1980 Tuke Holdsworth Vintage Port"

[Lisa Stevens]

I found a bottle of Tuke Holdsworth 1980 Vintage Port in my local Grocery Outlet for the crazy low price of $24.99, so I bought one to see if it is worth buying more. Vic and I opened it on Christmas Day to sip while we watched the Doctor Who Christmas Special.

Upon opening, a gorgeous aroma of strawberries wafted from the bottle. I noticed that the cork seemed rather new and had the words "Robertson 1980 Vintage Port" on it. The port was decanted using the Hersch Method and left to sit for 4 and a half hours.

Visual: Medium ruby color with significant bricking on the edges. Sitting on the counter, the port looked like it had bricking throughout, but when I turned the glass on its side more, I could see the deep ruby center.

Nose: The nose was very strong of ripe strawberries with some white pepper and clove.

Taste: Spicy strawberries, rhubarb, black licorice, nice big mouthfeel, sweet bing cherries, some mild red hots. After sipping for a half hour, I started to get some orange juice flavors. There is still a small amount of heat on the front of the palate with a finish that is strong and around 30 to 40 seconds long.

I enjoyed this port, but it isn't going to blow anybody away. A very nice flavor profile. Vic found it not sweet enough for his taste and a touch bitter. Upon retasting, I could see what he was getting, though I thought it was sweet enough for me. For the price, this really couldn't be beat. For the price of an everyday ruby, you could have a VP with 35 years of age on it. Not too shabby.

89 points

[Andy Velebil]

Go back and buy the rest???


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[Roy Hersh]

Sounds like an intriguing Port. I remember a 1970 Tuke that left me with the same impression. In mid-October I was privy to a 1931 Tuke Holdsworth ... never even know they bottled one until I saw that bottle ... it was really much better than expected. If you are not going to buy all of the rest, please send me an email so I can grab one to try for at least having a good tasting note on this rarely seen VP. Or if you'd grab a bottle for me, I'll either repay you or trade you for something worth. Thanks Lisa!