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Return to Newsletter Archive Index
For The Love Of Port Dear friends of Port wine,
The beginning
of this New Year does not feel as jovial is it has in past years, with
current world events that linger on the mind. Yet it is time for some
optimism and hope and a look towards brighter days to come. With this in
mind, I look forward to 2005 and improving the newsletter and along the
way, launching a website to respond to your suggestions for increased
interactivity, as well as a broader framework for offering more
information on Port.
An intermediary step will be using a Window’s based platform as an attachment, instead of producing and sending it on AOL’s server. This modification will make, For The Love Of Port, easier to read for the vast majority of recipient’s. Thanks to Michael Bryan of Atlanta, for first alerting me to the difficulty he had in deciphering facets of the newsletter in the previous format. While I explore a more professional design, please bear with me and feel free to provide feedback, questions or suggestions. There are a few “new” features this month and as always, a number of excellent Port inquiries to read.
Thanks for
your supPort!
Roy
CONTENTS:
~ News Exclusive: 2004
Vintage Report
~ Feature article: Madeira’s Sweet Nectars: Malvasia & Moscatel ~ January's Tasting Note: 1994 Quinta do Cachão ~ Roy's monthly Port website recommendation ~ Book report: Port and the Douro ~ PortoLover's Mailbag: Letters and e-feedback
Vinhos Messias owns the Quinta do Cachão with nearly 300 acres planted to vine, (Cachão is Portuguese for waterfall), which is way up the Douro River near the Tua River and not far from Quinta de Vargellas, has never been known for their Port, much less Vintage Port. A pretty property with olive oil production and almonds growing is well suited for Port making. Messias mostly makes table wines from the various regions around Portugal. They are fine producers of the aguardente, (brandy used in the fortification process) and have only been selling Port for about 70 years. The Quinta do Cachão vineyards were first planted circa 1845 and Messias did not get their hands on this property until the mid-1950s. In the end of the 1800s, even after Phylloxera, Cachão had some sustainable ungrafted vines in its vineyard. Their Ports are rarely exciting, but I had been given a heads up about their 1994 LBV and I located a bottle. My expectations were modest and I was hoping for a nice surprise. Immediately I was struck by the color which was beautiful to look at and hard to describe. It was reminiscent of a cherry wood furniture color, with some light red/orangeish/brown color. This looked much more like a very old Tawny or Colheita. Aromatically it was showing mature notes as well, with some vanilla cream, ripe dates, high-toned varnish (remember, I like VA in Madeira!), and a pronounced walnut essence. On the palate, this had no link to a ten year old LBV, but that mattered not. The mouth feel was very soft and this was like drinking a fully resolved 75 year old VP. Great complexity if you can wrap your head around some heat on the finish. It offers medium weight but is just lovely to roll around the tongue with the flavors of date ‘n nut bread, fondly remembered from childhood. I am glad that nobody tried to make me guess this one blind. I’d never have guessed it correctly! All in all, it is an elegant, yet atypical glass of LBV. I will be buying more at the bargain price of $16, here in WA. On the bottle it is written: Imported by Luiz’s Grocery and Liquor, Inc. Fall River MA (Massachusetts). BTW, there was a decent amount of sediment in this bottle, so decanting is essential. 91 points
_____________________________________________________
THE DOURO: 2004 VINTAGE REPORT Richard Mayson was kind enough to provide us an exclusive look into the harvest conditions up the river in the Douro Valley, that may provide some surprises. The 2004 harvest in the Douro kept us all on a knife-edge but ultimately surpassed all expectations. It followed an extraordinary growing season with wet weather at the end of 2003 and an incredibly dry start to 2004. At Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim just 147mm of rain fell during the first four months of the year - less than half the ten-year average. Flowering went well in all three Douro sub-regions but fruit set was slightly less successful due to very rapid shoot growth encouraged by the warm, sunny conditions in May. July was hot with temperatures reaching 40oC towards the end of the month. Vineyards remained in excellent condition but as August approached (normally the hottest month with no rainfall at all), growers became concerned as to how the vines would cope with the low water reserves in the soil. Then the unheard of happened. Rain fell on three consecutive days in early August followed by yet more rainfall in the middle of the month. In total 77mm fell at Quinta do Bomfim making this the wettest August in the north of Portugal for 104 years! The weather remained abnormally cool and overcast into September, slowing down the ripening process. When