For The Love Of Port

I am hoping to get a little advice on 1983 VPs. My fiancee was born in 1983 and I was hoping to start collecting 1983 vintage to celebrate her birthdays. I was wondering what some good ones are to drink in the coming years, and which might have some lasting power. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

pg

Paul,

Welcome to the forum, glad to have you here posting!

1983 is a bit hit and miss. I would recommend the Graham's, Cockburns, Dow, and if you got big $$ NOval Nacional. I would avoid Taylors and Fonseca as both are lack-luster in '83.

I will also add, the Cockburns have an abnormally high rate of corked bottles. If you use the search function there are several topics on this. However, a good bottle will show very well.

I hope this helps a bit and please be sure to post again. We are quite the friendly group here and we love to help each other out.

Paul,

Welcome to FTLOP 8)

I have only had 2 1983's that I can recall from memory. Smith Woodhouse which I enjoy very mush and Offley Boa Vista, which I tasted just this week. An enjoyable wine but not spectaular. Both of these are very good value if you can find them. The Smith Woodhouse will last longer than the Offley, in my opinion.

Derek

PS: I bet there are not many here who have a 23/24 year old fiance

I realize somehow I ended up with two names on this forum, but this is the one I used in the past and hope to keep using to learn more. Thanks to everyone for the advice so far.

pg

One of my favorite 83 is Ramos Pinto, Grahams, Gould Campbell, Quarles Harris and Smith Woodhouse did also great port that year.

You can be glad that you got the '83 year - I have the problem of finding solid stuff for '82 which unfortunately seems not to have been such a great year port-wise

Paul, I would also recommend Smith Woodhouse and Gould Campbell in 1983. Both are drinking very well now but have the stuffing to make it over the long-term. If I had to choose just one, I'd go for the Gould Campbell which I would think will make the next twenty years with ease and tends (in the UK at least) to be a bit cheaper than the Smith.

Xaverin, have you tried Ferreira 1982? I liked this a lot and again, it was not expensive.

Philip

In a square tasting of {Taylor,Graham,Dow}×{1980,1983,1985} the least satisfactory was the T83.

I would be wary of folks that recommend or steer you away from Ports they have never tasted. I never seem to understand how that can be done with a straight face? If you don't know anything about it except what you've read, is it right to pass judgement?

I don't care if the person is Robert Parker, James Suckling, or my wife ... if you have no experience with a particular Port or wine, you really should not be the one offering "pro or con" advice.

This was a huge topic awhile ago on the Squires' BB and the VAST majority agreed with this ... it was Broadbent who had been the culprit.

To further elaborate, Frederick mentioned above that he loves the 1983 Ramos Pinto. Now, I have had this several times and once even with six of you here. I don't particularly think it is that good, but ... that makes no difference. It doesn't mean that Frederick is wrong. It certainly does NOT mean that I am right either!

We all have taste buds and FORTUNATELY they are all different, or mostly different. That is a good and healthy thing in wine appreciation. It would be pretty darn boring here and drinking Port too ... if we all liked and disliked the exact same wines. That doesn't even begin to take in the minor affliction called "bottle variance" which is a real and living thing. 10 wines in a case can be great and 2 from the same case can be terrible. It is what it is.

jdaw1 wrote:In a square tasting of {Taylor,Graham,Dow}×{1980,1983,1985} the least satisfactory was the T83.

I'd be most interested to know how you found the relative maturity of the Taylors 85 vs. the Grahams 83. I had a case of the Grahams 83 five years ago and felt it had some way to go. The Taylors 85 I have no experience of and I am wondering which to start on next.
Thanks

jdaw1, in his little book of occasional tasting notes, wrote:April 2002, jointly hosted with RML, and RKA CLA MJM EJWW JFH (substitute for MRZ). Dow, Graham and Taylor in each of 80, 83, and 85. D80 much spicier than the fruity G80, both of which were better than the T80. T80 a bit, well, dull. The 83s were weak and thin: a poor vintage. Of them G83 the darkest and richest, T83 (!) the weakest. T the worst! T85 & G85 far too young, D85 just ready. The Dows all much more similar than the other houses. Several people comment that the T80 has a roughness or irritation in the throat, but I didn't detect it. A slightly odd note in the D83 — perhaps just weaker than the other Dows. G80 finished first, then D80 T80 D85 D83 G83. Good show by Dow, bad by Taylor.

(When I host a tasting, it's an hour-long tasting followed by an evening-long drinking. And the notes aren't meant to be weapon grade.)

Other experience of the Taylor 1985 says that it is just coming into fruition, but there's plenty of time. For more than a decade I have been writing "wait another ½ decade" beside "T85".

My only exposure to 1983 VP was Dow, which was excellent. It's great that you're looking at 1983 in general for celebrations, because Bordeaux and Sauternes was excellent as well. Makes for a very nice celebration dinner!

Warre's '83 seems to be one of the better choices for that particular vintage. Fonseca is rather disappointing and I've noticed that Dow's '83 isn't up to their usual standards as well.

In my humble opinion (and I've quite a variety of '83's) the Fonseca, Dow, and Graham's are among the best from the 1983 vintage ...in descending order.

I'd have to agree with Marc, about the Fonseca. Although it is good, lower-90 pt. wine ... it is not up to the greatness that Fonseca can achieve. Drink it next to the '85 sometime and you'll see the HUGE difference.

The Dow '83 blows it away in my opinion. When the bottles are on (not corked) the Cockburn's '83 is still my favorite, followed by the Nacional, Dow and Graham.

Cockburn, Graham's , and Dow's (in that order) for me. The Fonseca I had recently was a real disappointment.

-Dave-

I like the Grahams the best, followed by the Ramos Pinto. The Ramos Pinto is a "love it or hate it" port. If you have never had it you should give it a try and make up your own mind. It is a little unusual!

Jay

Where in the UK can I buy less than a case (but more than none) of the Ramos Pinto 1985?

jdaw1 wrote:Where in the UK can I buy less than a case (but more than none) of the Ramos Pinto 1985?

Wine Searcher says:
Raffles Fine Wines - Nailsworth £27.50
TEL: 01453 833133
http://www.raffles-wine.com

-Dave-