The FTLOP 11th Anniversary tasting was conducted over the weekend of July 22-24, 2016 in Issaquah, Washington.
Casual Tasting - Friday, 7/22/2016
This casual tasting included Champagne, table wines, and Ports. Included (but no tasting notes written) were:
- 2003 Quinta Vale Raposa Grande Escolha
- 2002 A. Rafanelli Zinfandel
- Lanson Black Label Brute Champagne
- 1996 Quinta do Vale D. Maria Douro Red
- 2001 Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz
- 1983 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/22/2016)
Light ruby in color. Strawberry and a touch of spirit on the nose. Good acidity with red fruit on the mid-palate. Some spirit on the long finish. (90 pts.) - 1968 Quinta do Noval Porto Colheita - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/22/2016)
Amber brown in color. Orange spice and some spirit on the nose. 21.5% alcohol. Tons of VA in this wine. Unctuous mouthfeel with orange peel.
Saturday's tasting was a "Mixed Bag" tasting where participants could bring whatever 1979 or earlier Colheita or Vintage Port they wanted to bring.
- 1963 Cockburn Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/23/2016)
Good clarity. Subtle orange and almond on the nose with a hint of bandaid. Rich, unctuous mouthfeel. Honey and touch of spice on the palate. Long, full finish with honey notes. (90 pts.) - 1967 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage Quinta de Vargellas - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/23/2016)
Bottled 1969 by Berry Brothers & Rudd, London. Amber brown in color. Mahogany and cocoa powder on the nose. Mocha notes on the full palate with a long, structured finish. (92 pts.) - 1970 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/23/2016)
Transparent brick in color. Some light sediment. Still some red fruit on the nose. Intense mouthfeel, with strawberry and some min on the palate. Full-bodied, elegant mouthfeel with a very long and balanced finish. (93 pts.) - 1970 Graham Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/23/2016)
Dark ruby in color. Red currant on the nose. Balanced tannins on the extremely rich palate. Some dusty notes on the finish. (95 pts.) - 1970 Sandeman Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/23/2016)
Amber brown in color. Some mint and red fruit on the nose. Full-bodied. Slighting disjointed with a little bitterness on the finish. (91 pts.) - 1977 J.W. Morris Port - USA, California (7/23/2016)
Dark amber with hints of purple. Fig on the nose. Still some primary fruit notes. Tannins on the palate and long finish. (88 pts.) - 1975 Cockburn Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/23/2016)
Amber in color with some hints of pink hues at the edges. Pronounced red fruit and spirit on the nose. Strawberry, some mint and a touch of spirit on the mid-palate. Long finish with good acidity. (87 pts.) - NV Royal Oporto (Real Companhia Velha) Porto 40 Year Old Tawny - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/23/2016)
Amber with noticeable orange on the edges. Orange spice on the nose. Bright acidity. A touch of cinnamon on the palate. Long, unctuous finish with hints of orange peel. (91 pts.) - NV Taylor (Fladgate) Porto 40 Year Old Tawny - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/23/2016)
Amber brown in color. Cedar on the nose with woody notes. Unctuous, firm profile with rolling waves of burnt sugar, honey, and citrus peel. (93 pts.) - 1968 Krohn Porto Colheita - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/23/2016)
Brown/amber in color. Cloudy with some sediment. Chocolate notes on the nose. Mouth-coating unctuousness. Molasses on the palate and a long finish. (94 pts.) - 1966 Kopke Porto Colheita - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/23/2016)
Amber orange with great clarity. Caramel and orange on the palate. Great acidity. Some woody notes and a touch of bitterness on the finish. (93 pts.) - 1966 Taylor (Fladgate) Very Old Single Harvest Port Limited Edition - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/23/2016)
Brown orange in color. Sweet tobacco and caramel on the nose. Brown sugar and espresso notes on the palate. Long, unctuous and intense finish. (90 pts.) - 1965 Taylor (Fladgate) Very Old Single Harvest Port Limited Edition - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/23/2016)
Amber brown in color. Dusty almond and leather on the nose. Toffee notes on the palate. (90 pts.) - 1964 Krohn Porto Colheita Branco - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/23/2016)
Bottled in 2008. Light banana and lychee on the nose. Vanilla on the palate with a coating mouthfeel. Long finish. (90 pts.) - 1940 Kopke Porto Colheita - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/23/2016)
Bottled 2001. Amber in color. Mostly clear, with some light sediment. Orange spice and wood notes on the nose. Black tea on the mid-palate with tannins present. Balanced acidity. (94 pts.) - NV Kopke Porto 375 Anniversary, Special Edition Tawny - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/23/2016)
Bottled in 2013. Labeled 1940 Colheita on the front label. Amber-orange in color. Mocha and chocolate notes on the nose. Orange marmalade on the palate. Unctuous, coating mouthfeel. Great complexity and balance (96 pts.) - NV Barros Porto 100th Anniversary Special Edition Very Old Tawny - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/23/2016)
Amber-orange in color. Caramel and orange spice on the nose. Great complexity, with layers of chocolate and subtle butterscotch. (95 pts.)
