What have you opened this week?

[Eric Ifune]

Krohn 20 year old. From the old squat bottle.

[Glenn E.]

1970 Graham
S. Leonardo 40-year old Tawny Port

I took these to the PNWBA annual meeting for the after party.

[Roy Hersh]

1970 Fonseca
1952 Dalva Golden White (2005 bottling)

[Gerwin de Graaf]

This weekend, as an early (quite early even) birthday wine- and portevening, I'm planning on opening a 1973 Noval LBV . Very curious how it will be (if it survived all this time ). Fill level of the bottle looks promising at least .

It will be the first time opening a port or wine from my birthyear (which is a horrific vintage for just about any wine worldwide). Thusfar, the closest I got to tasting something that had a connection with my birthyear, was a white Colheita 1937, which was bottled in 1973 (and that was delicious btw )

[Andy Velebil]

This weekend, as an early (quite early even) birthday wine- and portevening, I'm planning on opening a 1973 Noval LBV . Very curious how it will be (if it survived all this time ). Fill level of the bottle looks promising at least .

It will be the first time opening a port or wine from my birthyear (which is a horrific vintage for just about any wine worldwide). Thusfar, the closest I got to tasting something that had a connection with my birthyear, was a white Colheita 1937, which was bottled in 1973 (and that was delicious btw )

As a 73'er myself do let me know how it is. I am very curious and wish I was there to try it with you.

[Gerwin de Graaf]

This weekend, as an early (quite early even) birthday wine- and portevening, I'm planning on opening a 1973 Noval LBV . Very curious how it will be (if it survived all this time ). Fill level of the bottle looks promising at least .

It will be the first time opening a port or wine from my birthyear (which is a horrific vintage for just about any wine worldwide). Thusfar, the closest I got to tasting something that had a connection with my birthyear, was a white Colheita 1937, which was bottled in 1973 (and that was delicious btw )

As a 73'er myself do let me know how it is. I am very curious and wish I was there to try it with you.

I will report back on it Andy .
And I do have one more bottle of this, so if it shows ok, maybe we can share the 2nd bottle (should we have the opportunity to meet up at some point).

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G935F met Tapatalk

[Gary Banker]

1994 Warre vintage port

My wife needed something to add to the marinade for making bulkoki (Korean barbecued beef). I get to to finish the bottle.

[Gerwin de Graaf]

This weekend, as an early (quite early even) birthday wine- and portevening, I'm planning on opening a 1973 Noval LBV . Very curious how it will be (if it survived all this time ). Fill level of the bottle looks promising at least .

It will be the first time opening a port or wine from my birthyear (which is a horrific vintage for just about any wine worldwide). Thusfar, the closest I got to tasting something that had a connection with my birthyear, was a white Colheita 1937, which was bottled in 1973 (and that was delicious btw )

As a 73'er myself do let me know how it is. I am very curious and wish I was there to try it with you.

I will report back on it Andy .
And I do have one more bottle of this, so if it shows ok, maybe we can share the 2nd bottle (should we have the opportunity to meet up at some point).

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G935F met Tapatalk

The Noval 1973 LBV turned out to be a very pleasent surprise and was drinking nicely . It exceeded my expectations by far (which was not that hard to be honest, but still: !!)
I'll post a short TN as well (did not take notes on it, but it still sits in my memory)

[Eric Menchen]

1994 Warre VP, 375ml. Popped and poured on Saturday, and it was good but not great. It sat out decanted for a while that evening and then went back into the bottle. Excellent on Sunday.

[Al B.]

I'm 10 years older than Andy and Gerwin. That means I get to open things like the Martinez 1963 that's in my glass at the moment - currently a beautiful port.

[Mahmoud Ali]

We had a bottle of Quinta de Ventozelo's 10 Year-Old Tawny the other evening. Being a 2008 bottling it had some age in bottle and that may have added to it's savouriness and complexity. I've not had this before but was surpised by the drier style, having expected a Portuguese house to be somewhat sweeter in stylre. In any case, whether it was the house style or the result of nine years in bottle and sometime on the store shelf (a recent purchase), it was a satisfying after dinner drink. Too bad it was only 750ml.

Mahmoud.

[Roy Hersh]

1957 Malvedos Vintage Port on Friday night. I loved it, yet it was likely 5 years past its prime, as some mint had crept in alongside the black cherry and spice flavorings.

[Eric Menchen]

1948 Suarez Porto Vintage - A decent showing. It was definitely developed tending towards tawny, but not flawed.
1994 Quinta do Vesuvio Porto Vintage - Excellent showing.
1996 Cálem Colheita Port - A little fruitier than I would have liked for pairing with pecan pie, but not bad.
1985 Fonseca Porto Vintage - Excellent showing as well.

[Moses Botbol]

1970 Dow VP - great stuff.

[LOUISSS J]

1970 Fonseca
1952 Dalva Golden White (2005 bottling)

How was the Fonseca 1970? And how long before did you open the bottle?
I'm planning to open a bottle for the end of the year...

[Roy Hersh]

The 1970 Fonseca was fantastic, 5 hour decant. Would have liked to give it an hour or two more, but it proved to be great nonetheless.

[Roy Hersh]

Friday night for our local Port Club year end meeting, I was hosting and pulled from my cellar an assortment of goodies:

1. 1990 Fonseca LBV, bottled 1996
2. 1994 Quinta do Noval LBV, bottled 1999
3. 1994 Quinta do Vesuvio VP
4. 1987 Quinta de Vargellas VP
5. Niepoort 30 Year Old Tawny Port
6. 1967 Croft's Quinta da Roeda VP
7. 1967 Dalva Colheita "Rui Paula"
8. First bottling of RWC Historic Series, "New Orleans"

[Andy Velebil]

Friday night for our local Port Club year end meeting, I was hosting and pulled from my cellar an assortment of goodies:

1. 1990 Fonseca LBV, bottled 1996
2. 1994 Quinta do Noval LBV, bottled 1999
3. 1994 Quinta do Vesuvio VP
4. 1987 Quinta de Vargellas VP
5. Niepoort 30 Year Old Tawny Port
6. 1967 Croft's Quinta da Roeda VP
7. 1967 Dalva Colheita "Rui Paula"
8. First bottling of RWC Historic Series, "New Orleans"

Interesting mix. Was there a theme to it or just whatever happened to catch your eye?

And how was the '87 Vargellas. I've got a bottle but don't think I've had it in a decade or more.

[Glenn E.]

And how was the '87 Vargellas. I've got a bottle but don't think I've had it in a decade or more.

It was good, but at least for me there was something clearly off about it. I didn't rate it officially, but noted that I'd have probably put it at ~92 points for what it was.

I don't have nearly the experience with flaws that the rest of you wine lovers do, but I suspected something bacterial in a very small way. It had a vaguely minty note like a lot of Ports develop as they're moving from secondary to tertiary, but still had all of the fruit flavors that you'd expect from an '87 Vargellas. Though the fruits weren't as black as I last remember them. There was also a vague VA-like effect which might have actually been very faint VA, but for some reason didn't seem like it.

The Rui Paula was the star of the show for me. As if that surprises anyone. But I also really enjoyed the New Orleans and the Vesuvio.

[Eric Menchen]

And how was the '87 Vargellas. I've got a bottle but don't think I've had it in a decade or more.

You had it on 1 Mar 2014, at your house; but it was a corked bottle, so maybe that doesn't count.

I opened my last of a large auction lot of Ferreira Duque de Bragança 20 Year Old Tawny. This one is showing very nicely despite a fair bit of bottle age.