For The Love Of Port

1997 Souza VP

No Sousa in Québec
Shared Grahams 2003 with my 2 bros and sis

Luc Gauthier wrote:2011 Sandeman LBV
Excellent price/quality 17.50
Black fruit , short finish

I'm a huge fan of the quality of the Sogrape LBVs and of the price they go for. I usually point people towards these when someone asks for advice in building a cellar - they can be drunk now but will also cellar really well for 20+ years, in my opinion.


Last night we got together in London for some port (it was 14C / 57F and pouring with rain). My contribution was a bottle of Taylor 1970 and a bottle of Dow 1975. Others opened Fonseca 1977, Rebello Valente 1977 (mag), Sandeman 1970, Ramos Pinto 1983, Ramos Pinto 1970, Churchill Agua Alta 1992, Berry Brothers Own Selection 1977, Quinta do Noval 1997, Krohn 1961 and Smith Woodhouse 1977. Worth braving the rain!

20YO Fonseca Tawny Port, pretty delicious.

San Leonardo Very Old White.

Ferreira Porto Duque de Bragança 20 Year Old Tawny
Transcribing tasting notes, I was really tempted to open a 1997 VP, but this will serve me better late on a Thursday night as I can finish the bottle over the weekend.

2011 Taylor LBV

San Leonardo 40 year old.

S. Leonardo 40 Year Old Tawny Port for dinner at Frasers Gourmet Hideaway before the Oak Harbor Pigfest
1970 Graham Vintage Port for dinner with my parents after picking them up from their 2-week cruise in Alaska

I got my two bottles for August out of the way on one fell swoop!

I blind tasted a couple on four different 2015 Vintage Ports I will find out which they are tomorrow when I remove the bags.

The weather was a little cooler in the UK yesterday, so I opened a bottle of Sandeman 1963. Interestingly, the cork was branded "1963 Vintage Recorked 2007" but no mention on the cork of who the shipper was.

Al B. wrote:The weather was a little cooler in the UK yesterday, so I opened a bottle of Sandeman 1963. Interestingly, the cork was branded "1963 Vintage Recorked 2007" but no mention on the cork of who the shipper was.

IIRC Sogrape is not putting the producer on their corks anymore, just vintage (or the recork dates as you mentioned). From what I surmised it was a cost saving issue. Use the same batch of corks for many different SKU's of wines...I'm not a fan of it. I totally understand when it's a cheap bottle, say something under $25 bucks. When I spend good money on a bottle costing $50 or more, that I will probably be aging for some time, for god's sake put a properly branded cork in it. Charge me an extra $0.03 cents for it, I don't care. But it comes off as cheapening a quality and pricey product when producers take short cuts on cork related issues. My is over. :)

Andy,

So how do you really feel?

Once every 2 weeks i check at the SAQ (Québec) what port i can buy. I saw a Smith Woodhouse Vintage 1994 at 85$ Can. I was lucky enough because a guy bring me the bottle *near* my home (about 2 hours of car). So i made the trip.
When i came back i decided to opened it... maybe a little young but why wait. A really good port (like all the 1994 i drank). I drank it in 3 hours and a half and it was at its best after 2 hours.

2015 VPs:

Vallado
Croft's Quinta da Roeda
Quinta do Vale Meao
Quinta da Gaivosa

Andy Velebil wrote:

Al B. wrote:The weather was a little cooler in the UK yesterday, so I opened a bottle of Sandeman 1963. Interestingly, the cork was branded "1963 Vintage Recorked 2007" but no mention on the cork of who the shipper was.

IIRC Sogrape is not putting the producer on their corks anymore, just vintage (or the recork dates as you mentioned). From what I surmised it was a cost saving issue. Use the same batch of corks for many different SKU's of wines...I'm not a fan of it. I totally understand when it's a cheap bottle, say something under $25 bucks. When I spend good money on a bottle costing $50 or more, that I will probably be aging for some time, for god's sake put a properly branded cork in it. Charge me an extra $0.03 cents for it, I don't care. But it comes off as cheapening a quality and pricey product when producers take short cuts on cork related issues. My is over. :)

I agree with you 100% (but I love your definition of a "cheap bottle @ $25" some people I know may not consider that cheap!). Making this change seems pennypinching and mean.

2012 Taylor LBV

1970 Niepoort's Colheita.

Bottle was from a different source than my others. Great fill and cork was in fantastic shape, but the wine was closer to the "not much left to it" side. Some tangerines, stone fruit and smooth. Pleasant heat to it. No musty or old flavors. Day two (did not decant) was better. I believe it was bottled in the mid 80's. Tasty port, but not epic like the times I have had this bottle. 90 points.

1987 Cálem Q. da Foz VP

Last weekend we drank 2 very different bottles from each end of the port wine spectre. Delicious in both their own right nonetheless.

I'll be sure to post taste notes shortly.

1994 Warre's VP
2007 Dalva White Colheita