What have you opened this week?
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- Glenn E.
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Re: What have you opened this week?
2003 Taylor LBV b. 2008
2003 Quevedo LBV (unfiltered) b. 2007
2003 Noval LBV (unfiltered, but not the single vineyard version) b. 2008
2003 Noval Silval VP
2003 Noval VP
I have owned all but the Silval since release, and had intended to open them last year for their 20th birthday. But this year for their 21st "legal drinking age" birthday also worked.
The original idea was to see how the 2 unfiltered LBVs would age. I purchased 6-packs of each and tried 1 of each back in 2018, and at that time determined that they were not yet "ready". The Taylor was added to see how a filtered LBV would compare with the same bottle age, and the Noval VP was added as a reference point since we all know that VP ages well in bottle.
The Silval was added as a "ringer" when I was shopping for something else and noticed it. But it sort of completes the picture, because it meant that the 5 bottles covered all of the tiers of premium Port in the same tasting, albeit not all from the same producer. (Sorry, IVDP, I don't count Ruby Reserve as a premium Port.)
Surprisingly, there wasn't a consensus for Port of the Night. The Noval VP shared that honor... with the Taylor (filtered) LBV. I guess maybe they do age nicely in bottle after all?
2003 Quevedo LBV (unfiltered) b. 2007
2003 Noval LBV (unfiltered, but not the single vineyard version) b. 2008
2003 Noval Silval VP
2003 Noval VP
I have owned all but the Silval since release, and had intended to open them last year for their 20th birthday. But this year for their 21st "legal drinking age" birthday also worked.
The original idea was to see how the 2 unfiltered LBVs would age. I purchased 6-packs of each and tried 1 of each back in 2018, and at that time determined that they were not yet "ready". The Taylor was added to see how a filtered LBV would compare with the same bottle age, and the Noval VP was added as a reference point since we all know that VP ages well in bottle.
The Silval was added as a "ringer" when I was shopping for something else and noticed it. But it sort of completes the picture, because it meant that the 5 bottles covered all of the tiers of premium Port in the same tasting, albeit not all from the same producer. (Sorry, IVDP, I don't count Ruby Reserve as a premium Port.)
Surprisingly, there wasn't a consensus for Port of the Night. The Noval VP shared that honor... with the Taylor (filtered) LBV. I guess maybe they do age nicely in bottle after all?
Glenn Elliott
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Re: What have you opened this week?
Andy, how does this stack up against the Casa de Santa Eufemia Reserva Especial White Port from the same year?Andy Velebil wrote: ↑Mon Sep 23, 2024 3:43 pm 1973 Quinta d Devesa special reserve white port. Best showing of it so far. The two components seem to be integrating nicely.
"I have often thought that the aim of Port is to give you a good and durable hangover, so that during the next day you should be reminded of the splendid occasion the night before." - Hungarian/British journalist & author George Mikes
- Andy Velebil
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Re: What have you opened this week?
The SE was better of the two, last I had the SE.Mike J. W. wrote:Andy, how does this stack up against the Casa de Santa Eufemia Reserva Especial White Port from the same year?Andy Velebil wrote: ↑Mon Sep 23, 2024 3:43 pm 1973 Quinta d Devesa special reserve white port. Best showing of it so far. The two components seem to be integrating nicely.
Andy Velebil Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used. William Shakespeare http://www.fortheloveofport.com
- Andy Velebil
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Re: What have you opened this week?
Just opened a bottle of this that was bottled in 2010 as well. So far it’s rather nice. perhaps a bit on the simple side but I just opened it so we’ll see where it goes with time.Mike J. W. wrote:1980 Kopke Colheita (bottled 2010). This struck me as more of a Bual than a Colheita. Decently good, but different than what I was expecting. I'm wondering if perhaps it was oxidized or stored improperly?
Andy Velebil Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used. William Shakespeare http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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Re: What have you opened this week?
Tasted this past weekend with some college buddies during a beach weekend:
Night 1 - TWAIOA & 1 Colheita
Pocas Bonificador Tawny
Quinta do Noval 1964 Colheita
Ramos Pinto 30 year old Tawny
Quevedo 40 year old Tawny
Quinta de Brunheda 40 year old Tawny (Cask CP1)
San Leonardo 40 year old Tawny
DR 50 year old Tawny
Night 2 - 1994 Vintage Ports
Warre
Dow
Smith Woodhouse
Graham's
Fonseca
Taylor's
Quinta do Vesuvio
The WOTN for Night 1 was the DR 50, but the Pocas wasn't far behind in my opinion. Everything else that night showed very well although most people had the Noval last among the group. It was good, but had a much different profile than the others.
