1985 Graham Vintage Port

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Glenn E.
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Location: Sammamish, Washington, United States of America - USA
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1985 Graham Vintage Port

Post by Glenn E. »

I opened this magnum for a friend's wedding. It was purchased from Hart Davis Hart in May of 2013 for $160, which seemed like a good price at the time and seems even better now that I've opened one. I have two more left from the same purchase.

I didn't take formal notes (wedding reception and all, and I was the Best Man), but I was only able to give it about 3 hours of decant before the reception so it might have had 4 total by the time we started drinking. It was a bit spirity to start, but that integrated quickly and by the time the toasts rolled around it was singing. Champagne for most in attendance, Port for me and a handful of others.

Lots of purple and black berries on the nose. Stone fruits were in abundance on the palate. The berries and sweetness in the mouth were nicely balanced by very smooth but still formidable tannins. The acidity was good and very nicely integrated - it wasn't really noticeable except for making the Port seem very juicy. The finish was very long and seemed to grow longer as we progressed through the bottle.

A magnum was the perfect size for this reception. The last glass was poured for the groom's sister after most had left and there was only one enquiry after the decanter was empty. After being informed who had the last glass, the groom claimed prerogative for one last swallow. :wink:

I made a point of scoring while enjoying it so that I'd have something for this note: 95 points. I was sorely tempted to go higher, but figured that part of that was the setting and atmosphere. The Shafer Baillie Mansion in Seattle is an awesome B&B, a great setting for a wedding, and also seems like it might be the perfect place to hold a Port tasting. The reading room at a minimum with its leather chairs, dark wood, and abundance of books seems just about perfect.
Glenn Elliott
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