For The Love Of Port

750ML bottle opened 2/26/08 at 9pm and drank soon after. Decanted about 25% of bottle into glass decanter. Stronger tannins (I believe that's what they are) than the 2005 Taylor Quinta do Vargellas. More tannic aftertaste. Other flavors beyond tannins are more difficult to taste relative to Taylor. However, this may improve with decanting time. Smelled strange, almost like it had residual soap in decanter. However, I poured a bit straight out of bottle into glass and smelled the same scent. Less noticeable after first few sips. I imagine this will improve greatly with age.

Jeremy,

Can't say I've had this one yet, so thanks for the note. As for the soap, if you washed the decanter and glass with the same detergent, that may explain. Then again, it could have been the bottle, who knows.

So how did you like drinking a really young VP? I don't know your experience with young VP's, but its amazing that such beasts can integrate and turn into such elegant wines later in life.

Parker,

I am impressed that you are so willing to try these youngsters from 2005. Very cool.

I won't forget opening the 2005 Vargellas (even though I had tasted it in Portugal 2x before having my early bottle). I was at my brother's home in Nov. I pulled the cork on six of the 2005s that night and all had been mixed up so I wouldn't know which was which (although they were bagged ahead of time).

When we got to the bottle that eventually proved to be the Vargellas, my brother and I could not coax a nose out of it, nor much on the palate either. That was right after it was opened though. I took just a small sip and told my brother ... (who was still with a real puss on his face ... due to the incredibly ripe and astringent tannins) that this particular bottle would not show well until the next day and we left it in the open decanter over night and came back to it the next morning about 12 hours later. We still did not know it was the Vargellas but it was so much better. It improved significantly and was at its best the day after that. To make a long story short, this is a terrific Vargellas with the grip to keep it safely stowed in the cellar for years.

FYI, "tannins" are not something you taste, but experience. They are not a flavor component as some people think. Tannins are a compound found in grapes, tea, oak, and part of the process in leather production. Anyway, tannins are experienced as a mouth feel dynamic. When the grapes are crushed, the seeds/stems/skins from grapes all possess tannins. The stems provide what are called, "green tannins" and some note it as "stemmy." When you feel the astringent "hair on your teeth" or feel your cheeks puckered not by acidity ... but tannins, you will know the feeling (not taste). Tannins provide red wines with their structure and the ability to age. They have a symbiotic relationship with the fruit and together meld beautifully in what we refer to as mature Vintage Ports. But when young and brutally vibrant, the tannins can be punishing. On occasion they are soft and this has to do with weather conditions and winemaker's manipulations.

I did not mean this to turn into a lecture and apologize. However, it is great to see you enjoying and experimenting with Vintage Ports like this!

Best regards,

Roy

Andy, I am enjoying tasting these Young Ports. I figure it's a neat thing to do now so I can tell me son about what these bottles were like when we first got them. It is pretty amazing that they can become so well. I find it pretty interesting that some are enjoyable to drink now (e.g., the 2005 Vargellas and the Noval Silval I had a few years ago), while some, like the 2005 Croft Roeda are quite punishing.

Roy, thanks for the explanation about tannins. I'm pretty sure that is what I am "sensing" in the Croft Roeda.

parker_jeremy wrote:Andy, I am enjoying tasting these Young Ports. I figure it's a neat thing to do now so I can tell me son about what these bottles were like when we first got them.

Thats the best reason for ocassionally drinking young VP.

This gets much better on day two and especially day 3!

My TN, written on a paper towel over three days/nights, was never transcribed, but very positive.

Ted, you are absolutely right. 24 hours after opening, it was much better, even straight from the bottle. 36 hours later it is even better. Still slightly harder to drink than the Taylor Vargellas, but getting closer.

Andy, you soap theory has been vindicated. 1) I determined last night that the port tasted better directly from the bottle 2) My glasses have the same odor that I smelled the other day. After washing well with hot water, it goes away. The port smells and tastes better with the soap residue free glasses and decanter. I suppose it could have been something temporarily in the water pipes, but probably soap.

Jeremy,

Glad to hear it was only that, which is an easy fix. A lot of people don't think that something as simple as dish soap can affect the way a wine tastes.

I just tasted the Roeda 2005 along with Vargellas and Terra Feita last Friday. Roeda was my favorite. Taylor's SQVP from 2005 are really lacking backbone and have some alcool on the finish. I'll try to sort all my papers and write proper tasting note soon.

Fred,

I am not going to say that you are wrong ... but that is why I don't place too much emphasis on what I call in my "Forecast" articles, a snapshot view of a cask or recently bottled infant of a VP.

It is easy to lose perspective and assume that what is in front of you at the moment is indicative of the entire wine ... and that is just not the case. I know that in tasting at TFP (I've done so, more times than I can count) the presented Ports are popped and poured just before a guest arrives. Nothing wrong with receiving an impression that way, but until you've spent 2-3 days with one of these youngsters, there is no way to truly evaluate their drinking window, overall structure etc.

Please know this is not a critique of your finding, I am just pointing out what I've learned over time, from visiting most of the Gaia tasting rooms. Your mileage may vary.

This is indeed a snapshot of the Port I tasted. My full tasting notes will probably not be accurate or revealing the true faith of this wine because it was not drank on a 2 days period, perfect temperature etc.

But in the end, they presented me some wines, I've tasted them and I share my impression of this very specific moment. Nobody taste the same wine alike, in the same conditions(pressure, temperature...) anyways so does that mean that my impressions are not interesting? I don't think so.

About the other question, at the Symington's they've been giving me 12-24hrs decanted VP a couple of times, at TFP the wines are opened a few hours before, sampled so around 250 ml of air can get in, but not decanted. But yes too often they just go in the cellar, get a VP and pop it, sometimes decant it just before they serve it.

If this is the way they want their wines to be reported to the consumers, I can't do anything about it. And IMO it does not really matter, because as said above, the experience of the taster vary so much, it can gives you enough information to make a valid statement about the wine.

And btw, do you really think that a Port that evolves so nicely on a 2 day period is an indication of quality, that this port will really be for long haul? I've not been around for long enough with Port to withness that, but there may be a part of a myth there. I've withness it with many dry wines that were so nice in their youth after 2 days in the decanter but dry dead after 5 years in the bottle.

Don't worry, I'm not taking it personnaly, I'm just building an argument for construtive discussion :o

And ... you have made very valuable and solid points.

The only thing I question is the dry reds dead at 5 years that required 2 days to show at their best. I've never experienced that so please enlighten me where this red wine was from.

Otherwise, your points are well made and valid.

Of course not from top Bordeaux but from Super Toscans especially! It is the reason why I don't buy them anymore. My best exemple would be Orneillaia 98. #1 wine in WS if I recall correctly. Uppon buying this wine was fantastic!! Deep, expressive and complex. The 2nd and 3rd bottle tasted 2 years appart were only a mere shadow of what it was in its prime. Same thing goes to fruit bomb from Australia, Chili, Argentina, Spain and ... California(especially the zins but some cab too)

Recently the Vale Meao 2002 deceived me. It was so great in its youth and now just shut on its simple bold ripe fruit. Lets hope it will rise again for the occasion! If not, it will be another disapointment from great wine showing potential in their youth.

And this particulary why I don't give points to a wine for its potential. I give marks for actual pleasure the wine gives because I can't predict the future. I'll add some ++ after the mark if I believe it may possibly get more marks as the wine evolves.