wet, unsettled weather returned in the first week of September growers faced a major dilemma: start picking under-ripe grapes early before rot sets in or hold on in the hope of better weather. Most growers held their nerve and, just in the nick of time, the sunshine returned. Sugar levels rose suddenly, taking many by surprise, and continued to rise as temperatures exceeded 30oC. Picking began around the middle of the month and continued through uninterrupted sunshine. Not a drop of rain fell until 8th October when a deep depression moved in from the Atlantic, by which time the harvest was all but complete. In 40 harvests, Peter Symington (winemaker for Dow, Graham and Warre) commented that had never seen a vintage that could have swung so easily between near disaster or success. With yields down slightly on the previous year, the overriding feature of 2004 is the balance of the musts. Although sugar readings were high (in excess of 13 Baume in most places and occasionally as high as 19) acidity was good and pH/Baume ratios were excellent. Charles Symington (Peter’s son), commenting on wines that were still just a few days old, said they show good colour, power and structure. Jim Reader, head winemaker for Cockburn reports that ‘initial tastings are promising and although the analytical results have not thrown up so many of the really forceful tannic wines of last year, tasting some of the wines indicates that the fruit/tannin/colour balance will be excellent.’ Much depends on how the wines evolve over the next few months but with two fine years in a row, the shippers are now presented with a dilemma as to which will be worthy of a fully-fledged vintage declaration. RICHARD MAYSON, London, November 2004
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Old vintage Madeira is magical, mystical and fortunately, just too darn expensive to drink on a frequent basis. Many fine examples of older Madeira simply offer the most complex, long lasting thrill-ride of a finish of any wine made. So says Roy Hersh, our resident expert on Ports and fortified wines, who recently had the pleasure of joining with a small group of serious Madeira lovers for a weekend of wine events that culminated with a fabulous lineup of Malvasia and Moscatel from Madeira, going back in time to 1808. In total, there was a combined bottle age of 2,248 years, with an average per bottle age of 132 years. Here's his report, with photos and tasting notes: Madeira's Sweet Nectars: Malvazia and Moscatel
Should you be interested in
some of my other recent articles on Port, please visit the
Article Archive
_____________________________________________________
Roy's Monthly Port Website Recommendation :
*
* * * *
Are you
hunting for a job this season?
Perhaps you'll find your dream job in the wine industry at
this website where you can post your résumé, search for openings and apply
for jobs at wineries, restaurants and hotels in North America, Australia or
Europe. I know both founding partners of this website, from when I first
moved to Washington State. We all worked for the same company and then they
had this great idea. I am happy to see how well their venture has taken off
and their greatest success is the number of people they have helped. Dozens
of wineries participate and
Wineandhospitalityjobs.com is
a winner. So, go check it out and begin 2005 with a bang! *
* * * *
~
Letters and e-feedback: This is where
your influence counts! You send in your questions on Port, suggestions for
improving this newsletter or ideas for future consideration. I do my very
best to respond to each and every email I receive and include some of those
responses to the questions, here: Hi Roy, Thanks for your advice on the ’87 Vargellas. I got some at $29.95 each
and will be trying one very soon. Another question, if you don’t mind. I want to get the 2000
Niepoort VP that you recommend so highly, but it’s hard to tell what some
retailers really have. I understand from my reading, especially of
your note on the eRP/Squires’ bulletin board, that the Secundum, the
Passadouro and the Broadbent are all alternative bottlings and are not the
classic Vintage Port bottling. However, K&L Wine Merchants’ listing
called “2000 Niepoort Vintage” gives the 90 point Parker tasting note for
the Broadbent; similarly, the Zachy’s item called “2000 Niepoort Port” lists
the 90 point score Parker gave to the Broadbent (as well as to the Secundum),
along with the 94 Wine Spectator apparently gave the Vintage Port, and a 93
score from IWC. Since I’ll probably be buying sight unseen, I want to
verify with a potential seller exactly what they’re selling. Would you
explain to me how to distinguish the bottle and/or label of the classic VP
bottling from that of the Broadbent bottling? With this information I
can confirm what they have before I place an order. I would really
appreciate your help. Thanks again, Matt Jaffe, Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania USA Hi Matt, Best regards, Roy Roy, I signed up a month or so ago, and received your e-Newsletter #6, but I'm
still waiting for the '04 vintage report you mentioned a couple weeks ago.
