For The Love Of Port

Eric Menchen wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 12:14 pm I think a couple of the bottles on my shelf in that photo were tonged. You usually can carefully sit the top back on in place. If that doesn't work, a little tape or glue would probably be sufficient.

If the tongs were used, I crush the neck to view a perfect cork.

Croft 10 yr, bottle 1992

A kitchen cupboard bottle, with dust and fluff around the neck, but none elsewhere - lovely juice..
If anyone wants to indulge a blind tasting, I'm willing to wager that a 10yr with 30yrs of bottle age will see off a freshly bottled 40yr..

Moses Botbol wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 2:00 pm If the tongs were used, I crush the neck to view a perfect cork.

I just push it through at that point, from the top/outside down.

It’s Port wine day, opened a 1998 Quinta do Vesuvio VP to check in on it. Note to follow.

Had a tasting over the weekend with my college buddies down at the shore. The first night I opened the following 40 y.o. TWAIOA:
Quinta do Noval
Quinta do Mourao San Leonardo
Quevedo
Andresen
Quinta da Romaneira
Quinta Vale D. Maria

For the second night I opened all 1963 VP:
Dow
Fonseca
Croft
Taylor's
Graham's

All bottles showed nicely. The Quinta do Noval & Quinta do Mourao were the best of the 40 y.o. TWAIOA but they were all good. The Quinta Vale D. Maria held it's own against the rest of the 40's. It was a nice surprise because you never hear about it and it's very difficult to find in the U.S.

For the 63's, the Croft showed very, very well with the Graham's just a smidge behind it. The Fonseca and Taylor's were both very good as well. While the Dow was good it trailed the other four by a small margin. No one was complaining though.

Quite generous to open a near case of port and expensive ones at that. I hope they appreciate your sportiness.

Moses Botbol wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 9:19 am Quite generous to open a near case of port and expensive ones at that. I hope they appreciate your sportiness.

They absolutely do. The way I look at it is that Port is to be shared if possible and who better to share with it than lifelong friends?

Wow, that's quite a weekend!

The assumption I'll make is that the Romaneira was one of the new(er) bottlings with the black & gold label. The older ones had the "40" in red and were distinctly different - for me, about 3-4 points better!

Glenn E. wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 4:29 pm Wow, that's quite a weekend!

The assumption I'll make is that the Romaneira was one of the new(er) bottlings with the black & gold label. The older ones had the "40" in red and were distinctly different - for me, about 3-4 points better!

You are correct, it was a more recent bottling.

The 40YO Noval is right up there among the best. I totally agree.

So for current bottling 40YO it actually might be the best, as the new Romaniera as Glenn mentions doesn't quite have the magic of the older one. Though still really good.

2 Producers that might have some consideration is Blackett and Lamelas as well.

Lovely with the 63's.

Thomas V wrote: ↑Thu Sep 14, 2023 1:27 amThe 40YO Noval is right up there among the best. I totally agree.

For the big names, I am a big fan of Noval tawny port. LBV's as well.

Niepoort 78 VP

Not often seen, I secured a full case of this at auction back in 2014 and mentioned it to Dirk - 'It's a bit light' - he cautioned.

Well it was - now on my fourth bottle out of the dozen, it's a bit lovely now, and now looks set fair 8-8

Tomorrow will be some Bollinger, Pierre Girardin white Burgundy, Markus Molitor Spätlese and some 2013 Barbaresco.

However as the finishing bottle I will crack this open for our guests. Hope it will preform as well as it have in the past. Been 2-3 years since I last tasted it, where it was stunning.

Glenn E. wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 4:29 pm Wow, that's quite a weekend!

The assumption I'll make is that the Romaneira was one of the new(er) bottlings with the black & gold label. The older ones had the "40" in red and were distinctly different - for me, about 3-4 points better!

The funny thing is the Romaneira has improved over the past week. I'll have the last glass of it tonight, but it's really developed quite nicely. I guess it benefitted from a little airing out.

Thomas V wrote: ↑Thu Sep 14, 2023 1:27 am The 40YO Noval is right up there among the best. I totally agree.

So for current bottling 40YO it actually might be the best, as the new Romaniera as Glenn mentions doesn't quite have the magic of the older one. Though still really good.

2 Producers that might have some consideration is Blackett and Lamelas as well.

Lovely with the 63's.

I wish we could get the Blackett or Lamelas in the U.S., but that doesn't seem to be the case. I'm also interested in the 20 yo Blackett which I've read is quite good. One of these days I'll place an order with Portugal Vineyards to try some of these rarer (to the U.S.) Tawnies.

1987 Niepoort VP last night.

S. Leonardo 40 yo white, bought during PHT2 in 2021. So nice to know that we’ll visit Mourao again in two weeks time during PHT2!

A.S. Demka wrote:S. Leonardo 40 yo white, bought during PHT2 in 2021. So nice to know that we’ll visit Mourao again in two weeks time during PHT2!

Curious to hear how the sale of the company has gone and what changes may have started. Please report back after your visit.

Celebrated my mother in law’s 75th birthday over the weekend with dinner at a nice restaurant (Fahrenheit) in downtown Cleveland - they had Fonseca 20 year tawny on the dessert menu which made me quite happy. They apologized for not having port glasses and had to serve it a glencairn glass. It’s a nice tawny (the chocolate truffles I had with the port were also great).

had to serve it a glencairn glass

Had to Google to find out what that looked like - perfectly adequate for an old tawny.