What Port(s) have you purchased this week?

[Moses Botbol]

Alex. I'm not a big fan of Graham's TWAIOA. They've always seemed rather pedestrian when compared to the top tawnies in their age brackets. Is there something unique about the 50 Year-old Graham's?

Agreed. Same with Fonseca tawny.

[Glenn E.]

Pretty good haul from my recently completed trip to Portugal:

1937 Kopke Colheita
1941 Kopke Colheita
1964 Kopke Colheita
1965 Kopke Colheita
2004 Kopke Colheita Branco (x4)
1906 Brunheda Colheita
Brunheda Very Very Old White Port
Brunheda T6a Tawny Port (x2)
DR 50 Year Old White Port (x2)
DR 50 Year Old Tawny Port (x2)
DR L70 Tawny Port (x2)

[Mike J. W.]

Pretty good haul from my recently completed trip to Portugal:

1937 Kopke Colheita
1941 Kopke Colheita
1964 Kopke Colheita
1965 Kopke Colheita
2004 Kopke Colheita Branco (x4)
1906 Brunheda Colheita
Brunheda Very Very Old White Port
Brunheda T6a Tawny Port (x2)
DR 50 Year Old White Port (x2)
DR 50 Year Old Tawny Port (x2)
DR L70 Tawny Port (x2)

That is a VERY nice haul. Did you taste the 3 Brunheda's on your just completed tour? How were they? And what are the ages of the VVO White and the T6a?

[Glenn E.]

That is a VERY nice haul. Did you taste the 3 Brunheda's on your just completed tour? How were they? And what are the ages of the VVO White and the T6a?

Yep, tasted all of these and a couple more that were above my pay grade.

As with many things at Brunheda, the exact ages mostly aren't known. However they think the VVOW is 100+ and the T6a is around 60. Everything during this visit was named T or W (Tawny or White) and then a digit or two denoting the approximate age from 5 for 50, to 12 for 120. The 1906 was designated Td for "Tawny, dated" but they told us it was the 1906 so I asked them to put that on the label. All hand-bottled cask samples individually labeled with our names. Pretty cool.

DR also had 3 very high-end Ports that I couldn't afford. My understanding is that they're about to be bottled and released to the public, but they're going to be ultra rare and equally expensive. IIRC there are only going to be 80 bottles of the top one, but it might have been only 40. (I can't recall whether or not we're allowed to talk about them, so that's why I'm being a bit vague. I don't see any of them online yet.)

[Eric Ifune]

Wow. Older than the DR Muitos Muitos Velhos?

[Al B.]

Pretty good haul from my recently completed trip to Portugal:

1937 Kopke Colheita
1941 Kopke Colheita
1964 Kopke Colheita
1965 Kopke Colheita
2004 Kopke Colheita Branco (x4)
1906 Brunheda Colheita
Brunheda Very Very Old White Port
Brunheda T6a Tawny Port (x2)
DR 50 Year Old White Port (x2)
DR 50 Year Old Tawny Port (x2)
DR L70 Tawny Port (x2)

I’m disappointed there’s no 1935 White or Tawny from Kopke on your list.

And, personally, although the 1937 gets all the headlines, I think the 1941 is a better glass of wine.

(Sadly, I can’t comment on the Brunheda or DR wines,)

[Mike J. W.]

Won at auction...2 x 1998 Graham's LBV

[A.S. Demka]

That is a VERY nice haul. Did you taste the 3 Brunheda's on your just completed tour? How were they? And what are the ages of the VVO White and the T6a?

Yep, tasted all of these and a couple more that were above my pay grade.

As with many things at Brunheda, the exact ages mostly aren't known. However they think the VVOW is 100+ and the T6a is around 60. Everything during this visit was named T or W (Tawny or White) and then a digit or two denoting the approximate age from 5 for 50, to 12 for 120. The 1906 was designated Td for "Tawny, dated" but they told us it was the 1906 so I asked them to put that on the label. All hand-bottled cask samples individually labeled with our names. Pretty cool.

