What have you opened this week?

[Phil W]

Private tasting with 5 guys, each had to bring 2 bottles.

1935 Sandeman VP
1945 Ramos Pinto VP
1960 Sandeman VP 0.375
1970 Smith Woodhouse VP
1992 Taylor's VP

Niepoort VV
70 Anos DR (Agri Roncao) Tawny
60 Anos S. Leonardo Tawny
50 Anos DR White (Agri Roncao) - Cask Sample
1977 Barros Colheita

That sounds like an excellent evening of port. Was this the old VV or the new VV?

[Al B.]

Private tasting with 5 guys, each had to bring 2 bottles.

1935 Sandeman VP
1945 Ramos Pinto VP
1960 Sandeman VP 0.375
1970 Smith Woodhouse VP
1992 Taylor's VP

Niepoort VV
70 Anos DR (Agri Roncao) Tawny
60 Anos S. Leonardo Tawny
50 Anos DR White (Agri Roncao) - Cask Sample
1977 Barros Colheita

That sounds like an excellent evening of port. Was this the old VV or the new VV?

That was an amazing tasting.


We had a get-together last night in the London restaurant Bar Douro, which serves excellent Portuguese petiscos and have a very fine Portuguese wine list. We opened Sandeman and Graham 1980 plus 1982 vintage from Sandeman, Churchill, Croft, Niepoort and Messias Cachao plus a bottle of the Smith Woodhouse 1982 bottled in 1986.

[John M.]

Opened for a Port Club meeting tonight, these will be tasted in three pairs:

Pair 1: 2012 Ramos Pinto LBV and 2010 Borges LBV
Pair 2: 1994 Ramos Pinto VP and 1994 Ferreira VP
Pair 3: 1986 Sandeman LBV and 1988 Sandeman Quinta do Vau VP

Couple of observations on decanting:

1. The 2012 RP LBV had absolutely no sediment. Clearly says unfiltered on label. Just odd, always something but here none. I always switch from decanter to glass when I see sediment and only did so because I knew there was just a tiny bit left...this tiny bit was clear.
2. The 1994 VPs where purchased at the same time at auction and "from a cellar". Both had very dry corks so I suspect they stood upright in some retail store or some such....provenance! (Yet they seem fine)
3. Both Sandeman's when opened let out a vacuum sound. I've heard this before--always alarms me, yet these seem fine. Anyone know why sometimes you get a vacuum sound? In this case, both corks were partly saturated and deep purple---so look like stored correctly for a long time (LBV had a T Cork).
4. I usually take a small sip of the dregs just to see if flawed....always interesting to be sipping that much Port at 5:30 in the morning.

[Eric Menchen]

Stood up a 1992 Fonseca VP this morning to decant at lunchtime for after dinner this evening. That might be too long, but I can't say for sure. Decanted at 2 p.m.

[Frederick Blais]

Niepoort LBV 2008, still young and vibrant, full of field berries flavours, floral. Long living elegant LBV like I like them.

[Andy Velebil]

1960 Croft VP...TN is posted

[Glenn E.]

1985 Gould Campbell VP

I've been told it was corked, but it's still delicious.

[Mike K.]

Quinta de Ventozelo 2000 LBV.

Very nice, opens up well through day 2 and even 3. Great value.

[Moses Botbol]

Quinta de Ventozelo 2000 LBV.

Very nice, opens up well through day 2 and even 3. Great value.

Picked up a bunch of that. Solid vintage that shows better on days 2-5.

[Gerwin de Graaf]

1995 Quinta do Vesuvio VP

[Roy Hersh]

1992 Quinta do Infantado
1991 Quinta de Vargellas

[Andy Velebil]

2012 Offley LBV. Tasting note posted already

[Mike J. W.]

Feuerheerd 20 yo Tawny. It's pretty good. Not a world beater, but it's a pretty pleasant sipper.

[Frederick Blais]

Sandeman Vau Vintage 1997 20$can Really nice , full of fruit, fresh, elegant, still some tannins, still a few more years before being on the 2nd stage.

[jeff t.]

Had a gathering of wine friends and opened 5 bottles of Port.
1977 Quarles Harris-4 hr decant seemed off until 1hr refrigeration.
1985 Gould Campbell 4hr decant; only because Q.Harris originally seemed questionable and was added.
1995 Ferreira- 6hr decant
1996 Kopke Colheita-1 1/2 hr decant
2011 Barao de Vilar -91/2 hr decant; used as a contrast to younger ports.

Results
WOTD 1985 GOULD CAMPBELL by 6 of 7.
2nd Preference 1977 Quarles Harris
3rd & 4th split between 1995 Ferreira and 1996 Kopke Colheita
Last 2011 Barao de Vilar.

Jeff T

[Andy Velebil]

Had a gathering of wine friends and opened 5 bottles of Port.
1977 Quarles Harris-4 hr decant seemed off until 1hr refrigeration.
1985 Gould Campbell 4hr decant; only because Q.Harris originally seemed questionable and was added.
1995 Ferreira- 6hr decant
1996 Kopke Colheita-1 1/2 hr decant
2011 Barao de Vilar -91/2 hr decant; used as a contrast to younger ports.

Results
WOTD 1985 GOULD CAMPBELL by 6 of 7.
2nd Preference 1977 Quarles Harris
3rd & 4th split between 1995 Ferreira and 1996 Kopke Colheita
Last 2011 Barao de Vilar.

Jeff T

Tough fight for that Barao, being so young.

[Thomas V]

Private tasting with 5 guys, each had to bring 2 bottles.

1935 Sandeman VP
1945 Ramos Pinto VP
1960 Sandeman VP 0.375
1970 Smith Woodhouse VP
1992 Taylor's VP

Niepoort VV
70 Anos DR (Agri Roncao) Tawny
60 Anos S. Leonardo Tawny
50 Anos DR White (Agri Roncao) - Cask Sample
1977 Barros Colheita

That sounds like an excellent evening of port. Was this the old VV or the new VV?

I don't remember the bottling year of the VV, but here is a picture of it.

My top 5 of the night

1. Ramos Pinto 1945 at 98 point. Stellar
2. DR 50 anos Branco at 98 point. Just as good as the 60 anos Branco from S. Leonardo at half the price
3. DR70 anos at 97 point. Massive is the word
4. S. Leonardo 60 anos at 96 points. Deep and rich
5. Taylor's 1992 at 95+ point. Reminds me of Fonseca 1985.

[John M.]

A couple friends coming over so we're opening a Sandeman 40 year old (bottled 2010) and a 1985 Kopke Coheita bottled in 2016. Both decanted 2 hours prior. The Kopke was good, pralines, hazelnuts and an orangish finish that was crazy long but compared to the Sandeman it was just outclassed. The Sandeman put out tons of candied walnut aromas. little flavors of vanilla, hazelnut and vanilla with honey and cooked lemon zest on the finish. Just outstanding. 92 & 97 points respectively.

[Gerwin de Graaf]

1991 Vargellas VP

[jeff t.]

1968 Krohn Colheitia