I am also interested in back issues (please send 'em all if you can!),
especially if you have a report on '03. Any word on declarations for
'03/'04? Cheers, Mike Nelms, Reno, Nevada USA Hi Mike, I think you will get your answers in Richard
Mayson’s 2004 Vintage Report which he provided as an exclusive for us to
include in this issue. I have sent back issues to you and please let me know
when you are ready for the next set. Regards, Roy Dear Sir, I do have one quick port question to ask if you have the time. My wife's
birthday is this Friday. I have purchased a Taylor’s 1960 VP (year of her
birth) for this occasion. After I purchased it I did a lot of research and
haven't found much good said about it. Do you have an opinion on this
bottle? Should I get something else in order to avoid disappointment? For
what it is worth, the bottle is in pristine condition and is supposed to
have been cellared in perfect conditions since release. Any opinion you
could offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mark Fenton, Saint Charles, Missouri USA Hi Mark, My single tasting note on this is almost ten years
old. Back in 1995, from a pristine bottle from a UK cellar, this was
already over the hill and not even a pleasant tawny. It showed lots of
alcohol and probably was never a great wine to begin with. There are
not many fine 1960s out there, including Quinta do Noval Nacional and
Chateau d’Yquem. It is right between two great Bordeaux vintages though.
I don't know if it is any help, but I have some of
the Croft 1960, which is the top rated Vintage Port from that vintage.
I have not had a bottle since my brother's 40th birthday in 2000, as that is
his birth year too. I can tell you that it is significantly better
than the Taylor. Let me know how your bottle drinks when you two have
it, please. Hopefully your bottle will drink better than my last one. Best regards, Roy Roy, I have heard that I should refrigerate white port. Is that true? Hi Noah, You should store white Port in a cool cellar just
as you would any other wine. If for some reason it is moved prior to
service, I suggest chilling the white Port down to about 50-55 degrees. Best regards, Roy Hi Roy, Bonjour Mathieu, Thanks for the kind words. You raise many
interesting points in your email and I will try to address them the best
that I can. Since I live about 100 miles away from Vancouver,
Canada, I am pretty familiar with the Province buying system there. I think
that another benefit to the “system” is finding some otherwise very obscure
brands that may be brought into your area, such as the Cabral. As far as a Cabral 20 year old Tawny, I would try
it any day. As you can tell from my tasting note in this issue, I enjoy
trying any kind of Port wine (the one I had was only $16) and I can
thoroughly enjoy an inexpensive one, or young one like the ’94 Cachão LBV as
well as a more expensive Vintage Port. Unfortunately, living 3,500 miles away from your
area, I am not that familiar with wine shops there that I can recommend.
Hopefully, one of the MANY folks from Canada that read this, will be able to
send a response for you, in which case, I will forward an email to you. I
would not suggest trying to cross the border with wine from the USA to
Canada anyway as the limits are pretty small and “smuggling” is not legal.
