For The Love Of Port

1994 Warres from a 375. Have yet to taste.

I opened a 2015 Graham LBV, a 2011 Graham VP, and a 1970 Graham VP for an educational tasting.

The LBV is showing signs of maturing slightly. It's no longer boisterously fruity, but is still delicious. I think I have 5 left, so I'll probably queue them up for drinking more regularly now.

The 2011 seemed like it was in a down phase, which isn't surprising given that it's just 14 years old and probably entering its "teenage funk" period.

The 1970 was singing, though one person thought it was very, very mildly corked. So mildly corked that our usual "canary in the coal mine" taster didn't think it was, but this new person is a winemaker and probably the most TCA-sensitive person that I've ever met.

V. Allegre 40 year White. Amazing. Hard to stop drinking this one.

2013 Cockburn’s Quinta dos Canais VP. A bit soft and tight day one. Much better by day two.

Opened a '95 Vesuvio last night. Jammy and young.

For my local tasting group, all served blind, and mixed VPs and Colheitas

1957 Kopke (ringer)
1958 Krohn Colheita
1960 Krohn VP
1961 Krohn VP (Gaia)
1961 Krohn VP (Danish)
1961 Krohn Colheita
1963 Krohn Colheita

My first trip to Portugal with Roy was in 2006. Among other visits, we spent the day at Vesuvio and trod the lagares that evening.

This weekend we opened a bottle of 2096 Quinta do Vesuvio. The taste of my feet is nearly fully integrated.

Al B. wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 11:30 am My first trip to Portugal with Roy was in 2006. Among other visits, we spent the day at Vesuvio and trod the lagares that evening.

This weekend we opened a bottle of 2096 Quinta do Vesuvio. The taste of my feet is nearly fully integrated.

I didn't think they were selling that yet,

Mike J. W. wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 1:57 pm

Al B. wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 11:30 am This weekend we opened a bottle of 2096 Quinta do Vesuvio. The taste of my feet is nearly fully integrated.

I didn't think they were selling that yet,

He bought futures.

Eric Menchen wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 4:21 pm

Mike J. W. wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 1:57 pm

Al B. wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 11:30 am This weekend we opened a bottle of 2096 Quinta do Vesuvio. The taste of my feet is nearly fully integrated.

I didn't think they were selling that yet,

He bought futures.

1994 Martinez - Much better than it was a few years ago. Well integrated on night two.

Noval 10 Year Tawny (bottled 2022). Finally bought a case of varied cellar defenders. Drinking too many vintage ports recently.

Wife has been on a port tear. Had to stop the bleeding!

1985 Dow VP. Fully mature and it's drinking very nicely now. TN to follow in the next few days.

Warre 1963, bottled by Berry Brothers. I was obviously too thirsty. When I started drinking just after decanting, the wine was a bit hot and thin. 3 hours later as the last glass was being poured from the decanter, the wine had put on weight and lost the heat.

Note to self: like it’s a bad idea to go food shopping when you’re hungry, it’s a bad idea to decant when you’re thirsty!

A very good 2018 Quevedo LBV (unfiltered)

San Leonardo 40 yo white.

My first trip to Portugal with Roy was in 2006. Among other visits, we spent the day at Vesuvio and trod the lagares that evening.

This weekend we opened a bottle of 2096 Quinta do Vesuvio. The taste of my feet is nearly fully integrated.

How is that VP showing Alex?

I was waiting until the 20th birthday of that tour, to open the first one. I think we will need to have some kind of reunion here in PT, or the UK of that tour, or even the 2005 first offline with UK/USA Forum guests.

It might be crazy, but repeating that exact same theme might be a lot of fun!

Last night for my friend's 50th birthday here, I opened a Madeira and also one of the 1974 Carnation bottles of Barros Colheita. There were mostly younger people left when I decided to open it as at least fifty people had left at that point in the evening and there were about 15 guests still there. Great feedback, as most had never seen nor tasted this ever before. I believe I am now down to my last 4 bottles. At least that's the case in my PT stash.

Roy Hersh wrote: ↑Sun Mar 23, 2025 1:16 pm

My first trip to Portugal with Roy was in 2006. Among other visits, we spent the day at Vesuvio and trod the lagares that evening.

This weekend we opened a bottle of 2096 Quinta do Vesuvio. The taste of my feet is nearly fully integrated.

How is that VP showing Alex?

I was waiting until the 20th birthday of that tour, to open the first one. I think we will need to have some kind of reunion here in PT, or the UK of that tour, or even the 2005 first offline with UK/USA Forum guests.

It might be crazy, but repeating that exact same theme might be a lot of fun!

It was showing really well, young but with a great balance.

Some kind of reunion in 2026 would be great fun, maybe in Portugal would work well - but timing and possibility would depend mainly on the guys from the US who were on that trip.

Let’s chat about it when we see each other next.

Deal.

We can find a time to do this ... I have some ideas already. And venues that would be very cost efficient too.

Glad to hear that the Vesuvio 2006 is already a nice drink.

I don't know if this is happening to you too, but it seems the older I become, the more I find that younger VPs are more enjoyable than I did a decade ago, and far more so than 2 decades ago!