Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
Moderators: Glenn E., Roy Hersh, Andy Velebil
Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
For the 14th time in history, please add your favorite Port consumed this year. If you have an even better bottle during the Christmas and New Years holidays, please do come back and let us know. In the past, some of you have chosen to list your top 10, others break down by categories of their fave Ports ... it is all good.
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
- Eric Ifune
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Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
San Leonardo 90 year old White.
- Glenn E.
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Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
Haha... I figured that would be your answer.Eric Ifune wrote:San Leonardo 90 year old White.
Mine is from the same visit... the new blend 100 year old Tawny.
Glenn Elliott
- Andy Velebil
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Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
Niepoort VV (original bottling). An easy 100
Points.
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Points.
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Andy Velebil Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used. William Shakespeare http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
1948 Fonseca was near perfection.
1966 Noval Nacional also defied time like the '48 Fonseca.
1966 Noval Nacional also defied time like the '48 Fonseca.
Last edited by Moses Botbol on Mon Dec 17, 2018 10:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
Welsh Corgis | F1 |British Cars
Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
Not counting cask samples ...
My contenders are the San Leonardo 90yo white and 60yo red. (sadly I have not had the 100yo)
If forced to choose - the 60yo.
My contenders are the San Leonardo 90yo white and 60yo red. (sadly I have not had the 100yo)
If forced to choose - the 60yo.
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Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
According to my notes, my highest score went to 1941 Kopke Colheita Port, which I gave 96+ points. On the vintage side, a 1955 Niepoort scored 95+ points. I wonder what I might find before the end of the month ...
- Eric Ifune
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Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
Best nonwhite wood aged would be the Roncao Muito Velho from 1885.
Best aged VP 1970 Grahams.
Best young VP 2016 Grahams Stone Terraces.
Best aged VP 1970 Grahams.
Best young VP 2016 Grahams Stone Terraces.
- Glenn E.
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Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
I'll have to check my notebook to be sure, especially with regard to best aged ruby Port, but my list is eerily similar to Eric Ifune's. It's almost as if we went on the same Port Harvest Tour together!
Tawny: S. Leonardo 100 Year Old Tawny Port (new blend)
- I like the new blend better than the old blend, but still gave them both 100 points while we were at Quinta do Mourao. I wasn't quite as impressed by the DR (Roncao) 1885, though if we make TWAIOA and Colheita separate categories then the 1885 would be the best Colheitas that I tasted in 2018 at 99 points.
White: S. Leonardo 90 Year Old White Port
- White Ports normally seem to stop improving for me at around 50-60 years old, but this was pretty special and I gave it 99 points.
young VP: 2016 Graham's The Stone Terraces
- at 99 points, the highest I've ever rated a VP regardless of age. The regular 2016 Graham is crazy good, too, but the Stone Terraces just blew it away. I went even crazier buying the 2016 than I did the 2011, but this time I bought it all in England so there should still be some left in the US for the rest of you.
aged VP: 1952 J.H. Andresen, private cellar
- tasted in the Andresen lodge and at 98 points was, by a fairly wide margin, the best aged VP I had in 2018. 2nd place was 3 points behind and was a 4-way tie between a '55 Graham, a '60 Graham, an '85 Graham, and a '94 Vesuvio. (There may be a pattern to this...)
(edited to reflect scores and notes from my TNs)
Tawny: S. Leonardo 100 Year Old Tawny Port (new blend)
- I like the new blend better than the old blend, but still gave them both 100 points while we were at Quinta do Mourao. I wasn't quite as impressed by the DR (Roncao) 1885, though if we make TWAIOA and Colheita separate categories then the 1885 would be the best Colheitas that I tasted in 2018 at 99 points.
White: S. Leonardo 90 Year Old White Port
- White Ports normally seem to stop improving for me at around 50-60 years old, but this was pretty special and I gave it 99 points.
young VP: 2016 Graham's The Stone Terraces
- at 99 points, the highest I've ever rated a VP regardless of age. The regular 2016 Graham is crazy good, too, but the Stone Terraces just blew it away. I went even crazier buying the 2016 than I did the 2011, but this time I bought it all in England so there should still be some left in the US for the rest of you.
aged VP: 1952 J.H. Andresen, private cellar
- tasted in the Andresen lodge and at 98 points was, by a fairly wide margin, the best aged VP I had in 2018. 2nd place was 3 points behind and was a 4-way tie between a '55 Graham, a '60 Graham, an '85 Graham, and a '94 Vesuvio. (There may be a pattern to this...)