DR also had 3 very high-end Ports that I couldn't afford. My understanding is that they're about to be bottled and released to the public, but they're going to be ultra rare and equally expensive. IIRC there are only going to be 80 bottles of the top one, but it might have been only 40. (I can't recall whether or not we're allowed to talk about them, so that's why I'm being a bit vague. I don't see any of them online yet.)

That looks like a great haul, indeed. I do love DR and Brunheda. Just a quick question: on my first PHT2 in 2021 we also visited Brunheda, where I a.o. bought two bottles of their very old tawny Cask 51. It is clearly a T , but where would you place it age wise?

[A.S. Demka]

2x OWC-6 Calem 1997 (my bid was very low and I had not expected to win both lots)

In 2017 we held a 1997 horizontal blind tasting with 30 1997 VPs and the Cálem was my surprising favorite, and was well liked by just about everyone. I hope those bottles are still doing just as well.

Yesterday I opened a bottle of the 1997 Cálem VP, and I really liked it. So I am happy now that I've won both lots!
If you're ever in The Netherlands, I'd be happy to share one (plus some other good stuff) with you, Eric.

[A.S. Demka]

Won at two different auctions:
2x OWC-6 Calem 1997 (my bid was very low and I had not expected to win both lots)

1x Niepoort Colheita 1963, bottled in 1984
1x Quinta da Devesa very very old tawny anniversary edition 80 years, bottled in 2024
1x Quinta da Devesa very very old white anniversary edition 80 years, bottled in 2024

That Devesa 80YO white is one of the finest Ports I have ever tasted. Quite possibly the best White Port I’ve ever had.

I was sent a tasting sample of it a year or two ago, and was so impressed I bought a case (of six bottles) of it.

A case of Devesa 80YO white?? Wow, you've just convinced me not to wait till my 80th birtday (nine years to go) to open my bottle

[Glenn E.]

Wow. Older than the DR Muitos Muitos Velhos?

Yes, assuming the one you're talking about is the 1885. It's not a lot older - probably from 1875 or so - but it is definitely older than the one we've purchased in the past. There's also a lot less of it left, and it's a lot more expensive.

[Glenn E.]

I’m disappointed there’s no 1935 White or Tawny from Kopke on your list.

And, personally, although the 1937 gets all the headlines, I think the 1941 is a better glass of wine.

I love both 1935s and the 1934, but had to draw a line somewhere. The 1937 is a classic and I basically always want to have a bottle on hand, so that's why I needed another one. The one that I currently have is about to be opened in your presence!

The 1941 is also truly special. The way I put it at this year's tasting went like this... Kopke has several legendary Colheitas. 1937, 1952, 1957, 1966... why is this (the 1941) not on that list? The response was that they don't have as much of it, so not as many people know about it. But that yes, it is easily in the same league as those other 4 Colheitas.

[Glenn E.]

That looks like a great haul, indeed. I do love DR and Brunheda. Just a quick question: on my first PHT2 in 2021 we also visited Brunheda, where I a.o. bought two bottles of their very old tawny Cask 51. It is clearly a T , but where would you place it age wise?

According to my notes from that trip, Cask 51 was estimated to be "over 50 years old." That was another really good one!

[A.S. Demka]

That looks like a great haul, indeed. I do love DR and Brunheda. Just a quick question: on my first PHT2 in 2021 we also visited Brunheda, where I a.o. bought two bottles of their very old tawny Cask 51. It is clearly a T , but where would you place it age wise?

According to my notes from that trip, Cask 51 was estimated to be "over 50 years old." That was another really good one!

Thanks, Glenn. How far back do your notes go ?

[Glenn E.]

That looks like a great haul, indeed. I do love DR and Brunheda. Just a quick question: on my first PHT2 in 2021 we also visited Brunheda, where I a.o. bought two bottles of their very old tawny Cask 51. It is clearly a T , but where would you place it age wise?

According to my notes from that trip, Cask 51 was estimated to be "over 50 years old." That was another really good one!

Thanks, Glenn. How far back do your notes go ?

I have all of my books, and the earliest one starts with 2 undated notes and then has the 2009 Port Gala that was held Jan 30 - Feb 1, 2009.

[A.S. Demka]

3x 2016 Noval vintage