For The Love Of Port

Short and informative.

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2024/ ... FSkmtNWKtg

1997 Dow’s VP. Decanted ~7 hrs. Showing a bit more bricking than my last bottle 4 yrs ago. A ripe grape nose could not be more different from the off-dry, and tannic, licorice filled palate. The acidity is showing a bit lighter in this bottle, than the previous one, but the complexity is still there...

It is a wonderful 2004 wine. And I say that as many 2004’s have not lived up to early expectations. Not the case for this one. A lovely wine!

Didn’t realize Miles was still being produced/sold under the label still. Do you know what market its primary focus is?

I tend to prefer to wait until the end of September or early October before believing predictions. Too many things can change.

A bit of a soapbox/tangent/whatever. But I’ll be that guy…Crasto messed up really big, at least here in the states. We all loved them, talked about how good they were, bought them, etc. then they went “corporate” so to speak, switched importers here to sell more in restaurants (bad move just before ...

1997 Quinta do Crasto VP. Not good. Really not good. Second bottle I’ve had of this that is almost undrinkable.

A really good video about how they make corks.

https://businessinsider.com/how-the-wor ... ers-2024-9

Hot hot heatwave out west so not much lately. After fleeing to the beach for cooler weather a well chilled 2007 Dow’s Colheita hit the spot. Today is supposed to be last day of it. Then we’re forecast for possible below normal temps later this week. Let’s hope as two forest fires are going in my are...

1977 Warre’s VP - so lovely

1995 Quinta do Vesuvio VP - also very lovely

Uh. How short is that cork screw? lol

5 x 1991 Vesuvio 1 x 2003 Quinta do Noval Silval I didn't realize that Noval also made a Silval in 2003, so thought I'd give it a try. I really like the regular 2003 Noval. 1 x 1984 Graham's Malvedos A couple of the Vesuvios and the Malvedos are birth year Ports for a wedding. 1991 isn't too bad, b...

A half bottle of Skeffington 2011 - which just highlighted what a fabulous vintage this was - and a magnum of Dow 1980 to drink at home over the August bank holiday weekend. Skeffington is damn near impossible to find in the States. I came across two bottles in a B&M a few years back and bought...

John M, Lucas S, myself and some others will be doing a pre-2000 LBV tasting sometime this fall. Several are from the 1980's. We have 27 to choose from, but we'll most likely pare it down to 14 (one from each producer that we have in hand). We'll report back on how they're holding up. [cheers.gif] ...

As a side: I think this is a good example that most unfiltered LBV’s are best around the 20 year mark. By the third decade they rapidly start losing the complexity to keep them very appealing and make it worth taking up cellar space. As a general rule of thumb, yeah I'd say 20-25 years. But as with...

1994 Quinta do Crasto LBV (unfiltered). Still a dark Ruby color for an LBV its age. Lots of menthol and anise aromas dominate the nose. There is some youthful stone fruit and unresolved tannins in the mouth. While also a lot of menthol also poking through out. Very straight forward and a linear fini...

I saw Ramos Pinto just picked their first red Ports grapes of the vintage. The first producer I've seen say so (probably not the first though). Hope it all goes well for everyone! If you hear how things are progressing, please post it here.

Taylor’s 20 yr tawny port. Bottled in 2024. Has anyone had this recently? Thoughts?

Bottled in 2024. A medium tea color that has some yellow at the bottom of the glass. Ripe peaches mixed with a waxy petrol nose. Honeysuckle, peaches, fresh cinnamon and maple pop out on a semi sweet body. Bright acidity tempers the sweetness and makes this hard to put down. Chilled on a warm summer...

1964 Niepoort Garrafeira 1964 Burmester LBV 1964 Fonseca Guimaraens 1964 Graham Malvedos 1964 Ramos Pinto 1964 Taylor Quinta de Vargellas 1964 Butler Nephew 1964 Gonzalez Byass 1964 Quinta do Noval Nacional NV Quinta de Brunheda Tonel #4 (a VVO from before VVO was a category) ... 1994 Taylor VP (ma...