What have you opened this week?

[A.S. Demka]

Vieira de Sousa colheita 2003

[Eric Menchen]

DR 30 Year Old Tawny
This is just an awesome wine. I think it suffers in this group in that is often tasted next to a DR 40, 50, or even the Lote 70.

[Lucas S]

2015 Niepoort VP

Young I know, but I wanted to know whether to pick more of these up. Yes, I will need gallons of this....

Lovely, massive red bouquet with citrus. And with what I'm learning is a NIepoort-style spicyness. Good as pnp for maximum lush fruit aromas, more winelike later in the day, 2nd day really firing on all cylinders. Not really closed yet... probably a good time to try one before it possibly goes into long hibernation.

Good rolling tannins do catch on the tongue, but are not overbearing by any means. Leggy with a long finish. These will be at least as good as the mid-90s Vesuvios are to us now, calling it.

[Mike J. W.]

2015 Niepoort VP

Young I know, but I wanted to know whether to pick more of these up. Yes, I will need gallons of this....

Lovely, massive red bouquet with citrus. And with what I'm learning is a NIepoort-style spicyness. Good as pnp for maximum lush fruit aromas, more winelike later in the day, 2nd day really firing on all cylinders. Not really closed yet... probably a good time to try one before it possibly goes into long hibernation.

Good rolling tannins do catch on the tongue, but are not overbearing by any means. Leggy with a long finish. These will be at least as good as the mid-90s Vesuvios are to us now, calling it.

Lucas, if you haven't already, try the Niepoort 2017, it's even better.

[Moses Botbol]

Brought an '85 Fonseca with us to the Cape for the 4th of July. Have a touch left I expect to finish tonight. Needs to decant a couple of days or more to shine IMO.

[John M.]

Ste Eufemia 10 Year White. A nice one---have had several. But this one was cloudy with a bit of sediment. Maybe a little physically flawed, but the taste was as good as ever. Opened at Darts night July 3rd and finished at a cookout the next day.

[Roy Hersh]

Opened a JH Andresen for a guest who will be coming on this year's 20th Anniversary PHT2. It was their 40 year old Tawny and such a classy Port. So good and pure.

[A.S. Demka]

Opened a JH Andresen for a guest who will be coming on this year's 20th Anniversary PHT2. It was their 40 year old Tawny and such a classy Port. So good and pure.

That's a great Tawny indeed! I bought a few bottles during our 2023 PHT2 visit to Andresen (2023 botling), and cherish the orphan in my cellar.

[A.S. Demka]

DR 2010 white colheita, so much more than an easy summer sipper!

[Mike J. W.]

Maynard's 10 year-old White. This drank very nicely on the first night. I'm curious to see how it holds up over the next few nights.

[Al B.]

A couple of weeks back I opened a bottle of Gonzalez Byass 1955 as my contribution to a horizontal and was really pleased how it showed.

Last weekend I opened a bottle of Graham 1970, which was just glorious!

[Mike J. W.]

1985 Quinta do Crasto VP. It may have some TCA taint, but I'm not 100 % sure yet. We'll see how it tastes tonight.

[Eric Ifune]

Broadbent 30 year old.

[Al B.]

It’s been hot in the UK recently so I’ve opened bottles of (and served them at fridge temperature) Churchill Dry White, Quevedo White 10YO, Ferreira White 10YO, Quinta das Carvalhas 50YO Tawny, and Quinta de Val da Figueiras 10YO Tawny.

And today it was a little bit cooler so I opened a bottle of Delaforce 1963 (which was served at a cellar temperature of 14ºC).

[Glenn E.]

2011 Capela da Quinta do Vesuvio for Port Club last night.

It's an interesting super premium Port, in that it doesn't feel like it's meant to be better than the regular Vesuvio, just different. I thought the regular Vesuvio was fruitier and bolder, but that the Capela had better structure. I think the regular Vesuvio was also sweeter, though not by too much.

[Al B.]

2011 Capela da Quinta do Vesuvio for Port Club last night.

It's an interesting super premium Port, in that it doesn't feel like it's meant to be better than the regular Vesuvio, just different. I thought the regular Vesuvio was fruitier and bolder, but that the Capela had better structure. I think the regular Vesuvio was also sweeter, though not by too much.

I’ve just seen Roy’s FaceBook post. It looks like a really eclectic mix of Ports you had. All fabulous, and all so different from each other.

[Glenn E.]

2011 Capela da Quinta do Vesuvio for Port Club last night.

It's an interesting super premium Port, in that it doesn't feel like it's meant to be better than the regular Vesuvio, just different. I thought the regular Vesuvio was fruitier and bolder, but that the Capela had better structure. I think the regular Vesuvio was also sweeter, though not by too much.

I’ve just seen Roy’s FaceBook post. It looks like a really eclectic mix of Ports you had. All fabulous, and all so different from each other.

Stewart and I did coordinate so that we could have the 2011 Vesuvio and Capela head-to-head, but otherwise that's a pretty typical selection for Port Club. Eclectic, indeed!

Ok, Lisa's Mourao Mother of the 40 maybe isn't so typical...

[Al B.]

Last weekend we opened bottles of Quinta das Lamelas 20YO White (bottled 2018) and Sandeman 2005 LBV (bottled 2009). Both were fabulous. The Sandeman LBV would have passed as VP if I’d served it blind to knowledgable Port friends.

[Mike J. W.]

Last weekend we opened bottles of Quinta das Lamelas 20YO White (bottled 2018) and Sandeman 2005 LBV (bottled 2009). Both were fabulous. The Sandeman LBV would have passed as VP if I’d served it blind to knowledgable Port friends.

I picked up a bottle of the 20 y.o. Lamelas White when I was in Portugal last year. I think it was bottled around the same time. I told John M. that I would open it with him (and whoever else is around). I'm looking forward to it.

[Mike J. W.]

1995 Quinta do Vesuvio. I sampled it to ensure it's okay and I am happy to say it tastes great! I'll have a full glass tonight after it's sat in the decanter for 7 hours or so.