Single blind tasting of Andresen, Kopke, Ferreira 20, Sandeman 30, 1999 Kopke Colheita

[Miguel Simoes]

These bottles had been opened for a couple of days to over a week each. Had them single blind.

Kopke 20 Year
- nice in the mouth (not thin, not mouthfilling either), nutty. not overly sweet w a little acidity. cant distinguish much in the way of red fruit flavors (good)
- tasty finish but not super long
92
Guessed: Ferreira


1999 Kopke
- fairly opaque, v cloudy
- red fruit flavors, grapey. thin in the mouth, unremarkable finish.
89
Guessed: 1999 Kopke

Ferreira 20 Year
- on the sweeter side in the mouth. not v acidic. no red fruit. feels a bit thin in the mouth. finish finally hits and it is wonderful w nutty flavors, complex. wow
93-94
Guessed: Kopke

Andresen 20 Year
- cloudy but not opaque
- delicious in the mouth, hints of honey, sweeter w v little acidity
- long finish w sweet flavors, vanilla?
92-93
Guessed: Andresen

Sandeman 30 Year
- nice in the mouth, a little nutty, a little acidity
- finish has a little red fruit, also nutty but not as much as some of the others
- long finish, more nuts/vanilla emerge the later on
92-93
Guessed: Sandeman

Going fwd, will stick to the Ferreira and the Andresen. Two v different styles and def the better value wines. Will be sure not to let the Ferreira linger in my mouth to enjoy its finish, the best part of it!

(Andy, not sure how best to turn these into tasting notes... should i just do it one by one? how can i reference this post?)

[Andy Velebil]

No worries, I'll split them out into their own TN's this week. Leave them just as they are

[Miguel Simoes]

Forgot to mention prices it on the post below, think important so adding it now.

Kopke 1999 $30
Andresen 20 Yr $38
Kopke 20 Yr $39
Ferreira 20 Yr $46
Sandeman 30 Yr $60 (wondering if the seller made a mistake w this price, but that's what i got it for)

(these are the lowest i've paid for them before tax or shipping)

One that i had a while back and that I enjoyed was the 1992 Andresen, which at $29/bottle I found to be decent value (much better value than the Kopke 1999 at $30).

The Kopke 20 I feel is a solid 20 Yr but it lacks the "wow" factor than you get w Ferreira's finish or Andresen's mouthfeel. Perhaps perfect for a german/northern european audience, w its perfect balance??

I wish there was a 20 yr out there that combined both the Ferreira and Andresen's strengths... it is clear that you can have it in a 20 yr, just a matter of blending. Would def be willing to pay $60/bottle for one that did.

[Andy Velebil]

I've split your tasting notes into their own.
Very nice line up and always fun to compare these Ports side by side. Really makes the subtle nuances stand out.