For The Love Of Port

I am deciding between two or three Douro reds for that night. One comes from either 1999 Crasto Tinto Roriz, another is the 2001 Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional and another is a 2004 Vinha da Ponte. I may even open two of them, but doubt it.

What about you, I hope to start to hear about more Douro wines being opened ... especially on NYE! Maybe that should be the FTLOP New Year's Resolution for everyone.

Wow. Great line up!

Well Roy, while you are considering which bottle to open up on NYE, I hope you (or anyone else) can help me with the choice between the following Crasto alternatives:
Maria Teresa 2005 / 2007 / 2009
Vinha da Ponte 2003 / 2007

I do not have too much experience with these wines.
Decanting time 5-6 hrs?

The food will most probably be raindeer.

It was Lavradores de Feitoria Meruge 2004 for me. Showed well, although it may not be 'serious' enough for proper ageing.

New Years Eve was dinner and a movie with my mother and partner. Because of logistical problems dinner in Chinatown was a no go so we ate in a pub near the Cineplex. The movie was The Hobbit in 3-D. There was no wine that evening but we got home just in time to ring in the new year with an inexpensive Cava.

However, on the theme of Roy's bottles, a couple of weeks later, at a birthday dinner an '04 Vinha da Ponte was served. I cannot remember how the guessing went but nobody came close to identifying the wine. I must say that even though it was a wine of considerable potential, in it's youth it was left in the dust by the older wines served, the '83 Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen, the '82 Ampeau Volnay-Santenot and the '90 Tignanello. The Vinha da Ponte needs time.

Mahmoud

Ive had the 2004 Ponte over a dozen times since 2006 and Yes the 2004 needs time. Last I had it, last year, it had really closed up. I've stopped opening them for a bit till this phase passes. Can't wait to start drinking them again as its a rocking bottle.