October 2009 VT : Share a VP of Warre's Cavadinha

[Frederick Blais]

Sorry for being late on this. Why not follow last month topic and move on to another assessement of SQVP from the Symington's and try the Cavadinha bottlings.

[Michael M.]

I only had 1995 Cavadinha VP so far. Last tasting was in December 2008. It was way too young.
Here's my tasting note.

I find this example to be a very good (SQ)VP, but far from being mature. I would guess that this one is at least 10 years from being fully mature. If served to me blind, I never would have guessed it to be a 13 years old Vintage Port. I would have said 2001 or 2004.

+ 5 hours: violet at the edge, opaque, nearly black in the middle. Nose of red fruits, dominating raspberries, lot of alcohol. On the palate full bodied, not too sweet, masses of tannins, aggressive.

+ 24 hours: Always a lot of alcohol in the nose, more raspberries and dark cherries. In the mouth lots of tannins. Long aftertaste.

+30 hours: On the nose raspberries and dominating dark cherries, reduced alcohol. Because of the tannins always very youthfull mouth feeling. Long lasting aftertaste.

+ 51 hours, now: Even after more than two days in the decanter it did not fade away. Reduced alcohol on the nose, red to dark fruits, very powerful on the palate with a long lasting aftertaste. Impressive and better than before. Love it.

[Andy Velebil]

1984 Warre's Quinta da Cavadinha Vintage Port

Tasted at Quinta da Cavadinha with Miles Edlmann and Dan Carbon during the Harvest Tour on 10/07/09. I've never had this vintage of Cavadinha and I don't recall ever seeing a TN on it. The bricked ruby color was showing its age from this weaker vintage. A soft yet fragrant nose of violets, flowers, and strawberries was inviting. A typical softer palate so inline with older Warre's styling. There was plenty of tobacco, tea, strawberries, and a touch of oxidation showing. The tannins are getting rounded and while there, are only moderate. Yet a soft and long finish pull together a nice SQVP from this off-vintage. A nice bottle to start drinking now, I don't see this getting any better.

89-90 points

10/07/09

[Roy Hersh]

In addition to the very fine 1984 Cavadinha which was one of the best of the Cavadinha's I enjoyed that day Andy mentioned, we also had the 1986 which I thought was a fun VP but preferred the 1984. The 1992 wasn't showing very well, but was still enjoyable, but my least of the three so far into the tasting. 1996 was very solid and scored above the previous three, lots of gutsy plum flavors. Then it was on to the 2005 Cavadiinha which was top of the heap and still so primary yet drinking superbly now ... GREAT potential.

There endeth our tasting ... not exactly a TN, but all of these were consumed in October.

[Frederick Blais]

I was about to write on the 88 Cavadinha from 1/2 bottle but its corked...