UPDATED: FTLOP 1st Annual - Final guest and wine list

[Roy Hersh]

Well we fell short of 100 wines for the three days, but we've exceeded 90 bottles. But in all seriousness, the depth and breadth of what will be tasted, is pretty exciting. The finalized guest list and wines by event are broken out, with 30 Douro wine bottles that will be broken up to accompany dinner included at the end.

Please note this is a humble tasting as we have to leave room for things to improve next year for the 2nd annual ...


GUEST LIST

1. Stewart Todd - WA
2. Andy Velebil - CA
3. David Spriggs - CA
4. Todd Estroff - GA
5. Eric Ifune - CA
6. Kris Henderson - WA
7. Heather Hathwell - CA
8. Alan Gardner - Toronto, Canada
9. Glenn Elliott - WA
10. Eric Menchen - CO
11. Marijke Unger - CO
12. Jeff Karp - AZ
13. Laura Karp - AZ
14. Michael Gordon - WA
15. Paul David - CO
16. Edgar Burks - WA
17. Richard Beeken - Edmonton, Canada
18. Andrew Taper - WA
19. Jeff Twersky - WA
20. Roy Hersh - WA


FRIDAY NIGHT's COLHEITA & MADEIRAS

1934 Niepoort Colheita
1937 Kopke Colheita
1941 Moreira Colheita
1944 Royal Oporto Colheita
1953 Royal Oporto Colheita
1955 Burmester Colheita
1957 Rocha Colheita
1963 Niepoort Colheita
1966 Rocha Colheita
1966 Kopke Colheita
1974 Noval Colheita
Mystery Colheita

1900 D'Oliveiras Moscatel
1905 D'Oliveiras Verdelho
1907 D'Oliveiras Malvazia
1908 D'Oliveiras Bual
1952 Leacock's Verdelho
1960 Leacock's Terrantez
Mystery Madeira


SATURDAY NIGHT – COMPARATIVE TASTING OF 1977 vs. 1985 vs. 1994

1977 Ferreira
1977 Gould Campbell
1977 Dow
1977 Warre
1977 Taylor
1977 Graham's
1977 Smith Woodhouse
1977 Fonseca

1985 Offley
1985 Graham’s
1985 Fonseca
1985 Smith Woodhouse
1985 Dow
1985 Martinez
1985 Warre
1985 Burmester

1994 Ramos Pinto's Quinta da Ervamoira
1994Warre
1994 Dow
1994 Graham's
1994 Vesuvio
1994 Fonseca
1994 Taylor
1994 Smith Woodhouse



SUNDAY NIGHT'S GRAND FINALE - OLDER VINTAGE PORTS :hello:

1935 Sandeman
1947 Noval
1960 Niepoort
1960 Taylor

1963 Graham’s
1963 Warre
1963 Robertson's Rabello Valente
1963 Dow

1966 Graham's
1966 Dow
1966 Warre
1966 Taylor

1970 Dow
1970 Fonseca
1970 Taylor
1970 Graham's
1970 Ferreira






Douro Wines to accompany dinner(s)

• 1991 Barca Velha
• 1992 Casa Ferreirinha Reserva
• 1995 Barca Velha
• 1999 Quinta da Portela da Vilariça
• 2000 Chryseia
• 2001 Ferreirinha Quinta da Leda
• 2003 Casa de Casal de Loivos
• 2003 Niepoort Douro Vertente
• 2003 Niepoort Douro Redoma
• 2004 Niepoort Batuta
• 2004 Chryseia
• 2004 Lemon & Van Zeller CV
• 2004 Quinta do Crasto "Vinha da Ponte"
• 2004 Dow's Vale do Bomfim
• 2004 Quinta Cachao Tinta Roriz
• 2004 Prats & Symington Post Scriptum
• 2005 Niepoort Douro Redoma Branco Reserva x 2 bottles
• 2005 Churchill Estates
• 2005 Quinta do Vallado Touriga Nacional
• 2006 Quinta Cachao Touriga Nacional
• 2006 Quinta do Crasto Reserva
• 2007 Quinta do Crasto Branco – x 6 bottles to start dinners
• 2007 Muralhas de Moncao, Vinho Verde


Other Douro wines/Ports & Madeira may be added if we think there is a shortage!