Barros makes some very good Ports but they are
mostly wood-aged. Their vintage Ports circa 1985 were pretty weak, and that
specific vintage certainly falls under that generalization too. The 1966
Colheita is one that might be worthy of the gamble at that price, as other
Colheitas I have tried from 1966 have always shown well. Barros does make
some nice Colheitas and the ‘66 might be worth a punt. I do think you can find some good Vintage Ports
under $100 Canadian. The challenge though is not the price but availability
and I have no idea what is brought into your specific Province. But I
suggest looking at some under appreciated vintages like 1980, 1987, 1991 and
1995 to name a few. You should be able to find some really nice bargains
from those vintages which get less attention than other very well known
vintages like 1977, 1983, 1985, 1994, 1997 etc. At your age, you can buy
these younger vintage Ports today and lay them down so that when you get to
be my age … you too will have a nice and mature collection of Vintage Ports. Your other option is to really try a vast selection
of LBV Ports. Not only do Late Bottled Vintage Ports represent a great
bargain, while somewhat emulating the flavor profiles of true Vintage Port,
but they are able to be consumed over the course of a few weeks, after
opening the bottle, which is a big plus. Best regards, Roy Hi Roy, Someone asked me to recommend a nice bottle of Port as a gift for
immediate consumption and I recommended a 20-year Tawny as the target. Can
you recommend a bottle? I was looking at the Warre's Optima 20 year old. Is
that a good bottle or is there something else that is better? TIA, Greg Piatigorski, San Ramon, California USA Greg, I recently had the Warre’s Otima 20 year old Tawny
for the first time in November. They’ve had a 10 year old for the past
few years but I had never seen the 20 year old before. Besides the “edgy”
packaging, the 20 year old was a significant upgrade from the simple 10 year
old Otima. It is a well made wine and I enjoyed it quite a bit. There
are many fine 20 year old Tawny Ports, yet I would strongly suggest the
Ferreira’s Duque de Bragança 20 year old. I think it is often sold at
the WinExchange and Wine Club both in CA. It is my personal favorite
20 year old Tawny, albeit it is a bit more expensive than most. Give it a
try and let me know what you think. You won’t be disappointed. Best regards, Roy ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Roy, Thanks for answering my question on the '45 Taylor on eRobert Parker.
Wish we could have decanted as it continued to improve over the 30-45
minutes that my pour was in my glass. If only there is a next time... I'd also like your opinion on decanting times for some ports and which of
these would be best to drink now (next few months): From 375: '83 Warres, '92&'92 Fonseca, '94 Grahams, '94 Dows, '95 Taylor
VV From 750: '83 Fonseca, '83 Taylor, '91 Grahams. I often see port at auction with "slight signs of past seepage." While
this is an instant deal breaker for Bordeaux or really anything else, it
seems that vintage port is hardier and perhaps more prone to leakage (not
necessarily from heat). I'm tempted to pick up a small lot at a good price
and take my chances since I have had bottles of port which looked terrible
but tasted superb. Any thoughts (realizing that every seeping bottle is
different). Cheers, Mike Dear Mike Ahhhh, I have such fond memories of the 1945 Taylor's. One can never sip
enough of that particular vintage Port! I will do my best to help you with decanting times on your bottles, but
this is a very subjective area. Some folks like to watch their VPs evolve in
glass and feel that extended decanting robs a wine of showing its natural
development. I respect that opinion and understand the thought process too.
For my own palate though, I prefer to have the wine show at its best from
the get go, as I tend to finish 99% of the VP bottles that I open ... within
a couple of hours. If I am sharing a bottle with a group ... it goes way too
quickly, so I want the finest showing possible when it touches my glass.
From 375: * '83 Warre 3-5 hrs.
* '92 Fonseca 6-8 hrs.
* '94 Graham or Dow 6-8 hrs.
* '95 Vargellas VV 6-8 hrs.
From 750: * '83 Fonseca 6-8 hrs.
* '83 Taylor 5-7 hrs.
