For The Love Of Port

I have had the 2011 Quinta do Noval Nacional twice since mid-September and the second time was just two weeks ago. Incredibly approachable and enjoyable today. Less power and more about finesse, but the underlying structure is undeniable.

Also in very recent weeks, I drank the Crasto 2011 VP and although tons of fun right now, it is still quite tannic too, but not in a grippy sense. More like this youngster is ready to deliver pleasure at the moment and with a great mouthfeel as well as its fig and chocolate laden flavor profile, there is no question this has another 3-4 decades of excellence. Maybe more. I find this one of the best Qta do Crasto VPs I have had. That said, even the 1999 and 2003 Crasto VPs are drinking amazingly well nowadays.

My winner from the official blind tasting of the 2011s in Porto was the Crasto. Nacional didn't contribute a bottle, which was a pity.

As for drinking VP at 13 years? It's a very hit and miss age for drinking VP, the maturation rollercoaster frequently throws up false flags to create impressions that do not follow through.

I don't touch any VP now until at least 24 years old and only then in very small quantity. The average age of the VP I drank at home last year was 45.3yrs