1977 Warre Vintage Port
Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 3:58 pm
(1st installment 9 Dec 2009)
5:15 PM Opened just a few hours after leaving the tender hands of FEDEX. Used regular wine key buried deep (but not deep enough). The bottom 1/2 inch of the cork remained behind and was partly lifted and partly dropped into the port. Wonderful aroma even before the remains of the cork were out of the way. No signs of seepage along the cork or under the capsule. Half neck fill.
5:30 Decanted ala Roy, with cheesecloth and funnel. FEDEX must have really treated this gently; the sediment was all together in one glob. As soon as I saw a bit, I waited and gently tried to "milk" a bit more from the bottle - not happening. There was nothing left but sediment, even when I upturned the bottle over the sink. It all came out in a glob with no visible liquid. Bottle rinsed in RO water; funneled the port back into the bottle and recorked with a T-cap. This is headed for the Gang of Port tonight, to be tasted around 8:30-9:00. More news later.
(2nd installment)
7:30 Short pour for Mike, just in from a half-mile walk in the bitter cold. A sip, and then he set it aside to order dinner. (Recorked bottle after each pour.)
8:30 Done with dinner. Pour myself a glass. Very hot. The alcohol is overpowering. Kimmie stops by for a sip (77 is her b'day year; she got 2 btl Taylor for gift; one to save). "I like my Taylor 77 better." Bob stops by for a sip; "Remarkable." Mike calls from bar, "After sitting a bit in the glass, a great caramel shows up." Mine is still too hot. Should have left the cork out, I think.
9:00 Finish my first pour; alcohol easing off. Eva says, "Burnt maple." Not quite to her taste at this point. Mine has softened somewhat. I get the caramel, but not the maple. Neither tannic nor tart to my perception. My second short pour. Still too hot; obscures whatever else might be there. We have a young guest with us, so I pass the bottle (with "Gang of Port" on a strip of masking tape) up to Mike at the bar. We head for home. Next opportunity: Sunday, 13 Dec.
(last installment Sunday, 13 Dec, 2009)
8:30 Finished with dinner and up to the bar for some port. The Warre 1977 is down to about 1/4 bottle ; it's been sitting (recorked but not gassed, pumped, or refrigerated) for 4 days. That was too long. This wine has lost its edge in that time. Still a nice wine, but I think we missed its best showing. The caramel is still there, but the "song" is gone, for me at least. Mike and Kenny (the new 'wine guy') each get a short pour to finish the bottle. Mike smiles; Kenny says, "Chocolate!" and the next 20 minutes between bar-tending duties sipping and savoring and occasionally repeating, "Chocolate."
Finished the evening with Graham's 10 and Ferriera 20, both workman-like Tawnys. (Inventoried what is sitting back in the wine room: Dow 85, 2xDow 77, Delaforce 63; Mike has a TF 30 and TF 40. I think we have enough for the port dinner on the 22nd, maybe with a bottle or two from home.
Conclusion: I think I should have decanted, or arranged decanting, about 3-4 hours before drinking, and left it exposed to air. My guess is that we missed the window between 'too hot' and 'faded'. It's a good thing I have 2 more bottles to test this theory.
5:15 PM Opened just a few hours after leaving the tender hands of FEDEX. Used regular wine key buried deep (but not deep enough). The bottom 1/2 inch of the cork remained behind and was partly lifted and partly dropped into the port. Wonderful aroma even before the remains of the cork were out of the way. No signs of seepage along the cork or under the capsule. Half neck fill.
5:30 Decanted ala Roy, with cheesecloth and funnel. FEDEX must have really treated this gently; the sediment was all together in one glob. As soon as I saw a bit, I waited and gently tried to "milk" a bit more from the bottle - not happening. There was nothing left but sediment, even when I upturned the bottle over the sink. It all came out in a glob with no visible liquid. Bottle rinsed in RO water; funneled the port back into the bottle and recorked with a T-cap. This is headed for the Gang of Port tonight, to be tasted around 8:30-9:00. More news later.
(2nd installment)
7:30 Short pour for Mike, just in from a half-mile walk in the bitter cold. A sip, and then he set it aside to order dinner. (Recorked bottle after each pour.)
8:30 Done with dinner. Pour myself a glass. Very hot. The alcohol is overpowering. Kimmie stops by for a sip (77 is her b'day year; she got 2 btl Taylor for gift; one to save). "I like my Taylor 77 better." Bob stops by for a sip; "Remarkable." Mike calls from bar, "After sitting a bit in the glass, a great caramel shows up." Mine is still too hot. Should have left the cork out, I think.
9:00 Finish my first pour; alcohol easing off. Eva says, "Burnt maple." Not quite to her taste at this point. Mine has softened somewhat. I get the caramel, but not the maple. Neither tannic nor tart to my perception. My second short pour. Still too hot; obscures whatever else might be there. We have a young guest with us, so I pass the bottle (with "Gang of Port" on a strip of masking tape) up to Mike at the bar. We head for home. Next opportunity: Sunday, 13 Dec.
(last installment Sunday, 13 Dec, 2009)
8:30 Finished with dinner and up to the bar for some port. The Warre 1977 is down to about 1/4 bottle ; it's been sitting (recorked but not gassed, pumped, or refrigerated) for 4 days. That was too long. This wine has lost its edge in that time. Still a nice wine, but I think we missed its best showing. The caramel is still there, but the "song" is gone, for me at least. Mike and Kenny (the new 'wine guy') each get a short pour to finish the bottle. Mike smiles; Kenny says, "Chocolate!" and the next 20 minutes between bar-tending duties sipping and savoring and occasionally repeating, "Chocolate."
Finished the evening with Graham's 10 and Ferriera 20, both workman-like Tawnys. (Inventoried what is sitting back in the wine room: Dow 85, 2xDow 77, Delaforce 63; Mike has a TF 30 and TF 40. I think we have enough for the port dinner on the 22nd, maybe with a bottle or two from home.
Conclusion: I think I should have decanted, or arranged decanting, about 3-4 hours before drinking, and left it exposed to air. My guess is that we missed the window between 'too hot' and 'faded'. It's a good thing I have 2 more bottles to test this theory.