What have you opened this week?

[Thomas V]

Congratulations!

Thanks.

With Denmark's advance into the semifinals of the European Championship I opened a newly purchased 1995 Churchill's Auga Alta (cellar defender). Pretty mature for its age with notes of rhubarb and strawberries. Still a little tannin left but this is probably nearing or at its peak. Nice to calm the nerves on after a tough second half of the match.

[Al B.]

Recently also tonged the top off a “mystery” old Warre VP and found it to be a 1945! Which was nice.

Wonderful surprise! What luck.

With Denmark's advance into the semifinals of the European Championship I opened a newly purchased 1995 Churchill's Auga Alta (cellar defender). Pretty mature for its age with notes of rhubarb and strawberries. Still a little tannin left but this is probably nearing or at its peak. Nice to calm the nerves on after a tough second half of the match.

I opened a bottle of Morgan 1991 to sip during England’s quarter final. It tasted much better by the end of the game than when I first opened it at the start of the game.

[Mike J. W.]

Quinta do Mourao S. Leonardo 40 y.o. Tawny and 30 y.o. White in celebration of my daughter's wedding today, the 4th of July.

[Andy Velebil]

Quinta do Mourao S. Leonardo 40 y.o. Tawny and 30 y.o. White in celebration of my daughter's wedding today, the 4th of July.

Congrats to all!

[Mike J. W.]

Quinta do Mourao S. Leonardo 40 y.o. Tawny and 30 y.o. White in celebration of my daughter's wedding today, the 4th of July.

Congrats to all!

Thanks Andy. It was a great day and both Ports were fantastic.

[Moses Botbol]

Had a '66 Fonseca the other night. Showed quite well.

[Al B.]

Opened a low fill magnum of Van Zeller 1933 hoping the cork would tell me what the wine was.

The cork was branded VAN ZELLER VINTAGE 1933 — so no help there!

[Tom Archer]

Just about to decant a Niepoort '97 - a bottle I re-corked back in September '12 due to seepage.

..will it be good? - will it be evil?

- will report later..

Edit: Decanted. Slight whiff of vinegar on the cork. First sip revealed a hint of VA, but overwhelmed by a rich super-spicyness..

..see how it evolves

[Glenn E.]

For our Anniversary dinner this year, I opened a 1987 Graham's Malvedos and 2 x 1987 Kopke Colheita (375ml bottles, bottled 2013). Both were really good, especially the Kopkes which were noticeably better than the last couple that I've opened.

[Al B.]

It’s not always top end bottles we open at our house. This week has seen us chill and open bottles of Churchill 10YO Tawny (one of the Port.Club bottles) and of Lamelas 10YO White. The white was gone within 3 hours of being opened!

[Andy Velebil]

Ramos Pinto 20 yr tawny (b 2020). Outstanding port.

[Glenn E.]

Ferreira Dona Antonia 20 Year Old Tawny Port

This used to be called Duque de Braganca but has been re-branded. It is otherwise the same Port as before, and is still superb.

[Mike J. W.]

Barao de Vilar 10 y.o. White Port. One of the better 10 y.o. White's that I've had.

[Al B.]

Graham 2015 LBV drunk from the fridge during our current heatwave (by UK standards -30C / 86F). This is an excellent LBV.

[Mike J. W.]

1994 Taylor Fladgate LBV (filtered). This is a great, aged LBV.

[Tom Archer]

1994 Taylor Fladgate LBV (filtered). This is a great, aged LBV.

The degree of filtration matters enormously, yet we are always left guessing about this. The Niepoort LBVs do not qualify as unfiltered, yet age very well for decades, something that appears to be intentional. The Taylor LBVs age moderately well, but don't seem to gain much after ten years, whereas their aged tawnies never really seem to go over the hill.

By contrast, the Symingtons seem far too aggresive with their filtration regimes, and filtered products sold under the Graham label never seem to benefit from years in the cellar. The Dow LBVs however, despite being T-stoppered and not marketed as unfiltered, seem to throw as much sediment as an unfiltered wine and age very well, so presumably escape treatment.

These days, the producers generate a detailed technical data sheet for every wine they make, yet inclusion of the fining/filtration/cold stabilisation regimes deployed seems optional, and only gets mention when they have been omitted.

Every producer must have a settled policy when it comes to filtration - you don't notice LBVs that appear filtered one year and not the next. Is hiding the detail of this commercially important? If all producers were required to make disclosure on their data sheets, it's hard to see anyone gaining an unfair advantage as a result.

[Andy Velebil]

Smith Woodhouse 20 yr tawny.

[Eric Menchen]

By contrast, the Symingtons seem far too aggresive with their filtration regimes, and filtered products sold under the Graham label never seem to benefit from years in the cellar. The Dow LBVs however, despite being T-stoppered and not marketed as unfiltered, seem to throw as much sediment as an unfiltered wine and age very well, so presumably escape treatment.

I think Smith Woodhouse and Warres LBVs receive minimal filtering and both age well.

[Tom Archer]

I think Smith Woodhouse and Warres LBVs receive minimal filtering and both age well.

They are marketed as unfiltered - or bottle matured - but the Dow isn't

[Glenn E.]

I think Smith Woodhouse and Warres LBVs receive minimal filtering and both age well.

They are marketed as unfiltered - or bottle matured - but the Dow isn't

Dow is probably nominally filtered, thus not qualifying for the "Unfiltered" designation.