What have you opened this week?

[Tom Archer]

Fonseca 80

The second of two cases of this wine that I've had. This one bought at auction and owned for nine years before getting round to opening it a couple of months ago. It was not an encouraging sight. Seven of the bottles had staining on their selos and the levels ranged from BN to VTS.

Fearing this case had previously been 'greenhoused' rather than cellared, I fast tracked the worst bottle for consumption.

1980 was one of the two rather atypical Fonsecas, the other being the following vintage, 1983. Lighter wines without the luscious punch of a classic Fonseca.

Decanting it I was quite relieved to see this wine had a decent colour. Drinking it I found an excellent nose and sufficently tannic to call it not fully mature.

Despite my initial fears from its outward appearance, I think this is the best F80 I've ever had! Score 6-7.

[Al B.]

It was my 60th birthday recently and I managed to get a few friends together in Portugal to celebrate.

I had to open something special so I opened a bottle of Noval Nacional 1963.

But the Nacional 1966 was better than the flawed bottle of the 1963. So was the 1964 with the 1958 taking 3rd place in the Wine of the Lunch vote. (We also had the 1967 and the 1970 vintages.)

I’ve saved some of these for nearly 20 years. What a wonderful time to open them and share them with friends. It’s just a shame I couldn’t have all my FTLOP friends there as well.

[Andy Velebil]

Fonseca 80

The second of two cases of this wine that I've had. This one bought at auction and owned for nine years before getting round to opening it a couple of months ago. It was not an encouraging sight. Seven of the bottles had staining on their selos and the levels ranged from BN to VTS.

Fearing this case had previously been 'greenhoused' rather than cellared, I fast tracked the worst bottle for consumption.

1980 was one of the two rather atypical Fonsecas, the other being the following vintage, 1983. Lighter wines without the luscious punch of a classic Fonseca.

Decanting it I was quite relieved to see this wine had a decent colour. Drinking it I found an excellent nose and sufficently tannic to call it not fully mature.

Despite my initial fears from its outward appearance, I think this is the best F80 I've ever had! Score 6-7.

This is one of the only VP’s I’ve poured down the drain…on more than one occasion. It’s is a terrible vintage for Fonseca.

[Andy Velebil]

It was my 60th birthday recently and I managed to get a few friends together in Portugal to celebrate.

I had to open something special so I opened a bottle of Noval Nacional 1963.

But the Nacional 1966 was better than the flawed bottle of the 1963. So was the 1964 with the 1958 taking 3rd place in the Wine of the Lunch vote. (We also had the 1967 and the 1970 vintages.)

I’ve saved some of these for nearly 20 years. What a wonderful time to open them and share them with friends. It’s just a shame I couldn’t have all my FTLOP friends there as well.

Sounds like quite the fun lunch! Hopefully the food was an equal match in its own right.

[Moses Botbol]

1991 Warre VP. Bottles vary, but none bad. This example looked really old, but with good clarity. 1991 or 1891, had to take a 2nd look.

[Frederick Blais]

I did open a Vintage 2015 from Niepoort. First of 6, still pretty young and expressive, classy and pure, great balance, it does feel dryer than it is. I'll try to be patient with the others :)

[Tom Archer]

Some recent encounters:

Quarles Harris '77 - from a rather evolved case, easy quaff, nothing special
Martinez '87 - good dark wine, loads of beef and life left, pity this is so rarely seen
Graham '75 - this vintage is mellowing with age to an extent I'd have never predicted two decades ago
Dow '70 - a rather disappointing bottle, one of a pair I've had for ages, unexpressive wine
Morgan '91 - a rich and indulgent wine when young, now neither young nor mellow, will improve, I think

Next up - Vesuvio '91 - a wine I've not drunk for twelve years now.

[Moses Botbol]

1997 Fonseca VP.

[Glenn E.]

1983 Graham VP
1983 Gould Campbell VP
1937 Kopke Colheita
NV Andresen 40 Year Old White Port
2003 Kopke Colheita Branco
2008 DR Colheita Branco

All of this past weekend's FTLOP 18th Anniversary party.

Notes from the weekend: the 1963 Graham was both corked and had some other sort of flaw, which we know primarily because I could tell something was wrong and I'm not affected by TCA. The 1983 Quarles Harris was superb which surprised a lot of people, but the last flight of 1983s from Graham, Gould Campbell, and Ramos Pinto stood a step above the rest. Yes, we all felt that those 3 from 1983 out-shown the two non-flawed 1963s which were Cockburn and Taylor.

Sunday's flight of Kopke Colheitas from 1937, 1952, 1957, 1963, and 1966 was stellar, but wow that's a lot of acidity! I recommend having an antacid ready to go for after the tasting, or maybe even just go ahead and take it before you start. We also had a 1952 Burmester to compare to the Kopke (mixed opinions regarding which was better), and then a Confraria 40 year Old Tawny, a Mourao "60", and finally a DR Very Old White.

Extra bottles served with the dinners: 1985 Vista Alegre Colheita, Mourao 30 White, 2008 DR White Colheita x 2, 2003 Kopke Colheita Branco, and an Andresen 40 Year Old White.

It was a good weekend.

