For The Love Of Port

This must really have been a remarkable experience. When I ‘grew up’ with wine some 30 years ago, this was perhaps the most epic bottle of all. I have finally acquired one, and looking for the right moment to open it. Your tasting note mostly says it all, but were there any tannins left? Would you d...

1955 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (10/26/2012) Bought as �Unknown Vintage Port� in a mixed VP lot. Opened to �celebrate� our first snowstorm this season. Impossible to detect any clues from the broken wax seal or on the cork through the very dark glass. The message from ...

Rune, I have had several bottles of this during the latter years. I am not that experienced with colheita and was under the impression that there should be less bottle variation in this than in VP. Had one bottle that was definitely sub-par, another that was flat out gorgeous with lots of complexity...

John, perhaps as the years go by and we ourselves acquire some tertiary characteristics we no longer value brute force as much, but appreciate the subtleties of life?

John, I certainly agree that this is a very good port, but I have had som sub-par bottles. This one was fine, but not top-notch. Unlike you I found it very hard to taste the first decades. This is the first tasting note I found, dated March 12, 1981: Very dry and very structured, closed. Will outliv...

To celebrate our constitution day. Champagne had perhaps been more appropriate for the occasion, but with 8 degrees Celsius and pouring rain all day long something stronger was called for. BBR bottling. Still some red, fairly dark; Dark berries, black tea and a hint of raisins on the nose; Same in t...

In neck fill. Grants of St. James’s bottling. This is a tawny in disguise. Although there are some pleasant nutty and raisiny flavors, the fruit has gone and it does not have enough substance, delicacy or complexity to really draw any serious attention. Spirity finish. 89p

Croft 1963 - decent, nothing special.

The label had fallen off when in possession of the current owner. This was the last one of 40+ wines this evening, and probably did not get the attention it deserved at 4 AM. Very raisiny on smell; wonderful length, surprisingly it still has some berry fruit – but it is residing, making way to the a...

Bottled by the Norwegian wine monopoly. The uncle of a friend bought a pallet of these upon release, and they have only moved once. Somewhat anonymous smell; younger than the Fonseca, pronounced raisin, wonderful dark berry fruit, pleasing. However, I have had better, i.e. more complex, bottles of t...

Oporto bottled. Wonderful fill, good cork. Tawnyish color; smells of herbs, caramel and spices – what an incredible and complex nose! The mouth reiterates the smell, except for even more structure and toughness than I expected, combined with warmth and elegance. Long, intense, and elegant - no sign ...

Still two cases to go (from other sources)...

In neck fill, a tiny hint of old seepage. Oporto bottled. Quite dark, not much overt redness left. This did disappoint the first 30 minutes (drank from cellar temperature), but blossomed in the glass. Initially shy nose of raisins and burned caramel that became stronger and deeper after a while, som...

Oporto bottled, no ullage. Mature color; raisins, fresh, dried fruit; similar in the mouth: elegant, mellow and gracefully aged VP, albeit finishes with a bit too much alcohol. 93p

Anyone who have some information on a bottle named "1887 Ferreira Port Reserve Granja T"? Would this be from A A Ferreira SA?

Hi all, My name is Lars. I come from what used to be a port-drinking nation, Norway. The high consumption was probably because of a mix between our cultural ties to the Brits, a cold climate, and trading cod for wine with the Portuguese in the old days. Sadly port is considered dated nowadays, but I...