* '91 Graham 6-8 hrs.
I like a bargain as much as the next guy Mike, but I don't believe you
find them too often at auction these days. When you can tell that a VP
bottle has been a "leaker" with signs of corrosion on the capsule (esp.
around the bottom of it), or viscous syrupy goo around it, or visible signs
that wine dripped onto the IVP label etc ... I can't see why you'd
intentionally risk your money. Yes, Vintage Port with its higher level of
alcohol, can withstand conditions that would destroy most other types of
wine. But, VP is NOT invincible! It too can suffer from heat damage that a
bottle can't survive without vastly changed characteristics (unless it is
Madeira!). Now this is certainly different than laying down an old Port in your
cellar, and a slight amount of seepage occurs as the cork's flexibility is
lost over the decades (especially in DRY cellars with low relative humidity
below 60% although 70% is more desireable). Then by all means, the bottle
will rarely have almost any effect. There are ways to cure this too, but
that is another story. Anyway, I would advise against buying wine bottles -
or - VP that you know may have an issue. There are enough things to worry
about, even when buying a wine at auction that LOOKS pristine!
But bargain hunters may certainly disagree with my theory. Even I will
seek out a stained or torn label or cracked wax capsule on a very old bottle
that can save significant sums. Normally though, I would rather pay another
$20-40 for a typical auction bottle and be sure that it came from a well
stored and documentable source ... but that is just me.
Roy
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Dear Mr. Hersh, Dear Jeroen, I appreciate the politeness, but please call me Roy. I am not THAT old,
yet. Long before I started scribing this newsletter, I spent lots of my free
time responding to Port related emails from all over the place. You can say
I love doing so, but I have also sworn an oath (to the Port Wine Institute)
that I take very
seriously ... and now look at this as, "my duty!" So please feel free to
email me with more of your Port questions, anytime! Coincidentally, the seepage issue was discussed in detail in the Q&A
topic above. But, I am happy to tackle your questions about Colheitas. I do
not believe I have had the 1965 Kopke Colheita but know I have had the Krohn
from that year. But from tasting Kopke Colheitas that span 70 years, I can
tell you that they miss the mark on very rare occasions. Along with Niepoort
and Quinta do Noval (I opened the '37 Noval Colheita last Friday night, in
fact), these 3 producers are at the pinnacle of Colheita producers although
there are another handful that also do a great job. In terms of drinking Colheitas as close to the bottling date as possible
... I disagree with that opinion. This is not like "born-on-dating" by
Budweiser, and there is NO proof that this is true, whatsoever. I have
tasted many Colheitas from just about all the producers and I have not found
this to be accurate from my experience. I have never seen any tasting at
which aged bottles of Colheita did not show well. Conversely, I have tasted
quite a few examples where older bottlings were absolutely delicious. Dirk
van der Niepoort, the maestro of Colheita and Garrafeira styles of Port is a
firm believer that Colheitas can and do improve with bottle age. In a recent
newsletter, I tackled this topic in great detail. Please email me again if
you are interested in receiving a back copy ... if you missed it. Thanks Jeroen, for taking the time to pose such a thoughtful question!
Roy
************************************************************************************ Hello Roy, I am excited to be receiving your newsletter. It is very informative on
the sometimes esoteric subject of Port wines. I have a bottle of the 1992
Quinta do Infantado that at one time (during my move across the country) was
subjected to some heat for a day or two. When it arrived, it had become a "leaker".