(edited to reflect scores and notes from my TNs)
Glenn Elliott
Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
Tawny:
A tie between a Sandeman 40 and the San Leonardo 40. Both utterly marvelous.
Vintage Port:
1985 Grahams. Meets the hype.
LBV:
2003 Warres. Still a fruit bomb; nicely complex. Punches well above its weight.
My Port consumption was way down this year; not by design just lack of opportunity.
A tie between a Sandeman 40 and the San Leonardo 40. Both utterly marvelous.
Vintage Port:
1985 Grahams. Meets the hype.
LBV:
2003 Warres. Still a fruit bomb; nicely complex. Punches well above its weight.
My Port consumption was way down this year; not by design just lack of opportunity.
Any Port in a storm!
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Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
RED: 1994 Quinta do Vesuvio
WHITE: S. Leonardo 60 Year Old White Tawny
Still haven't tried any 2016s yet...
WHITE: S. Leonardo 60 Year Old White Tawny
Still haven't tried any 2016s yet...
Marco DeFreitas Connecticut, USA
- Eric Ifune
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Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
What Port Harvest Tour?
Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
Best Tawny: DR 100 Anos straight from cask
Best VP: Fonseca 1970
Best White: DR 50 Anos
Best Port experience: Visiting Quinta do Vesuvio
Best VP: Fonseca 1970
Best White: DR 50 Anos
Best Port experience: Visiting Quinta do Vesuvio
Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
Vintage ports:
1934 Ferreira and 1970 Taylor's
Tawny / Colheita:
Mourao 60 yrs (once again), Bulas 40 yrs and 1948 Niepoort Garrafeira
1934 Ferreira and 1970 Taylor's
Tawny / Colheita:
Mourao 60 yrs (once again), Bulas 40 yrs and 1948 Niepoort Garrafeira
Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
By the look of VP answers the 1970 seems to be in tip top shape at the moment.
Graham's, Taylor's and Fonseca....
Graham's, Taylor's and Fonseca....
Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
1970 is probably the best quality / price ratio for mature vintage port at the moment. It's not cheap but it's very, very good and it is cheaper than '66, '63, '55... and arguably nicer than 1977 or 1985...Thomas V wrote:By the look of VP answers the 1970 seems to be in tip top shape at the moment.
Graham's, Taylor's and Fonseca....
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Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
For sure it's better than '77 or '85 and consistently better across all producers where '77 & '85 had some duds even for well respected brands.Al B. wrote:1970 is probably the best quality / price ratio for mature vintage port at the moment. It's not cheap but it's very, very good and it is cheaper than '66, '63, '55... and arguably nicer than 1977 or 1985...Thomas V wrote:By the look of VP answers the 1970 seems to be in tip top shape at the moment.
Graham's, Taylor's and Fonseca....
One could argue that 1970 is the greatest vintage ever excluding modern ones like '94 or '11...
Welsh Corgis | F1 |British Cars
Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
I have not drunk a lot of Port this year.
But one to remember was the Taylor Fladgate Vergellas 2015.
But one to remember was the Taylor Fladgate Vergellas 2015.
- Glenn E.
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Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
I don't have all that much experience with older classics like 1948, 1945, 1927, and 1912, but at least in my experience I would have to agree with you. 1970 is easily the best vintage of mature Vintage Port in my experience. I'll also leave 1994 and 2011 (and now possibly 2016) out of the discussion for now as none of them are mature enough yet to know how great they're truly going to be. 1994 is looking awfully good, though.Moses Botbol wrote:For sure it's better than '77 or '85 and consistently better across all producers where '77 & '85 had some duds even for well respected brands.Al B. wrote:1970 is probably the best quality / price ratio for mature vintage port at the moment. It's not cheap but it's very, very good and it is cheaper than '66, '63, '55... and arguably nicer than 1977 or 1985...Thomas V wrote:By the look of VP answers the 1970 seems to be in tip top shape at the moment.
Graham's, Taylor's and Fonseca....
One could argue that 1970 is the greatest vintage ever excluding modern ones like '94 or '11...
Glenn Elliott
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Re: Best Port(s) you have had in 2018?
Hands down it was a 1994 Fonseca VP.
"I have often thought that the aim of Port is to give you a good and durable hangover, so that during the next day you should be reminded of the splendid occasion the night before." - Hungarian/British journalist & author George Mikes