For The Love Of Port

I've heard that Moreira Colheitas can require a very long decant before they really show well, so I have opened this bottle with the intention of tasting it over the course of at least a week. That way I can check it out for myself and see how it matures with time.

So here we go...

1937 Moreira Colheita
bottled in 2000

+0 hours

This looks very much like a Madeira while I'm decanting - it's a dark tan or light brown, with nary a trace of red. Once fully in the decanter (or now in my glass) I can see a hint of red, but that's it. This is a brown drink. There was some sediment in the bottle which I didn't expect. Some of it got into the decanter while I was pouring, so that could be causing some of the cloudiness.

I caught a drop from the bottle and tasted nuts. I'm not exactly sure what kind, but it was very distinct. Cashews? Almonds? It wasn't walnuts or pecans.

The nose is dominated by VA, but in a "this smells like Madeira" way and not a bad way. This is the "shoe polish" variant of VA, not the "nail polish remover" variant. There is also some alcohol behind the VA. Orange peel - but subdued, not bright - is the most prominent fruit. There is something vanilla-like, but it's not vanilla. Just a similar creamy and sweet smell.

First impression in the mouth is of something tangerine-like, which is followed by that non-vanilla, and then possibly almonds. Then the acidity hits. Zing! There's a strong backbone of citrus, but there's a dark essence to it. Possibly coffee, or more accurately espresso.

The finish merely adequate, and changes quickly to a strong impression of grape stem and a little of that same dark espresso sensation.

Subsequent sips mellow out quite a bit, especially the acidity. It's still there, but only that first sip really zinged me.

At present, not a stunner. But at half the cost of a 1957 Kopke, I didn't expect it to be.

I swear I could still taste the finish this morning when I woke up.

+1 day
Everything seems to have mellowed nicely today. The VA has faded a bit and the alcohol behind it has disappeared, leaving something that still very much smells like a Madeira to me, but with more tawny-like fruits such as apricots.

The dark espresso-like flavor has turned into something closer to a toasted toffee. The raw acidity has changed into something more mellow... more like citrus. It's not as sharp, but it is still very present.

It's still not a "classic" Colheita, but it is turning into something very fine in its own right.

Now I just need to stick with the plan so that there's enough to last 8-10 days!

+3 days
I opened a bottle of 20-yr old yesterday in order to help preserve the Moreira, so no notes at +2 days.

The mellowing that showed after +1 days has continued a bit, and the Moreira is now a pretty nice sipper. It's still very concentrated - to be expected from a 1937 Colheita - and there are still some rough edges, but overall I think we have ourselves a winner.

The toasted toffee has morphed again and is difficult to describe. It's back to just being a "dark presence" that lingers on the palate. I guess I could go back to calling it espresso, but that doesn't seem quite right anymore either.

The empty glass after the Port is gone is starting to pick up some spice overtones that weren't present at +0 days. There were hints of them at +1 days, but now they're nice and strong. It's not yet to the point of a typical 20-yr old tawny, but it's headed in that direction.

Still more to come as the days go by...

The gift that keeps on giving!

Thanks Glenn, it is fun to read your time-elapsed TN on this particular bottle.

These are definitely strange Colheita's in how long they take to start opening up. Guess I need to read up on the history of the house.

+5 days

The story continues...

It's really interesting to me the way the nose is maturing. It still smells like Madeira to me, albeit one that is not as citrusy or concentrated as I normally get from a glass of an actual Madeira. It's also sweeter, but that's also to be expected. What's interesting is that as the VA recedes, some more traditional tawny descriptors have started showing. If I let the glass stand for a bit, some faint vanilla and some oak appear. If I swirl the glass, those subside and are replaced by tangy fruits. Sit the glass down, though, and it only takes 30 seconds for the vanilla and oak to show up again.

In the mouth it continues to mellow. It is too concentrated to ever be truely smooth, I think, but it is really trying. Perhaps if the bottle manages to last 2 weeks... but I don't think that's going to happen. I keep waffling on the dark essence, which is back to being more like toasted toffee than espresso. It also seems more integrated now - almost like it is simply providing structure instead of an actual flavor. The spices that I noted in a drying glass are also trying to appear in the palate, but they're very faint.

