For The Love Of Port

Hi!

What do you think of aged white ports, like Dalva 1952 and Dalva 1963?

João Franco

Outstading. Had both this weekend. The 1952 slightly better compared to the 1963. Very delicate. Fewer sugar-notes compared to colheita in general. But strong in freshness - very long lasting - nice viscosity.

Henrik Lilja wrote:Outstading. Had both this weekend. The 1952 slightly better compared to the 1963. Very delicate. Fewer sugar-notes compared to colheita in general. But strong in freshness - very long lasting - nice viscosity.

They can be very good. As mentioned the 1952 is a favorite of many here. That said, the older bottlings show better than the later bottlings of this rare Old White Colheita based on my experience.

There are some good white colheitas around, and the two you have mentioned are great examples of good ones.

The Barros 1935 is also excellent.

On the other hand, the Casa do Douro 1963 white is quite weak and evolved.

Al B. wrote:.

On the other hand, the Casa do Douro 1963 white is quite weak and evolved.

Not sure I'd call it weak, but a very different style than what most people expect an older white colheita to be.

I have only had it once, but the Dalva 1952 was a definite highlight of the Fortification Tour a couple years ago, in my opinion. I am more of a Madeira lover, but I bought 2 bottles!

I recently had the 71 dalva and 64 Krohn, both very good and worth looking for!

Old aged whites are really rather special, yet neglected by the vast majority of port drinkers.

I do wonder how many people go on a guided tour of a port lodge, and after being given a lukewarm glass of a standard white port, resolve never to try a white port again..

The dry standard whites make a good cocktail base (if cold..) but with the sweeter ones it doesn't really work - indeed I don't really get on with standard sweet whites at any temperature.

Good wood aged whites though are very different, and with the body to handle it, sweetness is not a problem.

Standard whites really don't benefit from bottle age - whether the aged ones do is an open question, but it doesn't seem to do them much harm - the oldest I've drunk was a Calem from 1933, in a bottle that was probably over 50 years old - it showed little sign of suffering from the wait to be opened..

Andy Velebil wrote:They can be very good. As mentioned the 1952 is a favorite of many here. That said, the older bottlings show better than the later bottlings of this rare Old White Colheita based on my experience.

Very true. 1952 Dalva White is a legend, but the older bottles are better. A must try for any port lover. Kopke has a good aged white port.