[David Spriggs]

Wow, Great line up! I'm looking forward to seeing everyone!
-Dave-

[Andy Velebil]

My goodness, what a stellar line up of wines. I can't wait for this weekend to start!

[Glenn E.]

I may die and go to Port heaven on Friday night... that's an awesome lineup of Colheitas!

[Eric Menchen]

Please note this is a humble tasting as we have to leave room for things to improve next year for the 2nd annual ...

I will be overwhelmed as it is. I don't know what I'd do at an ostentatious tasting.

Other Douro wines/Ports & Madeira may be added if we think there is a shortage!

[Glenn E.]

I'm with Eric... there are so many superb Ports coming this weekend that I'm overwhelmed!

I think it will be interesting to compare some before and afters, so here's my pre-Gala list of Ports that I'm really looking forward to trying. I have high hopes for all of these, for a variety of reasons, so it will be fun to see if they can live up to my expectations!

Friday Night
1934 Niepoort
1937 Kopke
1955 Burmester
1963 Niepoort
1966s side-by-side

1907 D'Oliveiras Malvazia (that's the same as Malmsey, right?)

Saturday Night
1977 Dow (to compare to the one over the holidays that managed to hide its corkedness)
1977 Fonseca (100 points WS!)
1977 Taylor (one of "Roy's 12")
1985 Fonseca (another of "Roy's 12")
1985 Graham
1994 Fonseca (100 points WS!)
1994 Taylor (100 points WS!)
1994 Vesuvio

Sunday Night
1947 Noval
1960 Niepoort
1966 Graham (one of "Roy's 12")
1970 Fonseca (another of "Roy's 12")

Edit: had to add the 1994 Fonseca to my list!

[Erik Wiechers]

Next year organize it in the UK or so ?
I wish i could attend this spectacular event.

Have fun !

[Paul David]

The older ports will be a real treat. And 4 Madeiras over 100 years old wow! I am sooooo thirsty :twisted:
I won't be able to fall asleep tomorrow in anticipation

[Ray Barnes]

I wish everyone a very happy and enjoyable gathering this coming weekend in Seattle and I am very surprised some high quality madeiras made it into the prestigious list of wines as well. While I cannot attend this event, I will be with you in spirit and will have a toast to all of you in absentia tomorrow evening with my humble but still good H & H boal. I had feared given everything that Roy has gone through this month, that the event might be postponed or cancelled, but it would appear he has taken care of everything in spite of much adversity. That is admirable indeed.

I am looking forward to seeing detailed commentaries and photos in a future newsletter.

Cheers,
Ray

[Roy Hersh]

I am starting to get pretty jazzed and with the Madeira bottles already decanting for 24 hours, my downstairs smells amazingly like an old Madeira cellar in Funchal.

Ray, even with my personal challenges over the past two weeks, there was never a momentary thought of postponing or canceling this weekend's events. Actually, being so immersed in the logistics involved and last minute cancellations, new invites etc ... these dynamics helped to divert my attention from other matters at hand.

Three days, 90 wines of great depth ... priceless. Thanks for the kind words.

[Roy Hersh]

:type: Let the games begin! :hello:



:blah: :help:

[Ray Barnes]

What games. I do not approve. Wine is meant to be consumed with the appropriate degree of reverence, discipline and austerity. All pertinent discussion must be grammatically correct and flawlessly enunciated.

OK, maybe not. :joker:

Ray

[Ray Barnes]

Before the first wine is poured, there should be a moment of silence and profound, noble contemplation. The atmosphere should be decidedly monastic in nature. This period may be followed by a recitation of Gregorian Chant, in which every partcipant must sing in Latin with absolute rhythmic, tonal and dynamic precision.

Or, the moment of silence may be omitted and Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin may be substituted.

Ray

[Glenn E.]

Hey! Games are serious business!

Besides, I've been practicing! It'll take at least THREE glasses to get me buzzed tonight!

:help:



P.S. I know the perfect chant... it's from Monty Python...

[Ray Barnes]

Oh yes - Pie Jesu Domini, Donna Ais Requiem.