Still the most disappointing aspect of this Moreira is the finish. It lasts for a long time, but it's just not smooth. I note a significant amount of grape skin, a little bit of stem, and really not much else. The Madeira-like smell on the nose carries into the finish, and can suddenly re-appear minutes after you've swallowed.

I like it. It's in a category all its own, though, and I really don't think you can compare it to another Colheita. Moreira has something different here that just happens to technically fit the requirements of a Colheita. To me it seems richer and darker and more exotic, but at the same time rougher and less refined.

Can't beat the price, though. I may have to order more!

+7 days

Now things are getting interesting. I noticed the greatest changes between +5 and +7 days, though of course there may be more coming.

The nose seems to be shutting down. The VA is really muted now, but so is pretty much everything else also. The alcohol has all but disappeared unless I swirl the glass, which makes it the dominant aroma. The oak that showed up at +5 days is now more prominent. It does still smell more like Madeira to me than like a Tawny Port, but it is also too mellow to actually be a Madeira.

The dark essence has receded to the point that the flavor is bordering on caramel instead of toffee, but reappears in the finish. The citrus now resembles what I can only describe as an aged orange juice. The spices that were trying to show on day 5 are now identifiable as cinnamon and possibly cardamom.

The finish is still lacking. It is short and ends rather abruptly with that dark note that tastes of leftover coffee grounds, then a leftover taste of grape stem. After a few seconds - maybe 15-20 - there's a bit of a floral note, but I have to work to produce it.

One more note at +9 days, then I'm off to New York for the weekend. If there is any left after 9 days, the following note will be at +15.

+9 days

Sadly, tonight's notes have been spoiled by dinner. We're getting ready to go to NYC and I didn't time things well, so the crock pot chicken with spicy peanut sauce has affected my palate.

There is a new layer of very fine sediment in the bottom of the decanter, so things are still dropping out from when I decanted the bottle a week and a half ago.

There are no significant changes to the nose tonight. The alcohol may be reappearing, or the peanut sauce may have been spicy enough to affect my ability to smell as well. But in looking back over my previous notes, it does seem to be pretty much the same tonight.

The flavor is quite smooth, but I attribute some of that to dinner. I noticed that the Ramos Pinto 20-yr old that I had with dinner was also much smoother than normal. It's still very intense, especially compared back-to-back with the 20-yr old. There is a honey-like flavor - very faint - that I haven't noticed before.

As before, the finish is disappointing. It is plenty long, but sharp. Lack of a nice finish doesn't really bother me all that much, though, because I get far more enjoyment out of sipping.

It's now going to sit on the counter for 6 days while I take my wife to NYC so that she can participate in the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. Watch the movie Word Play to see what it's all about. (It's actually a pretty good movie for a documentary about a crossword puzzle tournament.)

Thanks for the update and it will be interesting to see what this does with another 6 days in a decanter. Have a safe trip and I hope your wife does well in the tourny.

+15 days

After a short but fun-filled trip to NYC, I'm back at the Moreira.

The VA has completely disappeared from the nose, which is nice. There is still a trace of alcohol detectable, but it isn't overt. There is some very sweet vanilla now, as well as a dark smokiness that may be the remnants of the oak. It still has a very madeira-like tone, especially when swirled, but is starting to smell more like a Tawny Port now.

Flavor-wise, things have continued to blend together while remaining intense. It still tastes like what I would describe as an aged orange juice, but the honey-like flavor is maturing (along with the toffee/espresso) into something more like a light molasses. With just the right swirl in the mouth, some toasted oats come to mind.

The finish has picked up some coffee grounds at about the 30-second mark. Those first 30 seconds are getting better, too, and now actually contain some fruitiness. The grape stem has mellowed into grape skin.

Since things still seem to be changing, I've left enough for one more glass later this week at 17 or 18 days. It's really interesting to me how well this has held up past the point where most Colheitas and 20-yr old Tawnies start downhill for me. Some of that is probably due to how concentrated a Colheita from 1937 is due to evaporation, but it's not just holding up it's also evolving. A very fun experiment so far!

Or ... like many of us have mentioned about the "freakazoid" showings of MOREIRA in particular, they NEED two weeks to really show their best! :wall:

Sorry man, I really wanted to come by but I am just swamped with finishing the newsletter. Taking a 1/2 hour break here and then back to work.

Glenn,
Thanks for the updates on this bottle..they are very strange indeed and one that I can't even begin to explain.