Q: Rozes 40 Year Old Port

[Lee Henn]

I have just picked up a Rozes 40 Year Old Port from a warehouse clearance for US$40. Could not find out much information about this port in the internet. The Rozes website is in portugese so no luck there. Have anyone tried this port before?

Thanks a lot!

Cheers,
Henn

[Gustavo Devesas]

Hello there!
I´m could probably give you a special opinion!
I said this because I have worked at Rozès Cellars as a Guide Tour/Cellar Manager during 3 years,and I was the main Responsible to include the 20 and 40 years Old Tawny Port in the Tasting Tours, my friend!
I can tell you that,first for the price that you have paid(in the cellars it was 65.46 €) it was a wonderfull purchase, in my opinion the best Aged Tawny by Rozès is the 20y Tawny but I must confess despite all my hearth for the extremly good tomes I have passed there, that the 40y is in my honest opinion a average/good for the range...
It's not my favourite one(altough I have more then 12, 40 yrs Tawnies in my bar available),but is a wonderfull Tawny full of cynamone aromas and apple jam after taste!(My tasting book is in my head!)

My opinion :arrow: GREAT BUY , GREAT VALUE!

[pgwerner]

I have just picked up a Rozes 40 Year Old Port from a warehouse clearance for US$40.

Great deal - unfortunately, I'm nowhere near Kuala Lumpur, so I can't take advantage. :)

Rozes has a history of unloading some outstanding wine on warehouse stores at some unbelievable prices. Back in 1999-2000, they sold a huge stock of their wonderful LBV to Trader Joe's and Beverages and More. The Trader Joe's price was $10/bottle and it was my LBV of choice during that time. By the time I figured out that this wasn't going to last forever and I really should buy a case, it was gone.

In 2002 or 2003, I came across their Vintage Port, over 10 years old, selling for $25/bottle at, of all places, Grocery Outlet (aka the Canned Food Warehouse). I (unfortunately) cautiously bought one bottle, really enjoyed it, then went back to find it all gone.

Now I don't find Rozes sold in California for any price.

Could not find out much information about this port in the internet. The Rozes website is in portugese so no luck there.

Rozes is a French-owned Port House, owned by the Champagne conglomorate Vranken Pommery. At least in their beginnings, they produced primarily for the French market, but now sell worldwide. (Though, as I said, I don't see it here in California anymore.)

Have anyone tried this port before?

Never had any of their Tawnies, but their LBV and Vintage Ports are excellent and would be a good buy even if not bargain priced.

Peter

[Frederick Blais]

I had it last year and I had pleasure drinking it! Here in Canada we pay around three times the price you paid for that port :? Open one soon and go grab a few others if you like it!

For you I'm going to do my best translating my French tasting note

Amber color, early nose was closed but after a while it really opened beautifuly getting complex and charming on caramel, brown sugar, vanilla and grenoble nuts notes. On the palate, the acidity and onctuosity of a good 40 years old tawny are taking over with notes of orange peel, crème brulée, cinammon and a lingering toffey finish. Great stuff! 18/20


Rozes 40 ans: Couleur ambrée soutenue, le nez prendra quelque temps avant de s'ouvrir pleinement sur un registre de caramel, cassonade, vanille et noix de grenoble. La bouche est dominée par une acidité et une onctuosité digne des 40 ans avec des notes de zest d'orange, crème brulée, canelle et une longue finale sur le toffey. Superbe! 18/20

[Roy Hersh]

Lee,

Hello my friend, it is really great to see you posting here. I have not heard from you in quite awhile, possibly since checking up on you after the catastrophic tsunami last year. I am very pleased you are posting here. Welcome back!




Gustavo wrote:

I said this because I have worked at Rozès Cellars as a Guide Tour/Cellar Manager during 3 years,and I was the main Responsible to include the 20 and 40 years Old Tawny Port in the Tasting Tours, my friend!

How cool is it that a question is answered by someone who actually worked for the producer? In the past few weeks we've seen the winemaker from Vista Allegre, J. H. Andresen, the Managing Director of the Fladgate Partnership and Bartholomew Broadbent all posting here or recently joining. I did not expect that many of the Port trade members would ever reveal themselves here on the site. I know many more (that email me) will never do that and I understand their reasons. Now we have added Gustavo who I met during my last trip. A brilliant young study with a fine Port mind, for the history as well as knowing the producers ... especially the ones that are not known to most consumers in the USA and UK. It is nice to see this site gaining such a wealth and depth of knowledgeable people.

That said, I hope you all will continue to make this a friendly and welcoming place for those just getting interested in Port and looking to learn. I know you will and you've already proven this. I just don't want to see this site turned into a "geeks only" place to post. I saw that happen to the old AOL wine boards and it was the death knell there, as newbies were too intimidated to ever post. Sorry to get off topic!

[Lee Henn]

Gustavo,
What a special honor to have someone who have personally worked at the Quinta itself to share your tasting notes and advice. Thank you very much. You must have had great joy working as the Guide Tour/Cellar Manager and I bet you would have great memories of the stint. We do not get a lot Rozes port back here in Malaysia and unfortunately the wine community here does not seem to enjoy it as much for its credit. Perhaps the bane of the instant justification culture that's catching up. We also do not have much of a secondary market for matured ports. Unfortunately the distributor had decided to discontinue their Rozes line, among others, and was clearing all the old stock. I was severly disappointed when they cleared the only bottle of Rozes Vintage 1986 for US$13.50 and somebody grabbed it ahead of me..sigh..but I managed to grab a bottle of the 40 Years Old Tawny. It's gone is a blink. I am planning to open the bottle for our wine group Chinese New Year wine dinner this weekend. Will report back on my impressions of the port.

Pgwerner,
Thanks for your notes. Just out of curiosity, where are you based? Yes, I shall learn from your experience. I have actually been keeping an eye out for Port clearance back here and one of the lady at the distributor actually asked me, "You really like the sweet stuffs?" My answer,"Oh yes! Pass them all to me!" Ha..ha.

Fred,
Thank you so much for translating the website tasting note for me. Yes, I guess I got it cheap. The original price was about US$80. They cleared it at half price.

Roy,
I've been following your website since it was launch and have been lurking here since then. I do not get to drink enough port to be able to post much TNs here but it's really hazadous to be reading all the notes as it makes me want to go out there and spend. Ha..ha. Especially tough is when there are great sales highlighted in the US.

I am glad that all of your hard work and passion is coming to around so nicely. Yes, I am very tempted to hitch on to your port tours but the exchange rates is putting me at a disadvantage. Perhaps one day. I am trying to get one of the wine merchant from home to see if they would be interested to head on your tour..ha..ha...I hope so and they can come back with more port representation.

Off the topic too, I am so sad to see what happended to WLDG and I hardly visit there anymore. It has just gotten too 'wild' and technically demanding that nothing short of a broadband will allow for me to read it at a comfortable pace. Dail-up just gets me frusfrated.

I hope for all the best to all your ventures and hope to be able to catch up with you one day on your tour or in Seattle! Cheers!

[pgwerner]

Pgwerner,
Thanks for your notes. Just out of curiosity, where are you based?

Marin County, in the San Francisco Bay Area.