very good!

Cannot find here

[John M.]

Sounds like a great time.

We are doing a tasting this weekend, as we do every year for my birthday, and 2011 LBVs are on the menu.
I've been wanting to taste some LBVs against Vintages, especially because I love the Taylor Fladgate 2011 LBV so much, that at the $18 price tag we have been getting it for, I can't imagine liking the Vintage more...but we'll see.
So, we'll be tasting Taylor Fladgate's 2011 LBV and 2011 Vintage, as well as Graham's 2011 LBV and 2011 Vintage. And so long as we have those bottles open, we're going to open 2011 LBVs from Churchill, Delaforce, Dow's, Fonseca, Offley, Ramos Pinto, and Sandeman. And just for good measure, we're going to taste that same Taylor Fladgate 2011 LBV alongside their LBV's from 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, and 2006.

(The next night we're opening a couple bottles of Graham's 1970 Vintage (I was born in 1970, so we may break open another 1970 from another lodge), a Krohn 1968 Colheita, Sandeman 40yo Tawny, and a selection of 30+ Colheita's from Burmester.)

...it should make for a pretty good weekend.

Wow--that's a weekend! We have a lot of the same so curious to see how it will work out. Please post about it.

[John M.]

I do hope another group will do this.....all you newbies this is a great way to taste a bunch and make Port friends!

[Houston Porter]

Wow--that's a weekend! We have a lot of the same so curious to see how it will work out. Please post about it.

Will do, for sure.

[Scheiny S]

The DR and Quevedo show up nowhere on wine searcher. Pennsylvania carries Quevedo products--but right now no LBVs. We have time--maybe it will show up.

you can find the Quevedo 2011 LBV in their variety pack of half bottles. it's $45 so it's not a deal or anything, but if you really want the 2011 LBV, it's the only way. it's a nice sampler pack with their Ruby, White, and Reserve Tawny, too.
i found a full size bottle of Quevedo 2011 LBV on the shelf last year and bought it but the manager had to take over and do some fenagling, it wasn't in the system. i wonder if it was an internet purchase that got returned or something.

i would be interested in this, i just found the Fonseca 2011 LBV in stores. i may have seen another, i can't recall which, and thought "Wouldn't it be cool to do a 2011 LBV tasting." on my own i wouldn't try with just two, but if we'll be part of a larger network, i'd see what we could do!