I am in NYC this weekend and have mapped out several wine bars to visit. I'm sure there will be many a Port to be had at the end of the great meals I am looking forward to in the Big city.
I'm going to a port tasting at a local store tonight, but I haven't seen the list so I'll just be surprised when I get there.
I finished off a bottle of Ramos Pinto 20-yr old tawny last night and it was good to the last drop. It was just as good as I remembered it being at the Solar do Vinho do Porto, so I'm very glad I ordered a case. At this rate, though, I'll need a new case every other month or so!
I'm visiting some friends over the weekend. They'll be cooking a nice dinner and providing Champagne, Bordeaux, etc. I'm bringing the Port for dessert:
* 1983 Dow Vintage
* 1977 Barros Colheita
I have the remaining half of a Graham's 1975 waiting for me when I get home tomorrow evening. On Sunday I am considering treating myself to something special - perhaps a Fonseca 1966
I opened a 2000 Taylor half bottle for Valentine's Day --true statutory grape-- but superb --- for the weekend I am having some non-vintage Cockburn Special Reserve and a side by side tasting with the Ramos Pinto Ruby.
Both have an earthy , Bourdeaux element. This is as close to TN's as I will get. A little Intense Dark Ghirardelli Chocolate to go with it.....
I had an interesting douro dry wine tasting tonight. I'll post the TN in a few days, hopefuly! I was surprised by the great quality of Javali, Poeira, Redoma and Vale Maria were among the most popular too. More to come!
Living the dream and now working for a Port company
I was at one event yesterday from Revista Vinhos so i drunk
Quinta do Mouro 2004
Passadouro Reserva 2005
Ferreirinha Reserva Especial 1997
Vesuvio 2004
Maria das Malhadinhas 2005
Quinta do Monte D'Oiro 2004
Quinta da Gricha 2005
Barbeito 30YO Special Lot Malvazia (OMG what a wine)
Krohn Colheita 1982
As I mentioned in the Tasting Notes, Cockburn's 2003 vintage. A leftover bottle from a shipping mishap (not our fault). Fed Ex admitted fault, covered the cost. So, basically free. Yay!
Dad's birthday. He's Portuguese, so I broke open this one to celebrate. Very smokey, very fruity full bodied port. Very satisfied that it went over well. My Mother is Scandinavian and she thought this was the best port she ever tried, and she's not a fan.
Good topic Andy... I was going to raise the same question.
To celebrate my newest little one having his "NG" feed tube removed from his nose/stomach and having a good 48 hours feeding solely on breast and bottle, I opened a 2001 Quinta do Noval LBV, unfiltered. Very very very good. Since '01 is my wedding year and the Fonseca Guimaraens that I have from '01 won't be ready for another few years/decades I will need to pick up a few cases of this to drink in the meantime.
Unfortunately, I am on call this weekend, so I do have to show restraint :? This is particularly unfortunate considering my boys, the Edmonton Oilers just lost to their arch-rivals the Vancouver Canucks (NHL hockey) but the game was filled with plenty of rough stuff... lost count of how many tilts there were. The boys played well, but were not helped by a few bad bounces and some injuries to key players. Oh yeah, and the officiating sucked! :) (I ref hockey so I get to jokingly rip on the zebras with a free pass!)
Grrr.... a week to forget about many things. My computer crashed, probably the motherboard. At least I'm going back to Portugal in less than a week :)
So now after a few hours of stupid configuration with Vista I'm back in business with a new computer and a glass of Meandro do Vale Meao 2004.
I had this wine friday for my tasting but it was a bit too hot. Now chilled around 16 celcius it is drinking really well. Good complexity of flavours with wet earth, licorice, cummin, ripe plums. The palate is showing the same flavours, good acidity, nicely grained tannins, a bit green though and finale is ok for a 25$can wine. 15.5/20
Living the dream and now working for a Port company
Derek T. wrote:I have the remaining half of a Graham's 1975 waiting for me when I get home tomorrow evening. On Sunday I am considering treating myself to something special - perhaps a Fonseca 1966
I'm in finishing off mode. I have a bottle of 1963 Borges to finish off and a bottle of 1963 Royal Oporto to finish after that. Then it will be a choice of a 1995 Coft Roeda or a 1989 Morgan.
I am doing a presentation of about a dozen Ports from my cellar for a tasting group made up of WA State's top winemakers. I have met most of them before, but this should be very different. They want to taste blind and have a broad spectrum of styles. I am going around and around changing my mind as to what to pull for them. Yikes!
OK, so the weekend has past a little....who cares!
Tonight I opened a Warre's 20 year old tawny Port (the regular one, NOT the Otima). Can't recall the last time I've seen this one for sale down my way. So of course I had to get it. I'll post a TN later.