1963 Niepoort Vintage Port

[Eric Menchen]

Tasted blind. The brightest and most golden of the twelve wines to be tasted, this has a orange-red hue, but is radiant and glowing. This could almost pass for a very sweet white, like an old higher number Kracher, or a 6P tokaji; but it is just a hint too red. Smells a bit like those too—wonderful honey, fenugreek, and a little fusel alcohol. Very developed flavors, very warm in the finish. Tannins and red fruit are gone, except perhaps for maybe a ghost of raspeberry or even blueberry skin is there. Fascinating. Tart acidity-orange marmalade, citric acid, stripped of the pulp. Sweet and fun. Brown sugar shows up in the retro-nasal aromas. 94+ points. Some people guessed this to be a white Port, but I thought it was a red, but really old like 1927 or 1935.

[Moses Botbol]

That's an off bottle. I have plenty of this vintage and shows as dark as the best of any '63 vintage. Interesting tasting notes!