What have you opened this week?

[Eric Menchen]

S. Leonardo 40 Year Old Tawny
After some cocktails and dinner I opened this to go with dessert. I thought I might have some leftover to enjoy during the week. But with my friends, we polished it off. It was excellent as usual.

[Al B.]

Martinez 1997. Had some bake / earthiness on the fruit on the first evening but much of that blew off the half that sat in the decanter and got finished the next night.

[Roy Hersh]

I brought a group of Oxford students to the Douro for their first time and truly enjoyed watching their amazement and enthusiasm when coming from the other side of the Mourao mountains by train and seeing the vineyards in all their glory. Being a single day trip, there was only one place for them to have time to have a righteous visit, and no question it was going to be at the easily walkable, Quinta do Bomfim. A warm 24 degree day in March, made for a great walk in the vineyards with someone with the expertise to explain it all. Flowering was taking place and the birds were chirping loudly. The tasting was pre-arranged as I wanted them to explore a wide range of categories.

* A White Port Tonic - Graham's Blend #5 White Port
* Cockburn's Special Reserve - fun explaining to the students, and Dow's guide - about how the 1977 Cockburn's VP helped secure this Port's future.
* 2018 Dow's LBV (B. 2022) - an excellent first LBV to be introduced to a GREAT value Port category!
* 2020 Quinta do Bomfim Vintage Port - welcome to SQVP from this good year.
* 1994 Dow's Vintage Port - see the difference 30 years of aging makes. Nary a sip was left, not only from their glasses. The entire bottle vaporized.
* Dow's 10 year old Tawny Port - Welcome to the dark side of the force with this light and elegant wood-aged Port.
* Dow's 20 year old Tawny Port - A seriously significant step up!

I thought they'd all sleep on the way back to Porto. But that was definitely not the case. I was surprised at all the questions they had and their enthusiasm for Port overall. These Oxford under-grads were all within a year of my daughter's age and it was so incredible that only two had ever even tried a single Port before. Every single one of them said that they loved not only the experience but would seek out affordable Ports when back in the city and upon return to the UK. A few preferred the tawnies, but all said they LOVED the 1994 and how different it was coming on the heels of the 2020 which was so boldly red fruited, and the harmony of the big, but silky 1994 really explained why people lay away bottles for decades. It was so nice to see that this young generation, without prompting ... was very emphatic in their new found appreciation for an adult beverage which they liked "a lot more than the wines we drink with meals." Success!

[Andy Velebil]

Graham’s 30 yr old tawny

[Moses Botbol]

Did a bunch of port over the weekend. Winners across the board. What amazed me the most was that '77 just edged the '66. Would never have thought that. All were pop and pour

-1966 Croft
-1977 Croft
-1983 Gould Campbell
40 yr. S. Leonardo

[Glenn E.]

S. Leonardo 40 Year Old Tawny

40 yr. S. Leonardo

We had one of these at our last Port club meeting. It was one of the really good old bottlings from 2011. Which bottlings did you guys open?

For as much effort as producers put into keeping their TWAIOA consistent, it sure seems like we're able to easily identify when something important happens with the blend!

[Andy Velebil]

S. Leonardo 40 Year Old Tawny

40 yr. S. Leonardo

We had one of these at our last Port club meeting. It was one of the really good old bottlings from 2011. Which bottlings did you guys open?

For as much effort as producers put into keeping their TWAIOA consistent, it sure seems like we're able to easily identify when something important happens with the blend!

How’s the old blend holding up? I think I’ve still got one or two stashed away.

And yes, there was a change in the blend at some point after they got more popular. Which wasn’t unexpected.

[Glenn E.]

S. Leonardo 40 Year Old Tawny

40 yr. S. Leonardo

We had one of these at our last Port club meeting. It was one of the really good old bottlings from 2011. Which bottlings did you guys open?

For as much effort as producers put into keeping their TWAIOA consistent, it sure seems like we're able to easily identify when something important happens with the blend!

How’s the old blend holding up? I think I’ve still got one or two stashed away.

And yes, there was a change in the blend at some point after they got more popular. Which wasn’t unexpected.

The old blend is still fantastic. IIRC the average score was 95-ish points? And the group was split between it and the 1937 Porto Rocha (b. 2007) for wine of the night.

[Eric Menchen]

I brought a group of Oxford students to the Douro ... It was so nice to see that this young generation, without prompting ... was very emphatic in their new found appreciation for an adult beverage which they liked "a lot more than the wines we drink with meals." Success!

[Eric Menchen]

We had one of these at our last Port club meeting. It was one of the really good old bottlings from 2011. Which bottlings did you guys open?

Mine was a 2018 bottle that I purchased on winebid.com, for which I probably know the original buyer I still have two bottles from an earlier FTLOP arranged purchase, and two just purchased last year. Sure it would be nice to taste them all side by side, but also great to enjoy one on its own.

[Andy Velebil]

We had one of these at our last Port club meeting. It was one of the really good old bottlings from 2011. Which bottlings did you guys open?

Mine was a 2018 bottle that I purchased on winebid.com, for which I probably know the original buyer I still have two bottles from an earlier FTLOP arranged purchase, and two just purchased last year. Sure it would be nice to taste them all side by side, but also great to enjoy one on its own.

If you come to Los Angeles, I’m game :)

[Moses Botbol]

Which bottlings did you guys open?

2019

[Roy Hersh]

Did you love the 1983 GC?

[Frederick Blais]

Checking on a 2011 Ramos Pinto Vintage. Like many 2011, this is aging really slowly. Still quite tannic and on its primary fruit flavours. I'll need to be more patient :)

[Moses Botbol]

Did you love the 1983 GC?

Was dark and grapey! It was a terrific port, but needs a lot more aging IMO. GC's seem to age at a snail's pace.

[Glenn E.]

Checking on a 2011 Ramos Pinto Vintage. Like many 2011, this is aging really slowly. Still quite tannic and on its primary fruit flavours. I'll need to be more patient :)

I think 2011 is going to go down as one of the best vintages for Port in a very long time. There was also a lot of hype about 2017, but I don't have it on the same level. 2011 is going to be listed alongside 1994, 1970, 1948, and 1927. I think it's epic.

[Frederick Blais]

Checking on a 2011 Ramos Pinto Vintage. Like many 2011, this is aging really slowly. Still quite tannic and on its primary fruit flavours. I'll need to be more patient :)

I think 2011 is going to go down as one of the best vintages for Port in a very long time. There was also a lot of hype about 2017, but I don't have it on the same level. 2011 is going to be listed alongside 1994, 1970, 1948, and 1927. I think it's epic.

Yes Totally agree! This is why I did not buy many as I will probably will never have the time to drink them at their peak

[Eric Menchen]

1991 Andresen Colheita

[Moses Botbol]

1970 Dow on Friday night. About half through. Last night it was in a truly special place. Really sublime. Totally integrated with the right amount of heat on the nose. Probably finish it tonight.

[Mike J. W.]

1991 Andresen Colheita

How was it? I really like their Colheitas.