The WOTN the second night was a much closer call. The Quinta do Vesuvio barely edged out the Smith Woodhouse, but to be honest, every single VP was singing that night. Scoring wise, no more than a point would have separated the lot. Both nights were great tastings!
Night 1 - TWAIOA & 1 Colheita
Pocas Bonificador Tawny
Quinta do Noval 1964 Colheita
Ramos Pinto 30 year old Tawny
Quevedo 40 year old Tawny
Quinta de Brunheda 40 year old Tawny (Cask CP1)
San Leonardo 40 year old Tawny
DR 50 year old Tawny
Night 2 - 1994 Vintage Ports
Warre
Dow
Smith Woodhouse
Graham's
Fonseca
Taylor's
Quinta do Vesuvio
The WOTN for Night 1 was the DR 50, but the Pocas wasn't far behind in my opinion. Everything else that night showed very well although most people had the Noval last among the group. It was good, but had a much different profile than the others.
The WOTN the second night was a much closer call. The Quinta do Vesuvio barely edged out the Smith Woodhouse, but to be honest, every single VP was singing that night. Scoring wise, no more than a point would have separated the lot. Both nights were great tastings!
Last edited by Mike J. W. on Mon Sep 30, 2024 8:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I have often thought that the aim of Port is to give you a good and durable hangover, so that during the next day you should be reminded of the splendid occasion the night before." - Hungarian/British journalist & author George Mikes
- Andy Velebil
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Re: What have you opened this week?
Nice tasting. What vintages were the ports?
Andy Velebil Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used. William Shakespeare http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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Re: What have you opened this week?
1985 Noval VP over the weekend. Wife drank most of it.
Welsh Corgis | F1 |British Cars
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Re: What have you opened this week?
Doh! I left that out, lol. They were all 1994's. I'll fix that.
"I have often thought that the aim of Port is to give you a good and durable hangover, so that during the next day you should be reminded of the splendid occasion the night before." - Hungarian/British journalist & author George Mikes
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Re: What have you opened this week?
1985 Fonseca VP
I decanted this for 6 hours. 8 would have been better as it improved as the evening progressed, IMHO.
I decanted this for 6 hours. 8 would have been better as it improved as the evening progressed, IMHO.
- Andy Velebil
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Re: What have you opened this week?
20 yr Dow’s Tawny. B. 2021.
Andy Velebil Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used. William Shakespeare http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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Re: What have you opened this week?
1994 Offley Boa Vista. It's drinking very nicely, but I want to see how it holds up over the next few days.
"I have often thought that the aim of Port is to give you a good and durable hangover, so that during the next day you should be reminded of the splendid occasion the night before." - Hungarian/British journalist & author George Mikes
- Glenn E.
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Re: What have you opened this week?
1991 Vesuvio VP x2
1991 Andresen Colheita
Andresen 40 Year Old Tawny Port
S. Leonardo 40 Year Old Tawny Port
DR 40 Year Old Tawny Port
All of my niece's wedding. She was born in 1991 while her wife was born in 1984... couldn't find any decent bottles from 1984, so used 40 Year Olds instead.
1991 Andresen Colheita
Andresen 40 Year Old Tawny Port
S. Leonardo 40 Year Old Tawny Port
DR 40 Year Old Tawny Port
All of my niece's wedding. She was born in 1991 while her wife was born in 1984... couldn't find any decent bottles from 1984, so used 40 Year Olds instead.
Glenn Elliott
Re: What have you opened this week?
Croft Distinction Port.
Good but needs almost 2 days of air to blow off the spirit.
Is also much more tannic than the Croft Reserve, so get the Croft Reserve if you need something ready to go in a pinch. The Reserve bottle is also a nice clear bottle for gifting. The Distinction seems distinctly for cellaring.
edit: finished this two weeks later and it was still drinking well. Good potential and cheap cellar defender.
Good but needs almost 2 days of air to blow off the spirit.
Is also much more tannic than the Croft Reserve, so get the Croft Reserve if you need something ready to go in a pinch. The Reserve bottle is also a nice clear bottle for gifting. The Distinction seems distinctly for cellaring.
edit: finished this two weeks later and it was still drinking well. Good potential and cheap cellar defender.
