1977 Royal Oporto Vintage Port

[Heather Hathwell]

Ok, don't laugh, but the first actual bottle I owned (and still the only bottle, pending receipt of some 1934 colheitas recently purchased) is Royal Oporto 1977 Vintage Port (not colheita as far as I can tell). Mind you, I am really a vintage madeira freak, albeit of comparatively modest means - I have nowhere near the tasting experience or bottle quantity that many here seem to have even though my interest spans over 10 years and I've been to the island twice already.

I came across this port bottle probably 10 years ago and based solely on it being a good year figured I'd just pick it up (for about $50). I have since tasted ports in Lisbon (a glass of 1962? Krohn at the institute, which was quite enjoyable, and then shared a bottle of 1983 something or other - sorry --- hazy memory, very late night and I failed to write it down) but finally this evening opened up this mysterious bottle.

Seemed a bit light colored in the glass, light garnet (actually on the earthy side of garnet - not amber); the nose was a bit of fig and a bit of anise. A bit explosive on the palate, with licorice, spice, maybe orange peel but there is a bit of medicinal funk on the end. Neither great (as if I have a frame of reference in port) nor terrible, but certainly a cut above some standard off-the-shelf late harvest whatever (which is not my thing). Not that this was fabulous to begin with but I wonder if I left the tasting too late. I think for now I might get back to my 1964 Broadbent Bual that is withering down to nothing after way too many months of neglect. And VERY much looking forward to the 1934, given Roy's notes.

Happy new year to everyone.

[Todd Pettinger]

Congrats on the first TN Heather.

I have zero experience with Royal Oporto Ports, so I can't add anything constructive to the discussion except for a congrats and here's hoping the next time you decide to do a TN on a VP, it will show much better for you!

Todd

[Roy Hersh]

Be still my heart, a woman ACTUALLY posting a TN on FTLOP? :!: :!:

Precedent has now been set.


Heather,

That is meant as a significant compliment for you to take the leap of faith and post that here is very cool of you. Thanks!

I've been to visit Royal Oporto a number of times now (most recently in Oct. of 2007) and I must say that their Colheitas are what you want to be drinking as I can recall VERY FEW Vintage Ports (especially with any age) that were worth swallowing. I certainly understand grabbing a '77 at that price though. Hopefully, in 2008 you will have your Port ephiphany at some point. But I certainly understand when you are a Madeira freak, it is really hard to fall for any other dessert wine styles. Nothing can compare to the complexity of a GREAT VM in my opinion. Not the finest Yquem, nor German Riesling, Tokaji, Port or otherwise ... and this coming from a pretty serious Port fanatic. That said, there are many mind blowing Ports to be enjoyed too and I am sure you will eventually find one that blows your hair back.

I appreciate your making the effort to add your TN here. We are fortunate to have you in our midst and look forward to sharing more with you as you feel comfortable posting.

[Andy Velebil]

Heather,

Congrats on your first, of hopefully many, Tasting Notes. Since you live in the same area as me, seems I need to start getting another little offline put together at my place to help broaden your Port horizons .

[Heather Hathwell]

Update on this port:

The medicinal funk quality definitely lessened over time. A week after opening it seemed every so slightly more balanced and integrated, and yet the flavor punch was still there. It got even better after more time. Last time I tried it was last weekend (so about 3 weeks after opening) and it was definitely a pleasure to drink, even if not amazingly so. I would upgrade my earlier opinion (if I had to assign a number to the first note I'd say an 80... if it hadn't been for the afterfunk it might have been an 88), but having no real basis for comparison in the port world it is difficult to give something that may mean something to the rest of you. I can only rate in terms of my own experience of fortified dessert wines. Not very fair I admit.

I would venture to say an 86?

[Roy Hersh]

Sounds much more like the way a Colheita oughta behave.

[Shawn Denkler]

I have drank quite a range of Royal Oporto from quite old to new. I have visited the house several times in Portugal and they have been very kind in tasting me through a large range of wine and port.

They have working to improve the quality of the vintage ports from the late 90s on. They are aware that quality was not that high in some prior years.

I have had many cases of their vintage ports from 1982 and 1985 as they were sold cheaply at Trader Joes for many years. This was the low point for Royal Oporto. These were light ports when young and not very complex. They are very soft and light now, but still holding.

The 1977 is not a vintage that I recall having, but I suspect it is similar the the 80s I have had - light and simple also. Sucklings tasting note helps comfirm this.

So you are trying a light and simple port in its old age. They can hang in there, but a madeira of similar age would be more interesting. The higher acidity gives it more zip in old age.

[Richard Henderson]

I . too, was curious as to whether that might be a colheita as Royal Oporto released some 77 and 53 colhietas in a special bottle a few years ago that reached our local market. It was a clear , cut glass looking bottle.
It was featured at a trade show circa 2002 for local retailers who bought it from the tightly controlled local wholesalers.

This is a really fine 77 colheita. I assume what you have is ruby versus tawny or amber colored. Is it in a traditional VP black glass bottle?

[Roy Hersh]

Exactly my thinking Richard. Those old bottles of R.O. Colheita were designed to work as Port decanters once the bottle was empty. The 1953 is the best of the 20th century Colheitas they produced imo. I have also had the 1853, 1870 and 1896 in the past two years, more before then too. In addition, I have been to visit Jerry Luper on 3 or 4 occasions and tasted a slew of Ports and even their Douro wines. Fun place and he has made a huge impact on that very large Real Companhia Velha.

[Heather Hathwell]

The bottle is black, almost solid black. It says Vinho do Porto Vintage 1977. No mention of Colheita anywhere, not even in fine print at the bottom. I'd take a picture of it, but then I wouldn't be able to post it without incurring a huge headache. I might get a mobile picture and email to Roy. The color of the wine is as described above.

I am wondering, if it's colheita how they wouldn't have to say as much on the label (and I am pretty sure that looking at store windows in Lisbon I did see bottles marked colheita). How does one know what one is getting? I don't mind in this instance that it might have been a colheita since I didn't have anything particular flavor profile expectations when I bought it over 10 years ago. (Being a novice in port, what difference would it make anyway as it's all educational.) But going forward, assume you like colheita (or perhaps don't). Without researching you have no idea what is really in the bottle. You might unwittingly pass over a bottle because it was not marked as such, or you pick one up and lo and behold you have no vintage port. Well, unless your name is Roy etc!


This aspect of port is a concept I will have to get used to. I gather only a few houses practice this sort of labeling and that most are more specific about categorizing the product.

[Felix Warners]

Im not much of an expert on port but the difference between an colheita or a vp would be the time it has aged on wood. Is there no date of bottling on the bottle? If so, you know if it is a vp or an colheita

[Richard Henderson]

If the bottle is solid black it is not the colheita of which Roy and I are speaking and it sounds like it is the ruby of that vintage. I have never seen it in this market or even online but I am curious about it. Thanks for the post Heather. No need for a huge headache!

[Roy Hersh]

Heather,

We can go over the categories when we are together in LA, as there will be lots of time for questions.

Yours is clearly the Vintage Port and not the Colheita. As Shawn said earlier, Royal Oporto was never a house that made good Vintage Ports going back centuries. They were always a Tawny and Colheita house, traditionally tied to the government at times in their history and very Portuguese. Only in the past decade have their Vintage Ports even begun to reach respectability and there has been a big improvement that will hopefully continue.

[simon Lisle]

I gave a bottle of this to my neighbour as it was her birth year