[Tom Archer]

Vesuvio 91

Not corked, but a distinctly woody taste to this bottle, which is a little odd. I find myself looking at the short and seemingly highly compressed cork with a little suspicion.

Aside from that a wine that is now maturing nicely. Well past it's first youthful flush but still very dark. Not scored as I regard the woodyness as a bottle fault rather than a characteristic.

Next up: Offley '84 LBV followed by Dow 85 VP

[Andy Velebil]

Vesuvio 91

Not corked, but a distinctly woody taste to this bottle, which is a little odd. I find myself looking at the short and seemingly highly compressed cork with a little suspicion.

Aside from that a wine that is now maturing nicely. Well past it's first youthful flush but still very dark. Not scored as I regard the woodyness as a bottle fault rather than a characteristic.

Next up: Offley '84 LBV followed by Dow 85 VP

Had this a few times recently, even from mag. It’s getting time to start drinking these up. They’re maturing at a very quick pace. A lovely fully matured VP at this point.

[Tom Archer]

It’s getting time to start drinking these up. They’re maturing at a very quick pace. A lovely fully matured VP at this point.

To my mind the 91s are now approaching the bottom of the second cycle of the maturation oscillation. At this point both the 60 and 75 vintages were widely but prematurely called as 'drink up' candidates, so I'm very cautious when applying that term.

Of all the stashes of mature VP in my cellar, only 2.5% are flagged to drink up.

[Moses Botbol]

'66 Croft Vintage. Hope I can save some for turkey day, but I think the wife if going to kill the rest of the bottle tonight...

Blame her for the disappearing port.

Still a stunning port!

[Gerwin de Graaf]

Dow 1927 Vintage Port.
A fitting highlight at the end of my 'pre-50th-birthday' Wine and Port spectacle that I hosted for some Wine- and Portloving friends and family.

A great night was had , all the bottles were in excellent condition (even the '73 Lafite was still very ok to drink, and better than I expected, given the age and general rubbish year/vintage).

And the '27 Dow was magnificent and still lovely! For me, by far the oldest VP I've ever had .

[Andy Velebil]

Happy soon-to-be 50th! Sounds like a fun gathering. What all else was opened?

[Gerwin de Graaf]

Happy soon-to-be 50th! Sounds like a fun gathering. What all else was opened?

Thanks Andy!
The other wines we enjoyed were :
- 2012 Aspasie Champagne (small producer that I visit sometimes to pick up their wonderful Champagnes)
- 1996 Wegeler Forster Ungeheuer Riesling Spätlese Trocken
- 2005 Carbonnieux Pessac Leognan Blanc
- 2008 Pascal Cotat Sancerre La Grande Cote
- 2009 Hospices de Beaune Beaune 1er Cru Cuvée Clos des Avaux
- 1973 Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 1er Grand Cru Classé
- 1998 Angelus Saint Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classé
- 2007 Domaine de la Solitude Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reservé Secrète
- NV Casa Santa Eufemia Special Reserve White Port (over 30 YO) Bottled 2010 (believed mostly from 1973 vintage)

[Andy Velebil]

Happy soon-to-be 50th! Sounds like a fun gathering. What all else was opened?

Thanks Andy!
The other wines we enjoyed were :
- 2012 Aspasie Champagne (small producer that I visit sometimes to pick up their wonderful Champagnes)
- 1996 Wegeler Forster Ungeheuer Riesling Spätlese Trocken
- 2005 Carbonnieux Pessac Leognan Blanc
- 2008 Pascal Cotat Sancerre La Grande Cote
- 2009 Hospices de Beaune Beaune 1er Cru Cuvée Clos des Avaux
- 1973 Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 1er Grand Cru Classé
- 1998 Angelus Saint Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classé
- 2007 Domaine de la Solitude Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reservé Secrète
- NV Casa Santa Eufemia Special Reserve White Port (over 30 YO) Bottled 2010 (believed mostly from 1973 vintage)

Nice. Slight deviation, but which wines stood out?

And the white port is from 1973, my birth year!

[Gerwin de Graaf]

"
Nice. Slight deviation, but which wines stood out?
"
Besides the '27 Dow, which was really special and delicious and no 1 for all, we were in agreement on the Riesling and Sancerre as top of the whites, and the Angelus for red (at 25 still really vibrant and youthful, I can see this also keeping up for at least another 15 to 25 years.

All the wines were actually really in good form and were shining. As said, even the '73 Lafite was still very drinkable, especially for those who have a palate for old(er) wines.

"
And the white port is from 1973, my birth year!
"
Mine too, and luckily there is still some in the bottle for me to enjoy on my own this week (it was the last bottle, and the only one that had some contents left )

[Tom Archer]

Dow 85

Early release bottling, the one wth opaque glass. Last sampled in 2019

At last! After years of playing the ugly ducklng, this wine is finally blossoming. Still has a little further to go, but developing some real elegance now 8-9

[Moses Botbol]

Dow 85

Early release bottling, the one wth opaque glass. Last sampled in 2019

At last! After years of playing the ugly ducklng, this wine is finally blossoming. Still has a little further to go, but developing some real elegance now 8-9

We had an '85 Dow Vintage last night for Thanksgiving! It's been a few years since I had one and it's improved a lot! Destined for greatness, albeit already great.