What have you opened this week?

[Eric Menchen]

Barros Porto 100th Anniversary Special Edition Very Old Tawny
This was the third of three bottles purchased a few years ago, and it turned out to be the best one IMHO. 97 points.

[Mike J. W.]

1978 Krohn Colheita bottled 2007. I'm enjoying this Colheita a lot. Still very fresh with a lot of acidity. I will write a review after it's been open a few days.

[Andy Velebil]

Cockburn’s white port (with tonic). My summer “house refresher” cocktail. Hits the spot that’s for sure.

[Tom Archer]

Taylor Vargellas 1967

From a ten bottle stash bought in November 2009. This stash was also recently flagged for inspection, which resulted in the observation that of the remaining seven bottles, the one with lowest ullage, bottle G, had a sticky neck, suggesting seepage. However, when recording the weights after inspection, the bottle came in with a very creditable ullage rate of just 43mg p.a. Further investigation revealed that a Taylor 60 above the bottle in the rack, had been covertly leaking on to it.

Bottle D however, had an ullage rate of 173mg. Whilst not enough to fast track the bottle for consumption (200mg p.a. is my threshold for that) it did ensure that it was the next bottle to be drawn.

TV67 is unusual in that there are not only both UK and Oporto bottlings, but also some third year bottlings. This bottle UK bottled in 1969.

Wonderfully aromatic when decanted. The post war Taylor signature that I define as 'a bit of beast' very much in evidence. Good colour, good composure, clean on the palate, and a lot of life left 7-7

[Glenn E.]

1991 Kopke Vintage Port

I thought this was a Sao Luis, but when I dug it out of the wine fridge I discovered it was a normal Kopke. Very pleasantly surprised by the quality, though it did seem a little too mature for just 30 years old. That said, it has matured into something very nice.

[Glenn E.]

Taylor Vargellas 1967

TV67 is unusual in that there are not only both UK and Oporto bottlings, but also some third year bottlings. This bottle UK bottled in 1969.

Not only that, but there are both UK and Oporto third year bottlings. I have been lucky enough to try all 4.

[Eric Ifune]

San Leonardo 30 year old.

[Paul C. Metman]

6 of the 2019 Symington Vintage Ports. Some stellar ones. Still writing up the review and will hopefully have it finished soon.

Very curious!!

[Andy Velebil]

6 of the 2019 Symington Vintage Ports. Some stellar ones. Still writing up the review and will hopefully have it finished soon.

Very curious!!

Notes posted.

[Al B.]

Just opened a bottle of Warre 1977. Just as good as ever, such a lovely Port.

[Tom Archer]

Messias Cachao '70

Is this the first time I've ever opened a Messias VP? It seems so..

In style terms this is a VERY tawny VP - I'm not quite sure how they can achieve such an evident concentration of sugars, with fat teardrops running down the side of the glass, in the regulation time between vinification and bottling. Small casks and Douro bake perhaps? Whatever, I'll assume they stuck to the rules and judge it against the stye parameters they've chosen.

It's a clean wine with no bad signatures, not a 'floor scrapings' effort passed off as VP, which I've sometimes seen from the tawny focused houses. It is also very quaffable, and vanished over two sittings.

However, even after trying to park my aversion to the style, as VPs go; is this a great wine? No. But it's not a total fail either. And with so much sugar, it will probabaly last forever. Score 2-2

[Andy Velebil]

Messias Cachao '70

Is this the first time I've ever opened a Messias VP? It seems so..

In style terms this is a VERY tawny VP - I'm not quite sure how they can achieve such an evident concentration of sugars, with fat teardrops running down the side of the glass, in the regulation time between vinification and bottling. Small casks and Douro bake perhaps? Whatever, I'll assume they stuck to the rules and judge it against the stye parameters they've chosen.

It's a clean wine with no bad signatures, not a 'floor scrapings' effort passed off as VP, which I've sometimes seen from the tawny focused houses. It is also very quaffable, and vanished over two sittings.

However, even after trying to park my aversion to the style, as VPs go; is this a great wine? No. But it's not a total fail either. And with so much sugar, it will probabaly last forever. Score 2-2

From what I’ve had from them in the “older days” I agree with your assessment. Not a great VP producer, at least back then. But still nice and enjoyable.

[Mike J. W.]

I had an '83 Messias Cachao within the last year and although it wasn't a world beater, it was pretty decent, especially for the price.

[Mike J. W.]

2000 Smith Woodhouse VP. It's young, sweet and fresh and it requires a long decant. The alcohol is not quite integrated yet, but it's getting there. This is a good Port, but it will be much better in 15 years...when I'm 78.

Update 6/24: 4 full days in and this is drinking better and better. The alcohol still isn't fully integrated, but it's mellowed. It's a very pleasant Port that will get better with age. Definitely worth buying some more.

[Andy Velebil]

Smith Woodhouse 20 Yr Tawny

[Eric Menchen]

1991 Croft VP. Decanted at 3:30, back in the bottle at 4:30 to travel, consumed around 8:30 or so and very tasty then. There was one glass leftover for the next day, and it was excellent, suggesting more decant time would be better next time.

[Glenn E.]

Over the last week while on vacation, 2 x 1996 Krohn Colheita (bottled 2018) plus 1 x 1985 Fonseca VP.

[Tom Archer]

Fonseca 94

First time I've decanted one of these at home.

Still very young, closed, not at all expressive. And although a reasonable colour, on the palate it comes over as a bit of a lightweight, and gives little satisfaction. It doesn't strike me as Fonseca's finest hour.

Might blossom one day, but I'm not greatly enthused. Score.. 2-6 - with optimism..

[Thomas V]

Might blossom one day, but I'm not greatly enthused. Score.. 2-6 - with optimism..

Can you explain your scoring scale? Does it mean 2 out of 6 or?

[Tom Archer]

Can you explain your scoring scale?

My scoring system is relative rather than absolute, to avoid the problem of 'grade creep'. Of all the VPs I taste in a year, I endeavour to award 5% with a 0 score, 5% with a 10 score and 10% each with the scores 1 thru 9.

The first number is my assessment of the wine for current enjoyment. The second is a forecast score for ten years hence on a mature or semi mature wine, and 'when mature' on wines tasted at release.