Pink Port launched to mixed reaction - [www.harpers.co.uk]

[Roy Hersh]

That's what SHE said!

[guilherme]

Well, many fuss but the question remains.

That it may be a good idea, an inovation, and so on, quite positive
and opened mid and so on, Great !

But if it's that much, why begin with a wine that must be chilled
and covered with ice do be better ?

Come on. A nice idea deserved a nice wine to begin with.

Or it's just Valentine cashing and emptying off bulk Casa do Douro
cheap stuff. "Make money, not war".

Pink Port ? Really supporting an inovation ? So, guys, ask for a good wine
whithin the idea.

Roy, thanks for the TN. Seens the thing is better iced... They
should try PInk Sorbet ...

Guilherme

[guilherme]

Maybe they could try with 15º alcohol. Could reach a better balance.
Not sure now, but for white ports, the legislation supports lowers
alcohol . If that gives a good and decent wine, them thre is a new
category ... an inovation.

I see the diculty of the eonologues ... a wine flabby and watery
like that with almost 20º alc. Weird, to say the least.

Judging for the TNs in this thread and others,
it's nothing more tham a questionable jeropiga.

Guilherme

[Al B.]

I'm going to speak up (again) in favour of the Pink Port. I tried some last week - Derek was trying to find a way to get rid of what he had left over. It seemed to me that it was different from vintage port in the same sort of way that Lagrima White is different from vintage port. It was sweet, it was fruity and a touch medicinal. However, I did not find it offensive and came back to it a few times as I was eating my liver and onions dinner.

It would have been much better chilled, I think. I also like the idea of serving it with soda over ice. I know Derek has suggested that £14 is too much for a mixer, but some of the mixers that I buy are far more expensive than £14 a bottle (vodka, whiskey, curacao etc.)

So, chalk up a vote in favour for Pink Port from me, but don't expect me to buy very much of it because I would prefer to drink cold water on a hot summer's day and lightly chilled young vintage port on a hot summer's evening.

Alex

[Derek T.]

It does seem to be the case that we are all agreed on one thing. No one who has tasted it has any intention of buying it again.

Derek

[Andy Velebil]

It does seem to be the case that we are all agreed on one thing. No one who has tasted it has any intention of buying it again.

Derek

Well, Alex didn't say he would never buy it again. He did suggest that he may buy a bottle on occassion.

I still havn't got my hands on one to try yet, but I'm sure I'll probably end up getting at least one bottle. Not only to try, but as Alex mentioned, to use it as a mixer on a warm summer day. I usually keep one bottle of a dry white port at the house for this same reason. I don't drink it by itself, but as a mixer with some appetizers before we dive into the high end stuff. In this regard it works very well, yet I would never serve it straight up...the only exception is Niepoort's White Port, quite good lightly chilled by itself.

[Tom Archer]

Well, VNG may be a 1200 mile drive from here (+ a ferry), but at least it saved me from having to buy a bottle..!

Wandered into the Croft lodge, where they are making a bit of a fuss about it, and scrounged a glass.

This was the Croft variant, in an elegant bottle with the Croft name picked out in silver glitter..

The glass was filled from a bottle taken from the fridge

OK, it IS pink - can't fault that. Now the test drive..

As this is a unique product (I havn't seen the M & S variant) I'll score it Parker style

Firstly, it gets 50 points for making it into the glass (crazy, but true!)

General appearance: Well, it IS quite pretty, so I'll have to give it the maximum of 5

Aroma and bouquet: .. Nothing - about as odourless as an alcoholic drink can be. Even when the glass had warmed up a little there was barely a trace of aroma, and nothing to remark on. Out of a possible 15 points, it has to score 0 for this.

Flavour and finish: It is very sweet, mainly becuase there is a near total lack of any other flavours to mask the sugar - but some people like sweet things, so I'll have to give it something. The finish is just about non-existant, it slips down your gullet without a whimper. It's biggest asset on this count is the lack of negative elements, but does that merit a positive score? Out of a possible 20 points, I'll be generous in awarding 5

Overall quality level: Hard to assess this one - should I rate the packaging?? The product is not recognisable as a Port, nor indeed, a wine - I could conjure up something very similar using Bacardi, sugar, water, and a dash of Grenadine. If the objective was to create a beverage that would get women drunk with the least possible effort on their part, then you could argue that this is a top product. If on the other hand you were to believe the press puffs, and that the objective was to create a drink that would bring new customers into the Port drinking fold, then it fails pretty dismally. As a social beverage I think most would find it over sweet and under flavoured. Out of a possible ten points I think 5 would be more than kind.

