For The Love Of Port

I put this up on the FOR THE LOVE OF PORT Facebook page today, as it is a fun topic and one worth revisiting every once in awhile.

A friend wrote to me:

Blind tastings take longer - for me, at least - because I have to spend more time with each glass running through everything I can think of in order to find all of the aromas and tastes. They don't jump out at me, I have to search for them.

A. So what is your opinion? Do you find it that much more difficult if you can't see the label or does it just matter what is in the glass in front of you?

B. What if you knew the vintage but not the producer? Would that context make it simpler?

There is no doubt in my mind we have label bias. I've been at gatherings where one of the cheapest wines was the best and vice versa. Yet, if I/we know the bottles, etc. conclusions usually fall in line with price & reputation.

I rather like blind--it forces me to work a little harder to taste, sense, etc.

Vintage is relevant; it makes what’s in glass have some meaning.

Moses Botbol wrote:Vintage is relevant; it makes what’s in glass have some meaning.

Meaning relative to your knowledge and past experiences perhaps, but should it affect your perception or enjoyment?

Eric Menchen wrote:

Moses Botbol wrote:Vintage is relevant; it makes what’s in glass have some meaning.

Meaning relative to your knowledge and past experiences perhaps, but should it affect your perception or enjoyment?

It should affect my perception. You tell me a port is 1895 and it has a touch of tawny to it, I would expect it and think it has held up quite well. You tell me the same port is 2003, I'd say they are doing something quite "different and unique" to their port.

Just as price has relevance to me. You say you paid $10 or $200 on the identical sample, my remarks would be different.

The actual description of what is being tasted should not have relevance, but a judgement on the port should have some background.

To refine tasting skills, blind tasting is a must. I attend several per year. It helps develop palate memory. I think that having too many wines at one time is a mistake as the taste buds have a harder time distinguishing the wines.

I think if you opened 3 ports with a group and say you had 77, 85, and 91 Graham's , that would be a good lesson in distiguishing the ages and characteristcis of the wines. You could give a few or no clues.
You could do a horiziontal of say 85 Graham, Taylor and Dow. You could simply say these are three ports from the same year. People would have to gues the houses and the year.
The key is not to be right but to concentrate and learn something. In these kinds of tastings, I think people learn alot.

I open plenty of good bottles where I know exactly what it is and those are great experiences, but blind tasting helps develop tasting skills. We don't want it to become a game but it helps you to think about it and appreciate the wines more.

Single blind is what I like best. Ranking within a peer group. Double blind has more variables and sometimes conclusions are more difficult. That said, nothing stokes the ego like nailing a wine double blind!