For The Love Of Port

Greetings everyone. Never posted here before so this will be my first go...

I recently picked up a bottle of the Henriques & Henriques "Inauguration Wine" that Rare Wine Company is offering (apparently a Verdelho from the '50s). I was wondering if anyone has tried it and formed any impressions. If not, I'll open her up and tell you all what I think.

Best regards,
Josh

I had posted on this in a previous thread. I don't think anyone has tried it yet. Please post a note if you pop one open.

Finally drank this over the weekend. Really loved it. The wine is fairly dark--let's say coffee colored. Wonderful nose, though--and this goes for the taste as well--the wine is so well integrated I'd be hard pressed to pick out distinct flavor components. Wonderful acidity--it really explodes on the palate--and a nice long finish (though once or twice I seemed to detect a metalic note in it). A great drink. I'll give it a 95.

Sounds great. How long did you decant?

Sorry for this late reply. I haven't been able to get to a computer for a couple days. I first drank the wine about 24 hours after decanting--which is when I detected the slightly metalic finish--then returned to it after it had been open about three days.

Josh,

Great to hear from you and even better to read your tasting notes which are coming along nicely. Hopefully at some point, you will do our tasting and the Madeira tasting on that memorable Sat. justice in a TN thread here.

Sounds like a fine bottling of Madeira. I have not sipped any more of that Terrantez you opened, but did revisit the Moreria Colheita we tried. As much as I was underwhelmed initially, Jay and Andy who have reported on this particular bottling were absolutely right. As you know better than anyone, I was not impressed with it at all ... especially next to the other Ports!

Nonetheless, it has gotten MUCH better, albeit it is ten days later and that is crazy. But the aformentioned guys nailed it saying that it would be at its best two weeks later. It is darker, richer and with thick viscosity now, along with a significantly better mouth feel and finish. From 85 points, I am now in the 90-91 range. I never remember a Colheita changing this much ... although I don't know that I have ever had one last for two weeks. Very doubtful.

Sorry to get a bit off track, but I just can't help it.

That Moreria Colheita has got to be the strangest bottle of Port I've had. I cannot recall every having a bottle that took so long to come round. Future planning is really in order before openeing one of those bottles again.

I agree, very strange. I still have a few bottle left and will plan accordingly before opening the next one. This is the only time I have had this experience.....makes one wonder though....the only way I found this out was I was turned off at first and then ignored it for quite a while. Not something I usually do.

Jay

Hello all, greetings from Madeira! I have an interesting addendum to this topic. Just spent the day with John Cossart, who is sure that this wine is a Malvasia, not a Verdelho, so that at least should tell you something about its character--this is no aperitif wine.

Roy, very interesting about the Moreria Colheita. Gotta run now but will write more later...

Josh,

Thanks for the info, which helps clear up some of the mystery about this particular bottle.

H&H Inauguration Wine #112 of 144 bottled in 2006.

I opened this bottle on Monday. There was very slight seepage. It appears that the cork may not have made a perfect seal. There was no fragrance. This was the most acidic wine I have tasted. The alcohol was prominent. The acidity and alcohol overwhelmed the taste, which was slightly sweet.

The wine was much the same on Tuesday. I poured it into a decanter. This is the darkest madeira I have seen, like tobacco juice. On Veterans Day, I sampled the wine again and the acidity seemed to be going down a little.

Today (Thursday) the acidity is reduced and the fragrance is coming around. The wine is thick in the mouth. The flavor is a little more pronounced, sweet with coffee. It will be interesting to see how much more it evolves.

Unfortunately, the wine went downhill after the last post. The flavor diminished and was completed overwhelmed by the alcohol. The slight fragrance disappeared. The wine was nearly undrinkable when I last tasted it a couple days ago. I have one more bottle, but I'm hesitant to try it.

Has anyone else besides Josh tried this wine? We seem to have had totally different experiences.