So to tot up: 50 + 5 + 0 + 5 + 5 = Parker score 65

- 'nuff said!

Tom

[Roy Hersh]

Well Tom, at least you kept an open mind.

[Andy Velebil]

Tom,

We really need to talk about those late night "drives" you have been taking. They're getting a bit out of hand

[Moses Botbol]

What if it wasn't called port at all and there was no reference to port? Would you give it the same score if it was just "wine"?

[Todd Pettinger]

Well, VNG may be a 1200 mile drive from here (+ a ferry), but at least it saved me from having to buy a bottle..!
Wandered into the Croft lodge, where they are making a bit of a fuss about it, and scrounged a glass.
This was the Croft variant, in an elegant bottle with the Croft name picked out in silver glitter..
The glass was filled from a bottle taken from the fridge
OK, it IS pink - can't fault that. Now the test drive..
...
...

So to tot up: 50 + 5 + 0 + 5 + 5 = Parker score 65

- 'nuff said!
Tom

Alright Tom, it wasn't fabulous, but what we are all dying to know is:
What does it rate on the Uncle Tom scale? I.E. what is it's aging potential??

1/1???

[Tom Archer]

What does it rate on the Uncle Tom scale? I.E. what is it's aging potential??

Because my scoring system is relative, and this is a near unique product, I had to resort to an alternative scoring system. As far as aging is concerned, there is nothing in it to age, and with so much alcohol and sugar on hand, it will probably last forever..!

What if it wasn't called port at all and there was no reference to port? Would you give it the same score if it was just "wine"?

I scored it quite honestly as a wine, using the Parker system. I really didn't bias my assessment, but neither did I indulge the endemic 'grade creep' that is prevalent in most Parker scores.

On the same day I tried a Graham 2000 VP, which while very closed was not bad, but softer than I expected, and rather lacking in gravitas. On my scoring system I gave this wine a score of 3-8. If I score it on the Parker scale, using his formula strictly, I arrive at a score of 83 - well below most published ratings.

Tom

[Morten O]

Is this the kind of drinks that the Pink Port is fighting against/trying to become?

[Michael M.]

Is this the kind of drinks that the Pink Port is fighting against/trying to become?

This is a very naturalistic question.

[Roy Hersh]

My tasting note is now public and up on the homepage under "New Releases" so have at it.

[Tom Archer]

Well Roy, I have no idea where you got that list of flavours from - to me it was one of the most neutral drinks i've ever encountered (aside from the sweetness, that is!)

Maybe you should qualify your descriptors with the words 'trace of'' - 'cos I didn't note any of them!

Tom

[Frederick Blais]

As I was showing the pictures of my trip to friends, when the photo of the Pink Port bottle with a glass beside came to the screen, all the girls simultanously said "Wow that's a nice picture". Today I've learned what the marketing team did achieve.

[Roy Hersh]

Tom,

I'll reserve comment. All I can say is that Stewart and my wife also got to try it. My wife thought it was way way too sweet. Stewart hopefully will comment on his own here, and maybe he'll share his TN as well. I don't even know how he scored it. So we'll just have to see. Maybe he'll agree with you that there was nearly a total lack of flavor. Then again, maybe my palate is just wrong. Hopefully one of these days, Stewart will get back here to the Forum and will see this.

Until then, all I can say is ... just like you ... I went into this with eyes and mind totally wide open and I calls 'em like I sees 'em.

[Andy Velebil]

Can't let this record long post die yet......So has anyone else had the chance to try this? Either the Croft version or the Mark & Spencers version.

[Derek T.]

Can't let this record long post die yet......So has anyone else had the chance to try this? Either the Croft version or the Mark & Spencers version.

I am going to the Douro and VNG this weekend and will be visiting the Taylor Lodge in VNG for a private tour arranged by a friend. I hope to have the opportunity to try the Croft version so that I compare it to the M&S stuff. I will, of course, approach it with a completely open mind and will report back here with my honest impression of the wine if I am fortunate enough to be offered a taste. If it is not available at Taylor I may venture down the hill to the Croft lodge to try it there

Derek