Sunday's tasting was a horizontal tasting of twelve Vintage Ports from 1966.
- 1966 João Allen Porto Alberto Rabello Valente Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/24/2016)
Medium ruby brown in color. Semi-transparent. Some spirit on the nose with some mocha notes and a touch of red fruit underneath. Medium body, with spirit and cherry cough drops on the approach. Some red fruit and tannins on the mid-palate with a long finish. (89 pts.) - 1966 Quinta do Noval Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/24/2016)
Dark chocolate brown in color with orange hints on the edges. Almost opaque, with good clarity. A hint of spirit on the nose with some dried cherry, Intense mouthfeel with sour cherry and some cinnamon on the palate. Long, unctuous finish with nice acidity and balance. (93 pts.) - 1966 Sandeman Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/24/2016)
Medium-dark ruby in color with slight bricking on the edges. Extremely fine sediment. Semi-opaque. Slightly subdued nose with some dusty red fruit. The mid-palate has some hints of cloying cherry. Nice finish. (92 pts.) - 1966 Offley Porto Boa Vista Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/24/2016)
Medium ruby-brown in color. Slight cloudiness. Elegant, well-balanced entry with some strawberry and red fruit on the palate. Something is a touch off on the palate with this wine, though and I think it might be corked. NR (flawed) - 1966 Warre Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/24/2016)
Amber-brown in color. Red fruit and some spirit on the nose. Intense raspberry and complex red fruit on the palate. Subtle cocoa and some red hots on the finish. A very well-balanced wine. (93 pts.) - 1966 Gould Campbell Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/24/2016)
Light amber brown in color. Mocha notes on the nose, but also some stewed vegetable notes. This bottle seems a little off. The finish in one-dimensional. (89 pts.) - 1966 Graham Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/24/2016)
Dark amber-brown in color. Subdued nose. Strawberry and hints of mint on the palate. Black tea and licorice on the long, balanced finish. (95 pts.) - 1966 Dow Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/24/2016)
Dark amber in color. Wow! Very elegant and well-integrated wine. Red fruit and rose petals on the nose. Extremely well-integrated strawberry, raspberry and some spice on the palate. (96 pts.) - 1966 Croft Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/24/2016)
Amber-brown in color. Light sediment, semi-opaque. Subdued nose with some light mint coming through. Mocha and dark, dusty fruit on the palate. Structured tannins on the finish. (92 pts.) - 1966 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/24/2016)
Very dark ruby in color. Semi-transparent with good clarity. Some vegetative and dusty notes on the nose. Intense flavor profile with waves of mocha, molasses, and dates. (96 pts.) - 1966 Fonseca Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/24/2016)
Very dark red-brown in color. Almost opaque with some slight pink color on the edges. Subtle nose. Unctuous mouthfeel, with a touch of espresso and some burnt sugar. Red fruit on the great, balanced finish. (96 pts.) - 1966 Quinta do Noval Porto Vintage Nacional - Portugal, Douro, Porto (7/24/2016)
Dark amber in color. Opaque with a touch of cloudiness. Some slight stemmy vegetative notes on the nose. Bring cherry on the palate. Some raspberry on the mid-palate and a very long, luscious finish. (95 pts.)