For The Love Of Port

• 1978 Sandeman Porto Late Bottled Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (3/26/2015)
  Ordered off of Bern's Steak House's dessert wine menu. The bottle was decanted and then immediately served. Fully brown in color, like a 30-year tawny. No alcohol heat, and the tannins were fully resolved. Sweet with a little acidity to keep in interesting. Very easy to drink. Past full maturity but not in decay, but this probably has as much to do about Bern's cold cellar as anything. So if you're at Bern's, don't be afraid to order a bottle. (89 pts.)
  

Posted from CellarTracker

Thanks for the note! What did this run you at Berns?


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Bradley Bogdan wrote:Thanks for the note! What did this run you at Berns?

It was $100. They had a 1990 Taylor LBV for $90 on the menu, but they must have sold it out as they came back recommending the Sandeman. There were at least 3 or 4 other older LBVs on the bottle list as well, all with the usual great Bern's pricing.

Well worth taking the risk and $100 in a restaurant is not all that crazy. I love the fact that Sandeman didn't bottle for 5 years, considering the vast majority of LBVs only wait four years. Quinta do Crasto is another producer that can be 4, 5 or even six years of large cask aging before bottling.

John Danza wrote:

Bradley Bogdan wrote:Thanks for the note! What did this run you at Berns?

It was $100. They had a 1990 Taylor LBV for $90 on the menu, but they must have sold it out as they came back recommending the Sandeman. There were at least 3 or 4 other older LBVs on the bottle list as well, all with the usual great Bern's pricing.

Yeah that's not unreasonable, especially considering the depth and breadth of the list there and (what I'm assuming is) great service and glassware.


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I was saying to myself "That's a Port you don't read about often" then I saw where you had it and it all made sense. Glad it showed so well and Bern's cellar is amazing. My last trip there I spent a lot of money on wine and Port.

Andy Velebil wrote:I was saying to myself "That's a Port you don't read about often" then I saw where you had it and it all made sense. Glad it showed so well and Bern's cellar is amazing. My last trip there I spent a lot of money on wine and Port.

You certainly can spend a ton there. But it's also possible to drink pretty interesting stuff without paying a gawd-awful amount. Check out my post on this Berserkers thread about Bern's. We had three magnums and three 750s (including the port) for roughly $500 total.

John Danza wrote:

Andy Velebil wrote:I was saying to myself "That's a Port you don't read about often" then I saw where you had it and it all made sense. Glad it showed so well and Bern's cellar is amazing. My last trip there I spent a lot of money on wine and Port.

You certainly can spend a ton there. But it's also possible to drink pretty interesting stuff without paying a gawd-awful amount. Check out my post on this Berserkers thread about Bern's. We had three magnums and three 750s (including the port) for roughly $500 total.

I was buying bottles there of weird old Douro stuff for like $20 a bottle. Just to have one glass and try it out at that price. I need to post the notes, as I'm way behind on my TN's come to think about it. But like you said, there are some pretty darn good wines, from all regions, there for not a lot of money.