[Ray Barnes]

scias te fortasse romanum esse si simul cenare et futuere possis

You know you may be a Roman if you can eat and have sex at the same time.

(yes, that is where that very bad word came from)

[Ray Barnes]

I am going into the tasting area 3 hours before tonight's festivities begin and drink all the madeira. This message will self-destruct in 5 seconds.

http://www.televisiontunes.com/Mission_Impossible.html

[Glenn E.]

That'll be tough, seeing as the Madeira isn't there yet. It's still in safe storage at ... !#*$!^*... <static> ... @#%*!&!%! ...

<transmission terminated>

[Ray Barnes]

Too bad. I'll just stay home and have a toga party.

[Glenn E.]

I think it will be interesting to compare some before and afters, so here's my pre-Gala list of Ports that I'm really looking forward to trying. I have high hopes for all of these, for a variety of reasons, so it will be fun to see if they can live up to my expectations!

Friday Night
1934 Niepoort
1937 Kopke
1955 Burmester
1963 Niepoort
1966s side-by-side

1907 D'Oliveiras Malvazia (that's the same as Malmsey, right?)

Well, Friday night is over, and it was epic!

As I expected, there were some surprises. We tasted the 12 Colheitas in flights of 4 with one oddball that arrived late.

For me personally, the first flight didn't live up to my exhalted expectations. The 1944 Royal Oporto was late to the party, so the flight consisted of the 1934 Niepoort, 1937 Kopke, and 1941 Moreira. All three were really very good with the Moreira being the weakest of the three in my eyes, but they just didn't put that silly smile on my face that a truely great Colheita creates. I liked the 1937 Kopke the best of the three, but group concensus seemed to prefer the 1934 Niepoort.

The second flight started good, got better, and then flopped. The 1953 Royal Oporto had a stink to it that never blew away - I noted it as "sneakers - Converse rubber" - so that dragged it down in my rankings for the flight. But for me it had easily the best flavor and texture, and had that stink blown off it probably would have won the flight for me. After the flight Andy and Roy mentioned that they've had this Port many times and this was a really poor showing for it, so I think I'm going to have to see if I can find some. The 1955 Burmester had an elegant floral note in both the smell and the flavor, and early in the flight's tasting it was my favorite. The 1957 Rocha started slowly for me - it seemed a little shallow and plain - but then came on like a runaway train as I worked on my notes. By the end of the flight it was rich and luscious. Sadly the 1963 Niepoort seemed to be an off bottle. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with it, but there wasn't much right about it either. It seemed unfocused and disjointed... the elements were there to make a very nice glass of Port, but they weren't cooperating.

The third flight ended up being my favorite of the evening. I thought all four Ports were fabulous. The mystery Colheita, by they way, wasn't a Colheita at all but a special blend that Roy created and bottled personally at Kopke. Off the top of my head I think he said it was made from 50% 1937, 20% 1957, 20% 1966, and 10% 1986. (Yeah... like that blend's not gonna work... ) I really couldn't tell it apart from the 1966 Kopke, but that might have been the drunken stupor talking. The 1974 Noval surprised me - it was much better than I expected. I thought it was a little more subtle than the Barros group trio with just a little bit less acidity.

We had dinner after the Colheitas, and it was excellent. I thought that the scallops were perfectly prepared.

After dinner we had the Madeiras all together. I was very surprised that my favorite was the 1905 D'Oliveiras Verdelho, and not one of the two (allegedly) sweeter wines - the 1900 D'Oliveiras Moscatel or the 1907 D'Oliveiras Malvazia. I had my usual trouble finding words to describe what I was drinking - even having to resort to "plastic" but not meaning it in a bad way for the 1960 Leacock's Terrantez - but enjoyed trying them all. The Mystery Madeira was one that I have had before and I didn't even recognize it - Manuel Eugenio Fernandez More Than 40 Years Old Verdelho. It seemed much dryer to me at this tasting than I remember it being at Roy's house, almost like biting into a lemon.

Well... it's time for lunch now (and I just got up!) so I supposed I should get something to eat. We have another huge batch of Ports today, and I'm going to need something in my stomach to protect me during the afternoon!

:help: