1994 Graham's Vintage Port
Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2023 8:12 am
This is a tale of 2 Ports (possibly 3). It's the same Port and yet it was markedly different from day to day.
Day 1: I decanted it without much sediment and it sat in my 60 degree basement in my decanter for 11 hours. I took a small first taste right after I decanted it. It was slightly closed but gave off faint hints of dark berries and cloves. The taste was simple but sweet. Little did I know what to expect after I had my first glass 11 hours later. Pouring that first real glass after a long decant I was expecting a nice, pleasant Port. The color was a dark purplish-red, almost the color of a French merlot. I'd say it was about 80% opaque. I had had this at a tasting along with John M. a year or two ago. It was good, but not great. This Port was a whole other animal. Warm scents of berries, pine tar and cloves filled my nose. You could literally smell the sweetness. My first sip was a wave of flavors harmoniously knit together almost perfectly. Boysenberries, blueberries, vanilla, creme brulee, cloves, and hints of milk chocolate all mixed together. There were other flavors as well, but my uneducated palate couldn't identify them. There was no alcohol taste whatsoever, just a finely meshed Port that exhibited little to no flaws. It was one of the best glasses of Port I had ever had in my life. So I had a second glass, lol. It was glorious. That first night, if I had drank the entire bottle, I would have given it 97 pts.
Day 2: 24 hours later I had my third glass. I had pulled it from my little college room style fridge which sits at 48 degrees. I let it warm up a little, took a sip and wondered if I was really drinking the same Port. It was good, but nowhere near the greatness of last night. Many of the flavors were still there, but it was unknit and slightly disjointed. The alcohol had poked it's head in and the Port just seemed slightly out of sorts. At best, I would have given this Port 91 pts.
Days 3 & 4: I finished the Port over the next 2 days. It had settled back down and was better knit. The same flavors were present again as on day 1 along with hints of pine tar and cigar ash. Although not approaching the greatness of Day 1, this was a very good Port. It was eminently drinkable and enjoyable. I would give it 94 pts. for both nights.
All in all this was a very, very good Port, but also a weird one because of the whipsaw swing from night to night. Averaging the nights together, I would give this a score of 94 pts.
Day 1: I decanted it without much sediment and it sat in my 60 degree basement in my decanter for 11 hours. I took a small first taste right after I decanted it. It was slightly closed but gave off faint hints of dark berries and cloves. The taste was simple but sweet. Little did I know what to expect after I had my first glass 11 hours later. Pouring that first real glass after a long decant I was expecting a nice, pleasant Port. The color was a dark purplish-red, almost the color of a French merlot. I'd say it was about 80% opaque. I had had this at a tasting along with John M. a year or two ago. It was good, but not great. This Port was a whole other animal. Warm scents of berries, pine tar and cloves filled my nose. You could literally smell the sweetness. My first sip was a wave of flavors harmoniously knit together almost perfectly. Boysenberries, blueberries, vanilla, creme brulee, cloves, and hints of milk chocolate all mixed together. There were other flavors as well, but my uneducated palate couldn't identify them. There was no alcohol taste whatsoever, just a finely meshed Port that exhibited little to no flaws. It was one of the best glasses of Port I had ever had in my life. So I had a second glass, lol. It was glorious. That first night, if I had drank the entire bottle, I would have given it 97 pts.
Day 2: 24 hours later I had my third glass. I had pulled it from my little college room style fridge which sits at 48 degrees. I let it warm up a little, took a sip and wondered if I was really drinking the same Port. It was good, but nowhere near the greatness of last night. Many of the flavors were still there, but it was unknit and slightly disjointed. The alcohol had poked it's head in and the Port just seemed slightly out of sorts. At best, I would have given this Port 91 pts.
Days 3 & 4: I finished the Port over the next 2 days. It had settled back down and was better knit. The same flavors were present again as on day 1 along with hints of pine tar and cigar ash. Although not approaching the greatness of Day 1, this was a very good Port. It was eminently drinkable and enjoyable. I would give it 94 pts. for both nights.
All in all this was a very, very good Port, but also a weird one because of the whipsaw swing from night to night. Averaging the nights together, I would give this a score of 94 pts.