Last edited by Lucas S on Sun Oct 27, 2024 2:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
All is fair in love and Warre's
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Re: What have you opened this week?
Opened an '85 Grahams VP before the start of Yom Kippur.
Seems sweeter than the '94 Grahams we had a week earlier, more pronounced spirit as well. Never thought I'd say this, but it's actually too sweet for my tastes in this new year.
Had a glass last night and still pretty sweet. Maybe tonight it'll be better integrated?
Seems sweeter than the '94 Grahams we had a week earlier, more pronounced spirit as well. Never thought I'd say this, but it's actually too sweet for my tastes in this new year.
Had a glass last night and still pretty sweet. Maybe tonight it'll be better integrated?
Welsh Corgis | F1 |British Cars
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Re: What have you opened this week?
1985 Martinez VP. Slightly to moderately corked, but still drinkable...so far. The bottle was in rough shape, dirty with a cracked wax capsule and a partially exposed cork. There was a touch of mold on the exposed cork. I decanted it and took a sample taste and there was definitely TCA at play, but it wasn't overpowering. I decided to let it sit in the decanted for a day to see if it would settle and it has, somewhat. If this bottle wasn't mildly corked I could tell that it would be a very nice drinking Port.
"I have often thought that the aim of Port is to give you a good and durable hangover, so that during the next day you should be reminded of the splendid occasion the night before." - Hungarian/British journalist & author George Mikes
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Re: What have you opened this week?
There is the plastic wrap trick, although I'm not sure if you can find PVC plastic wrap any more. Saran Wrap changed their formulation a while back, and most of the other stuff is just PE these days. https://www.winespectator.com/articles/ ... -that-workMike J. W. wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 8:53 am 1985 Martinez VP. Slightly to moderately corked, but still drinkable...
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Re: What have you opened this week?
Thanks Eric. I had actually thought about that, but like you said, PVC plastic wrap is hard to find these days. I also thought about buying a small, narrow PVC pipe ( I assume they still make those?), stoppering one end and pouring it in their for a few minutes. It might be a worthy experiment sometime, lol.Eric Menchen wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 9:59 amThere is the plastic wrap trick, although I'm not sure if you can find PVC plastic wrap any more. Saran Wrap changed their formulation a while back, and most of the other stuff is just PE these days. https://www.winespectator.com/articles/ ... -that-workMike J. W. wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 8:53 am 1985 Martinez VP. Slightly to moderately corked, but still drinkable...
"I have often thought that the aim of Port is to give you a good and durable hangover, so that during the next day you should be reminded of the splendid occasion the night before." - Hungarian/British journalist & author George Mikes
- Glenn E.
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Re: What have you opened this week?
Roy and Stewart performed this experiment a long time ago and while yes, it does seem to remove the TCA, it leaves the Port bland and flat. So it's not going to "save" a bottle if that's what you're hoping for, but it will make it usable and technically drinkable.Mike J. W. wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 10:32 amThanks Eric. I had actually thought about that, but like you said, PVC plastic wrap is hard to find these days. I also thought about buying a small, narrow PVC pipe ( I assume they still make those?), stoppering one end and pouring it in their for a few minutes. It might be a worthy experiment sometime, lol.Eric Menchen wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 9:59 amThere is the plastic wrap trick, although I'm not sure if you can find PVC plastic wrap any more. Saran Wrap changed their formulation a while back, and most of the other stuff is just PE these days. https://www.winespectator.com/articles/ ... -that-workMike J. W. wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 8:53 am 1985 Martinez VP. Slightly to moderately corked, but still drinkable...
Glenn Elliott
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Re: What have you opened this week?
I gave up on the corked '85 Martinez and opened a 1983 Ferreira LBV. I had one of these a year or two back (I won 4 of them at auction) and it was pretty good. This one was on death row because I had recently discovered that it was a leaker (very high shoulder level). It was t-stoppered, so I assume it was filtered although I did find some sediment when I decanted. Surprisingly, when I decanted the bottle it came out a light yellow-orange. Based on that, I assume it was oxidized. It's still drinking nicely, but it tastes nothing like an LBV.
"I have often thought that the aim of Port is to give you a good and durable hangover, so that during the next day you should be reminded of the splendid occasion the night before." - Hungarian/British journalist & author George Mikes
- Eric Ifune
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Re: What have you opened this week?
Noval Over 40 year old.