NV Kopke 40 Year Old Tawny Port
Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2020 3:44 pm
From a case of 2020 bottlings which had arrived only the day prior, this Kopke was badly needed as well as intensely welcome at the dining table after indifferent bottles from Quinta Nova and Messias which had preceded it. Older Kopke tawnies have always delivered for me and are sublime at their best. Unsurprisingly, this bottle served to reinforce my confidence in this producer.
Poured immediately upon opening, the wine sported a lime rim in the glass, was a stunning amber in colour and as translucent as any liquid save water can be. The nose was still more sublime, the olfactory nerve being treated to an alluring mélange of orange zest and honey, with a hint of toffee thrown in for good measure. There was, additionally, an odor redolent of the sitting room of my maternal grandmother, filled as that was with English (“brown”) furniture kept sharp with beeswax. On entry, honey, cinnamon and a hint of dried almonds were in evidence, giving way quickly and sharply to the aforementioned orange zest as well as an intense blend of fine spices. The cinnamon reappeared at the long-running finish, which rolled in waves across the palate and throat. The first of the waves featured a reappearance of the cinnamon and honey, coupled with smoke, which together nipped gently at the palate, in turn warming the throat and the soul all the way down. My eyes closed by this point, all I remember of the second wave was a delightful warming of the cheeks.
Very much in the Kopke style - a touch on the dry side of the median with an acidity which could dissolve a diamond - this bottle did not disappoint. The 40 year old Kopke tawny port remains deserved of the highest recommendation.
-94.5 points
Poured immediately upon opening, the wine sported a lime rim in the glass, was a stunning amber in colour and as translucent as any liquid save water can be. The nose was still more sublime, the olfactory nerve being treated to an alluring mélange of orange zest and honey, with a hint of toffee thrown in for good measure. There was, additionally, an odor redolent of the sitting room of my maternal grandmother, filled as that was with English (“brown”) furniture kept sharp with beeswax. On entry, honey, cinnamon and a hint of dried almonds were in evidence, giving way quickly and sharply to the aforementioned orange zest as well as an intense blend of fine spices. The cinnamon reappeared at the long-running finish, which rolled in waves across the palate and throat. The first of the waves featured a reappearance of the cinnamon and honey, coupled with smoke, which together nipped gently at the palate, in turn warming the throat and the soul all the way down. My eyes closed by this point, all I remember of the second wave was a delightful warming of the cheeks.
Very much in the Kopke style - a touch on the dry side of the median with an acidity which could dissolve a diamond - this bottle did not disappoint. The 40 year old Kopke tawny port remains deserved of the highest recommendation.
-94.5 points