1970 Gonzalez Byass Vintage Port

[Guest]

From an original wooden case bought at Sotheby's last year. Total cost of the case, including BP and delivery, was less than £200, so this bottle does not have to work very hard! This my first bottle from the case.

Jemmying the case open, I find that the bottles are suspiciously similar to those from Butler Nephew, with the same combination of stencilling and paper label - even the font on the label is the same.

The capsules are different, but there is no doubt that these wines were bottled under the same roof. Is the wine the same??

Removing the capsule, I find a slightly elevated cork, but on inspection this is clearly due to spauling when the cork was inserted rather than poor cellarage.

I managed to draw the cork in one piece. Cork is clearly branded, but with the text running around the cork instead of lengthways along it - unusual.

Decanted fairly cleanly, quite pale and very bricked. Not perfectly clear.

First sip - quite a lot of bottle stink, but behind that a distinctive, nutty, toffee like aroma. On the palate it's a little sharp - as one expects just after decanting - but sweet, and holds the promise of good drinking when it's settled down.

Checking my notes of the Butler Nephew '70, I am pretty sure this is NOT the same wine.

More anon.

Tom

[Tom Archer]

+3 hours - a small glass

Clearer now, a pleasant golden red colour going to a clear edge.

Both bouquet and taste come on strong with burnt sugar flavours. Sharpness almost gone - very sweet - nice long finish.

A little bit light perhaps - lacking grip - but a very respectable performer.

More later...

Tom

[Tom Archer]

+ 12 hours - a nightcap

The colour change is dramatic - even allowing for the lack of daylight this looks very dark now.

Those brown sugar flavours remain very evident - and very agreeable. No fire now, and the long finish remains - but longer!

I really have to work hard now to forget the brand name - this is playing in the big boys league. Mayson refers to GB as being underrated at auction - I agree!

Will re-visit at 24hours and post a score - but looking good!

Tom

[Tom Archer]

26 hours on and the wine is little changed from last night. Very much at the sweet end of the spectrum, it's best attribute is the finish - which just goes on and on..

To rate it then.

Is it better than the median for VP? - Certainly. In the top quartile? Yes, but not quite up to a 9, so for immediate gratification this gets an 8.

Where's it going? This is so loaded with sugar it is not going to decline very fast, and like most of the '70's it comes over as being sturdy, and well able to last.

But I sense that this is very slightly past it's best, so a further gradual decline is likely.

Therefore, my score is 8-7

Tom

PS If Gonzalez Byass could make wines like this, why on earth did they abandon ship on Port?

[Al B.]

Tom,

Thanks for the tasting notes. I always enjoy the way that you include your thoughts as well as your opinions of the wine.

I'm about to post a couple of notes and I'll try to include scores along the line of yours, as well as my normal ones.

Alex

[Andy Velebil]

Thanks Tom, It was good to read such a detailed note since I have never heard of this brand before.