For The Love Of Port

FTLOP 4th Anniversary party
Holiday Inn, Issaquah, July 30th 2009

1. 1937 Warre Reserve Tawny (Colheita) bottled 1997
2. 1963 Niepoort Colheita bottled 1986
3. 1966 Porto Rocha Colheita bottled 1997
4. 1968 Quevedo Garrafeira Particular (Colheita) bottled 1999
5. 1963 Croft Vintage Port
6. 1963 Warre Vintage Port
7. 1966 Dow Vintage Port
8. 1967 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port

1963 Niepoort Colheita
bottled in 1986

Color: Faintly cloudy in the glass. Slightly darkened tawny with orange notes.
Nose: There's a lightness or an airyness to the nose along with a slight dustiness. Mild alcohol, some high tone vanilla, light oak, some citrus, and as the glass begins to dry a fairly prominent note of Christmas spices.
Palate: Smooth and elegant, but lacking in power. Various light woods and something straw-like. Mild heat, Kraft vanilla swirl caramel, graham crackers.
Finish: Somewhat longer than the 1937 Warre, but still seems short for an old Colheita. Pleasant and smooth.

Score: 93. I started out at 92, but given an hour or so to sit in the glass it improved enough to warrant another point. The 1963 Niepoort changed the most of any of the Ports over time, going through several phases while we tasted the other bottles.

A rare pleasure and although a v. gd. bottle of this, I have had fresher versions show more verve and nerve.

Glenn E. wrote: The 1963 Niepoort changed the most of any of the Ports over time, going through several phases while we tasted the other bottles.

this is one thing I've noticed about the hand full of older Niepoort Ports that I've had. They really go through some major changes for a number of hours until they finally settle down into something wonderful. The last couple of older I've had, I've let them sit in the glass if the first taste doesn't seem up to par. Then later, they really seem to come around. The '63 at the Seattle Port Gala was like this and by later in the evening it really came around.

My advice to anyone opening an older Niepoort would be to give it plenty of time if something seems off at first. So far in every case I've experienced where a bottle has been a bit off at first, with extended decanting they made considerable improvements.