My feeling is that heat sometimes reveals the marginality of the state of
the cork, and that in this situation the '92 Infantado re-sealed itself even
better than before because the port had "filled in the cracks". It may sound
as if I am trying to rationalize this, but it is because the bottle is
special. It is my son's birthyear bottle of port (1992), and I would like to
keep it for 20 years before opening it or giving it to him. Any worries on
the seal? Best Regards, Kurt Wieneke Indianapolis, IN Dear Kurt, Good to hear from you again! Port an esoteric topic? Please don't share
that with my wife, I have her totally fooled into believing Port is just an
everyday good drink. As to your dilemma with the 1992 Infantado which I am a fan of, as well,
I can not pass judgement on your bottle. It is impossible for me to know
what temperature and the duration to which your bottle was exposed to the
heat. So, I will just give you some off the cuff opinions on this topic. In
older bottlings, when lead or other metal capsules were used for bottling VP
as a rule, the cross contamination of "leakers" could hurt the wine. There
is a chemical reaction between the metal and the acid in the wine that
causes the corrosive action you notice on some leakers. Well that wine that
seeps out of the cork, reacts and then can just as easily seep back into the
bottle. Obviously, the longer you hold onto a bottle like this ... the more
chances you take. That said, if the heat exposure was not high (below 80
degrees) and not long (only a few hours), then your bottle is probably fine.
But for long term storage ... you really don't know unless you remember how
long and at what temps. the bottle WAS subjected to. My advice is this. Your son's birthyear wines ARE special. But I would
NOT count on that bottle to go the distance ... even though it possibly
could. Just imagine when he turns 21 in 2013 and you have very special
guests to share the bottle, and you open it and it is really foul. YIKES.
For the $60-$75 that it will cost you to replace that bottle ... I strongly
urge you to go out and purchase more bottles, tomorrow, to ensure you have
these for any of his special celebrations! Why wait, you can open the
"seepage" bottle on his birthday this year as he becomes a teenager. Now
that is something to celebrate! Roy <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Roy I just picked up a bottle Kopke Colheita 1987 Port. I can't find a lot of
information on this particular vintage. Their home page indicated it did win
a Gold Medal for the 87', but can't find a value anywhere. Paid $25.97 for
the bottle. Any information you could give me about this bottle would be
appreciated. Drink or hold? Or is it worth holding? Thanks, Dear Randy, Absolutely an amazing coincidence. As you know, I had a bottle of this
identical wine open in front of me when you first sent me the email. This
bottle of Kopke is drinking beautifully nowadays and may still improve a
bit, yet it is one that is also worthy of consuming today. It is rich,
multi-layered and very enjoyable to say the least. It drinks as if it were
quite a bit older, too. Two YUMS up! Enjoy it and let me know your thoughts.
By the way, you can make the difference and get the locals to drink more
Port and less beer! BEST REGARDS!
Roy >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Roy I just want to email you my question on Port and would appreciate your
response: Does Port keep once it's opened, or is it like Red which will
spoil in a couple of days?" I would be honored if you included and answered
this question in any of your upcoming newsletters. Thanks, and looking
forward to reading the next "For the Love of Port." SP Dear SP, Depending on the style, (Tawny, LBV, Vintage etc...) once a bottle of
Port wine is opened, the shelf life varies. Red wine rarely is drinkable
past the second day but then again, we are comparing a table wine with a
"fortified" wine (Port has 20% brandy added to prematurely stop the
fermentation process). In responding directly to your question though,
assume that the my response includes recorking your bottle and storing it in
the refrigerator until you drink it again. Obviously, the faster you consume
the wine ... the fresher it will smell and taste. So, looking at some of the
more popular styles of Port, here is a generalized guide:
* Vintage Character (soon to be simply known as "Reserve")Port - a week
is best, two if quality is less important. * 10, 20, 30, or 40 Year Old Tawny Port - drink as close to the date of
bottling (on label) as possible. Can last for a couple of weeks if handled
as mentioned. I have seen restaurants leave it open on their shelves for
months, but that is a criminal offense! * LBV (Late Bottled Vintage) Port - a week is best, two if quality is
less important. * Colheita (single vintage Tawny) Port - I believe that once opened these
