1983 Graham Vintage Port
Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:22 pm
A friend just turned 30, so I opened this bottle for a birthday dinner at The Purple Café in Kirkland. I wasn't able to give it a full decant... it was decanted at 3:00 and dinner started at 5:00. It continued to open up and improve throughout the course of dinner, but I don't think it had yet reached its peak at 7:00 when we discovered to our dismay that the bottle was empty.
1983 Graham Vintage Port
Color: Dark purple/red. Not opaque, but impressively close for a 30-yr old Port.
Nose: Lush, rich fruit. Some that hits at blueberries, some that hints at something richer. There's some alcohol, but it's fragrant and not at all overpowering.
Palate: Rich black cherry, on the tarter side for black cherry. Moderate tannins that are still on the slightly rougher side. Quite sweet but that's countered by a tanginess to the fruit. Paired very well with my New York Strip steak, which had a salt and black pepper rub along with a mushroom cream sauce.
Finish: Good length, with lots of leftover berries and pleasant warmth.
Score: 94 points. I usually like the G85 better than the G83, but that's typically because the G85 is more approachable. We may be getting to the point where that's no longer the case as the G83 matures, and I'm beginning to think that the G83 might be a better Port for the long haul. I'll have to open another G85 soon just to be sure.
1983 Graham Vintage Port
Color: Dark purple/red. Not opaque, but impressively close for a 30-yr old Port.
Nose: Lush, rich fruit. Some that hits at blueberries, some that hints at something richer. There's some alcohol, but it's fragrant and not at all overpowering.
Palate: Rich black cherry, on the tarter side for black cherry. Moderate tannins that are still on the slightly rougher side. Quite sweet but that's countered by a tanginess to the fruit. Paired very well with my New York Strip steak, which had a salt and black pepper rub along with a mushroom cream sauce.
Finish: Good length, with lots of leftover berries and pleasant warmth.
Score: 94 points. I usually like the G85 better than the G83, but that's typically because the G85 is more approachable. We may be getting to the point where that's no longer the case as the G83 matures, and I'm beginning to think that the G83 might be a better Port for the long haul. I'll have to open another G85 soon just to be sure.