What have you opened this week?

[jeff t.]

2 1985 Fonseca one was more advanced than the other.Both were excellent but the less advanced one was decanted for 12hrs and still had considerable alcohol taste and seemed to need quite a bit of additional time.The other 1985 was excellent a little lighter around the edges and smoother with less alcohol.
1978 Krohn Colheita -very good with strong caramel nose and taste.

[Monique Heinemans.]

After some time finaly again some VP.
1987 Fonseca Guimaraens and 1986 Graham Malvedos. I preferred the latter.

[Thomas V]

1982 Andresen Colheita (93p)
10 Anos Andresen White (90p)

They really are a great house with the tawnies.

[Glenn E.]

1984 Kopke Colheita, bottled 2013. This was dessert after we tried two Ports blind, a Warre's Warrior and a Whidbey (WA) port which I correctly identified as a ringer, though I guessed California not Washington.

The Whidbey had a very luscious mouthfeel and was very sweet, but other than what tasted to me like some Cab Sauv in the blend it was very close to a real Port. Much better than the last time I tried a Whidbey.

[Tom Archer]

Fonseca 1963

Past experience of this wine suggested a short decant to be advisable, but this bottle lacked composure on day one, but regained it the following day. Despite keeping the decanter cool in the cellar, the last couple of glasses on day four were very tired.

A fading star this one, with nothing like the stamina of '45 or '55 and no more than a match now for '60. F66 and F70 meanwhile are still on peak form.

Score 8-7

Time to start drinking up..

[Al B.]

I've just realised I haven't posted here for ages - not because I've stopped drinking port; only because I am going through a bit of a busy patch trying to do two (or three) jobs at the same time and forget to post anything anywhere.

So in the last 3(ish) months I've opened the following:

• 1963 Dow - from a pota bottle; very, very good
• 1975 Dow - pleasant enough, but very light
• 1983 Dow - refined and restrained
• 1970 Martinez - lovely; mature and elegant
• NV Maynard's 40 year old tawny - amazing value for money at GBP £30 for a 75cl bottle; deep and rich
• NV Niepoort VV - the original 1960s bottling; astonishing port with an unbelievable intensity. It was paired against a Valriz 1858 that provided a delightful contrast in style.
• 2011 Passadouro - powerful and impressive. I continue to be astonished by the quality of this vintage.
• NV Pocas Junior 40 year old tawny - all beeswax and apricots
• 1960 Sandeman - sadly not up to the standard of Tom's bottle. This had a loose cork so had become oxidised.
• 1924 Taylor - bottled by Berry Brothers & Rudd. Opened with a port garrotte (like tongs, but with a flexible metal cord you heat and wrap around the neck of the bottle). I would have guessed this to be 1970 or 1966 from its colour, flavour and depth.
• 1994 Tesco - full of bottle stink
• 1997 Tesco - perhaps this is Gould Campbell? It certainly tasted like it
• 1997 Vesuvio - starting to soften, but plenty of development yet to come
• 2013 Vesuvio - gentle, ripe fruit and the typical Vesuvio acidic core
• 1982 Warre LBV - I love these aged LBVs; mature and delicious

[Tom Archer]

1924 Taylor - bottled by Berry Brothers & Rudd. Opened with a port garrotte (like tongs, but with a flexible metal cord you heat and wrap around the neck of the bottle). I would have guessed this to be 1970 or 1966 from its colour, flavour and depth.

Echoes my recent experience of Dow '24 - exceptionally dark for its age..

[Tom Archer]

Vesuvio 1990

First bottle from a case that I've owned for a very long time. Did it reward my patience? - No.

This is a dull and very uninspiring wine. A touch of cocoa on the palate, a textbook case of 'Douro bake' - but no depth or integrity and no promise of better things to come.

I would expect an LBV of this age to show better.

Score 1-1

[Glenn E.]

1997 Quinta do Tedo Vintage Port
NV S. Leonardo 40 Year Old Tawny Port
1964 Krohn Colheita Branco (bottled 2007)

All for the Paizo summer party. Lisa also opened a 1997 Souza and a 1987 Souza, which let us try 2 different 1997s side-by-side, and then also show people what 10 extra years of age can do for a Port by comparing the '97 and '87. Fun fun!

[Eric Ifune]

How was the Tedo? I've a magnum.

[Glenn E.]

How was the Tedo? I've a magnum.

Good, but not great. Lisa and I were both thinking ~90 points, whereas the '97 Souza that she brought would have been a little higher.

The Tedo has a drier profile than the Souza, and just seemed simpler. Very tasty, but not all that complex.

[Mike J. W.]

1985 Dalva Colheita (bottled 2016). I just opened it, and it has a bit of a turpentine aroma in the glass. It has a nice, woody taste to it with long legs in the glass. Pleasant and easy to drink but not a standout.

[Eric Menchen]

I went to Sandeman to take the tour. Sure, it was nothing like a Roy tour, but I took it in Portuguese. When you know just about everything they are going to say, your comprehension goes way up.

White and 2013 LBV were underwhelming. 10 year old tawny was nothing spectacular, but it is a really good 10.

Followed that with 1982 Krohn Colheita at Bacchus. Aroma was a little off at first, but it was still tasty.

I'll post notes when I'm back on a computer.

[Tom Archer]

Delaforce '60

Much more robust if not quite as refined as the '58 - still quite tannic in fact. Good juice for the long haul. 7-7

[S Epstein]

1994 Churchill - popped and poured Saturday morning at a Port class. Nicely rounded with notes of red cherries, allspice, coffee and picking up a bit of nuttiness too. Pretty and still vibrant. Less heat than the last time I had it a couple years ago. Glad I have another couple bottles.

[Eric Ifune]

Conceito by Barbeito lote 2

[Eric Menchen]

2017 Niepoort Vintage Port.
Well, some guy I ran into in Porto opened it. Cask sample.

IMG_20180626_132445.jpeg (37.63 KiB) Viewed 1744 times

Sent from my ZTE A2017G using Tapatalk

[Moses Botbol]

Have a 1920 Dow lined up this weekend with a handful '63 and '66; Dow, Sandeman, Croft, Graham, and Warre.

[Tom Archer]

Have a 1920 Dow lined up

'20 is a great vintage, and the old Dow's are usually excellent - how sound is the bottle?

[Moses Botbol]

Have a 1920 Dow lined up

'20 is a great vintage, and the old Dow's are usually excellent - how sound is the bottle?

I'll have to go into the basement and take look again. I can't recall. Will post a picture. Can't recall if I have had '20 Dow before.