should be consumed like a Vintage Port, although they CAN last like a Tawny
above (unlike VP). * Vintage (the king of) Port - Unless experimenting or analyzing, a VP
should never see the light of the next day, although this is more of a
personal "rule" than one of the official guidelines here! Since this is not
about me, you can actually have a Vintage Port hold 1 -72 hours depending on
the age of the bottle. An 1896 Quinta do Noval VP will most likely be
heading downhill fast after an hour and at best two. Then again, you may
find a pristine bottle of 1945 Taylor (mentioned above) which should easily
drink well a 2nd day (how the heck would I know?), whereas a Graham 1963
could last 48 hours if the bottle had been properly stored. But most people
are wondering about bottles from 1970 - 1985 for drinking today and I
suggest that 48-72 hours is the outside for these bottles. Anything younger
like a 1994 or even a 2000 could probably hold an extra day ... but what
for. If you know that it is difficult for you to finish a full bottle of
Vintage Port and you love them nonetheless, buy 375 (half bottles) and never
have the issue arise. That is why this size is made. Personally, I would
love to have 500 ml bottles of VP, but that would be very dangerous for my
liver. Some folks claim that they keep vintage Ports around for a week and
that they just keep getting better. I can only pontificate and would think
it would be very difficult for that to happen as there is no question that
if you compare a freshly opened bottle to one open for a week, most regular
consumers of wine could tell the difference in freshness. Will it spoil and
turn to vinegar? No. But after 3 days most folks can usually tell the
difference unless the VP is very young and/or served cold.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Hi Roy, I was on vacation in Banff & ran across some Port with fine provenance at
a shop I have done well with in the past. I ended up buying the '80 Taylor &
the '85 Dow for a total of less than $130 US. I figured for that amount of
money why not take the chance. Any thoughts on the 2 wines. I would think
the '80 might be close to prime time. Thanks for any thoughts, David M. Bueker, Connecticut Howdy David, Both are good wines although I prefer the '85 Dow to the '80 Taylor (the
latter of which I have not had in a few years though). Both will drink well
now but certainly the '80 will show more maturity than the very youthful
Dow. I think you received decent pricing too. Best regards,
Roy >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hi Roy, I was wondering your opinion of this port. I haven't had it in a number
of years but I remember being pretty impressed by it. I didn't think it was
in the same class as the 1994 Vesuvio but that's tough company. Premier Cru
has the 1995 for $40 for 750s and I was thinking of picking up a few. Best regards, Hal Blumberg Seattle, Washington Hal, I personally find the 1994 Quinta do Vesuvio one of the best made VPs of
the vintage. I had one a few months ago and it was mind numbing with in your
face, fruit forward dark chewy and dense berry pie. This is a beautiful baby
with all the right stuffing to kick it into high gear in another 25 years
when it starts becoming a bit more tame. The 1995 is a lot more approachable
today, yet the structure is well suited for aging too. This is no shy flower
and it seems that Vesuvio is on a serious roll since the early 1990s. The
Symington's have done a great job with this property, and given the fact
that Qd Vesuvio releases a VP just about every single year ... the quality
in bottle has been very consistent. The house style has certainly emerged
and I believe that within one more decade this will surpass many of the
names that we now look at as very fine producers. Even their "off"vintage,
VPs in 1996 and 1999 have been exceptional wines. So my suggestion is to buy
anything with the name Vesuvio on the bottle. Roy
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This
month's web recommendation breaks from tradition and promotes another
writer’s 
It
is actually simpler than it sounds. Broadbent is a separate and distinct
company’s product from that of Niepoort. Niepoort does actually make and
bottle the wines for the Broadbent family’s line of Ports. The Niepoort name
is not prominently displayed on the Broadbent label, although it does appear
in a small description on the back label. Secundum and the Quinta do
Passadouro bottlings will have these monikers prominently displayed on the
front label. The classic Vintage Port produced by Dirk van der Niepoort has
no other descriptions and the Niepoort name is boldly splayed across the
bottle. The capsule will be yellow. Actually, a picture is worth a thousand
words, so here you go! (note: this picture show the 1997).