For The Love Of Port

From the FTLOP 5th Anniversary Party at the Holiday Inn Issaquah, July 31, 2010.

I was having an off palate night, possibly caused by dinner at Cucina Cucina, so my ratings were significantly lower than everyone else's. In some cases I have reverted back to my initial impressions because, in retrospect, those seem more appropriate given how others were scoring.

1904 Sandeman Vintage Port

Color: Medium dark tawny with a very slight red tint. Fades through pink to clear at the rim.
Nose: Hickory smoke, possibly some sandalwood.
Palate: Sharp. Medium dry wood (sort of a semi-musty grain-like note), possibly charcoal? Too harsh, but still good.
Finish: Long but tart. A bit of a bite and some alcohol.

Score: 80 points. I thought it was good but not great. Given its age that's still a remarkable score, but I think my off palate affected this Port most dramatically. I dipped as low as 78, but have decided to go back to my initial impression because the Port seemed to get worse over time for me. Not so for others, as I recall.

Glenn is a good friend so I will only say that as he's mentioned, something went awry. The vast majority in the room, who have experienced well-stored 100+ year old VP, loved this one (and I am only positive of about 5 others in attendance who've had VP of that age). I was not only impressed by the color but this showed really well considering it arrived directly from the plane ride then a cab ride and still was an elegant VP with lots of positive qualities. Very solid given the age ... or, just on its own merits. Had I not known what was in the glass ... I'd have felt the exact same way. What a fine experience. Often times, these are opened and the beauty emerges for an hour or so (sometimes less) and then disappears into oblivion. That's one difference between a VP of this age and a Colheita.