What have you opened this week?

[Lucas S]

2011 Cambridge LBV (by JH Andresen)
It's good, although fairly simple. Clean, dry, and not particularly hot. Still mouth puckering with spicy but thin tannins, despite approaching a fairly mature level.

Am also doing a horizontal of the 2000 Warre's, Ferreira, and Rozes VPs on the 17th for a birthday. Pumped for that.

[Red Aaron]

1996 Belo Wine Company Vintage Port

Came in from Winebid, and was seeping, so what a great excuse to open it.
Decanted with lots of sediment.
Very fruit forward on first sip, with some alcohol on the pallet. Will see how it does after some decant time.

[Andy Velebil]

1996 Belo Wine Company Vintage Port

Came in from Winebid, and was seeping, so what a great excuse to open it.
Decanted with lots of sediment.
Very fruit forward on first sip, with some alcohol on the pallet. Will see how it does after some decant time.

Who’s Belo Wine?

[Glenn E.]

1996 Belo Wine Company Vintage Port

Came in from Winebid, and was seeping, so what a great excuse to open it.
Decanted with lots of sediment.
Very fruit forward on first sip, with some alcohol on the pallet. Will see how it does after some decant time.

Who’s Belo Wine?

It's a Napa Valley company. They weren't party to the Napa Valley Vintners agreement in... 2015? 2016?... so they're still able to use the word Port on their labels which was grandfathered following the signing of the US/European Commission Wine Trade Agreement in 2006.

[Red Aaron]

1996 Belo Wine Company Vintage Port

Came in from Winebid, and was seeping, so what a great excuse to open it.
Decanted with lots of sediment.
Very fruit forward on first sip, with some alcohol on the pallet. Will see how it does after some decant time.

Who’s Belo Wine?

It's a Napa Valley company. They weren't party to the Napa Valley Vintners agreement in... 2015? 2016?... so they're still able to use the word Port on their labels which was grandfathered following the signing of the US/European Commission Wine Trade Agreement in 2006.

Did not know that!! What are CA producers using now instead of the word port?

[Eric Menchen]

Quevedo 20 year old tawny. Very nice, paired well with a peach-maple-pecan pie, and stood well on its own the next night.

[Glenn E.]

Did not know that!! What are CA producers using now instead of the word port?

Very few still make port-style wines. Those that do have generally just found something else to call it... for example, Quady calls theirs "Starboard" which is a pretty fun way to do it.

The problem is that the generic name - fortified wine - isn't allowed on labels in the US. So while CA producers can call their sparklers "Sparkling Wine" they cannot call their sweet, high-alcohol dessert wines "Fortified Wine" because it isn't legal. Thanks, prohibition!

An older name that could be used but which is generally overlooked would be Angelica. That was a truly American sweet, fortified wine. It was typically made from the Mission grape, but as far as I know that wasn't a requirement so it could be used as the name for California port-style wines if producers would just agree to do it.

[Roy Hersh]

1952 Kopke Colheita, btld. 2014
1952 Graham's Commemoration btld. 2012

[Red Aaron]

1952 Kopke Colheita, btld. 2014
1952 Graham's Commemoration btld. 2012

WOW.

[Mike J. W.]

Harveys The Director's Bin Very Superior Tawny Porto. I found a few bottles very cheap on Winebid and had to try them. They're old and past their prime but drinkable.

IMG_5883.jpg (400.06 KiB) Viewed 2415 times

[Andy Velebil]

Harveys The Director's Bin Very Superior Tawny Porto. I found a few bottles very cheap on Winebid and had to try them. They're old and past their prime but drinkable.

IMG_5883.jpg

Those were bottled about 25 years ago or so? Wow

[Mike J. W.]

Harveys The Director's Bin Very Superior Tawny Porto. I found a few bottles very cheap on Winebid and had to try them. They're old and past their prime but drinkable.

IMG_5883.jpg

Those were bottled about 25 years ago or so? Wow

Thanks for dating them, Andy. I figured they were at least that old. They're a fun novelty item.

[Glenn E.]

Harveys The Director's Bin Very Superior Tawny Porto. I found a few bottles very cheap on Winebid and had to try them. They're old and past their prime but drinkable.

IMG_5883.jpg

Those were bottled about 25 years ago or so? Wow

Late 90s? I don't think that 25 years ago is when you think it was.

My guess would be bottled in the 70s or 80s.

[Eric Ifune]

2000 Portal LBV.

[Andy Velebil]

Harveys The Director's Bin Very Superior Tawny Porto. I found a few bottles very cheap on Winebid and had to try them. They're old and past their prime but drinkable.

IMG_5883.jpg

Those were bottled about 25 years ago or so? Wow

Late 90s? I don't think that 25 years ago is when you think it was.

My guess would be bottled in the 70s or 80s.

I can assure you they were not bottled in the 70/80’s.

[Frederick Blais]

Tonight I'm having 10 years White Port from Niepoort bottled in 2018. I was disapointed from their recent bottling but this one is right on the spot! Rich, complex and spicy, this is exactly what I am looking for into a ten years white!

[Eric Menchen]

1970 Smith Woodhouse
1970 Dow
1952 Barros Colheita

[Mike J. W.]

1970 Smith Woodhouse
1970 Dow
1952 Barros Colheita

What a great line up! How was the SW and the Barros? I've had the '70 Dow before and it's been good. I do have a bottle of the '70 SW, but I've never tried that one before.

[Eric Ifune]

DR 20 year old white.

[Andy Velebil]

Maynard 40 yr tawny