For The Love Of Port

This is going to sound ridiculous, so please bear with me: I am collecting the paper Selo from as many bottles of Port as I can acquire. I hope it's not too crazy of a request, but if you could possible save as many intact ones as you can for the coming months, I’d be super grateful. I’m hoping to h...

We opened a second bottle from the same batch and it was lovely. I just hate losing a nice bottle. Thinking I may try cooking with it and see if the TCA taste gets burned off.

We decided to see how our Taylor Fladgate 2000 Vintage was faring, and much to our disappointment, the first bottle was well and truly TCA’d to ruin. Very, VERY disappointed.

-Andrew

I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. All of our condolences to his family.

I have not had the 2008, but the majority of Malvedos are solid and often excellent.

Mike J. W. wrote: ↑Mon Feb 23, 2026 9:57 am That's a great looking glass of Port! It sounds like you had a wonderful bottle. Let us know how it shows over the next several days.

I’m afraid I can’t do that- we kicked it last night.

Deep, dark red color with a brownish rim. Initial flavours are black cherry, red apple. Very fruit forward. No burn whatsoever. Shorter finish than expected with honey and cognac, but overall, this is a big- no HUGE vintage ruby. May be peaking right now, but can’t say for sure- the 1500cc is aging ...

Is the photo in the first part of this posting? It was for me before, but not now. 1977 TF VP.

Filtered some of the sediment to save it.

I will post some pictures. Surprisingly deep color for being a 49-year-old Porto. Cork was solid. Bottom 20% of the bottle was sediment. Smelled good out of the bottle. Very powerful. This was a 1500. Noticed there was a tiny amount of seepage so I decided to just open it. Seepage wasn’t there a mon...

Expecting a significant amount of snow this evening. Was organizing some things in the cellar, and these called to me. Who am I not to respond? Decanting for the evening. Will keep you posted….

Follow up on the 1985 Taylor Fladgate: After not opening one for a while, they are definitely improved over the last time I tried one. Fruit forward- blackberry, licorice, and still some grape. Finish is smoother than I remember the last time. Would definitely say it rates better than 92pts. Let’s s...

I have a dinner with high school friends on Thursday, so opening a Taylor Fladgate vintage from our graduation year, 1985. I’ve opened three of these in the past spread out over about 20 years, and they seem to cycle between being lovely and being ‘meh’. Hoping it’ll be lovely on Thursday. 1985 was...

I have a dinner with high school friends on Thursday, so opening a Taylor Fladgate vintage from our graduation year, 1985. I’ve opened three of these in the past spread out over about 20 years, and they seem to cycle between being lovely and being ‘meh’. Hoping it’ll be lovely on Thursday. 1985 was ...

Here’s one last one- need to save the rest for the book. Here is the setup for one of the tastings in the tasting chamber. No Port gets its SG without coming through this room.

Thank you!!

Here is one that not a lot of people see- the ceiling in the main stairwell at the IVDP. I love the grape motif.

I’m in the middle of creating a coffee table book about Port wine. About half of the initial photography is finished. I thought I would share this nighttime photo of Gaia. I had this blown up to a 5 foot print at home. There’s a lot of detail. Most of the port houses on that side of the river are re...

Due to the pandemic, I definitely hid in the cellar a little more than usual, and I’ve been lucky to be able to enjoy some fantastic Port- and remarkably- no weak or lackluster bottles. So that’s good. 1977 Taylor VP, which was significantly better than when I last tried it about 5 years ago. It alm...

And tonight’s winner, after long deliberation with the IVDoMC (Instituto Vinho Do Mi Casa), was a VP- 1970 Martinez. Decanted at 11AM, and had a nice bouquet upon opening. Will keep you posted.

Happy Thanksgiving!!