1981 Kopke Colheita Port

[Alan Gardner]

Tasting of Kopke Colheta Ports (all bottled 2007)
The tasting was on March 11, 2009 and was conducted single-blind, with the order of tasting unknown. Wines were not decanted but poured into the glass about an hour before the tasting commenced. Approx 50 people attended (and voted). The tasting notes are mine alone.
The ranking of the wines is given both for me (1-8) and the overall group consensus (1-8), and the position on the tasting map is also noted (wine A-H), although people could taste in any order. Cost (in Canadian $) is also noted.
NOTE: Overall assessment was that these ports showed ‘just OK’ – obviously a couple were extremely good, but overall the price/quality ratio was too adverse to consider these on a regular basis. Nevertheless the #1 finisher (1952) was in a class by itself and the 96 & 97 were well adrift at the bottom. The 74, 81 & 84 were essentially in a ‘statistical tie’ for 3/4/5.

1981 Colheita (Bottled 2007): My rank #4, Group rank #5, Wine G, $67 Cdn
Colour medium tawny with some dusky ‘lowlights’.
Much heavier orange on the nose.
Super-orange on the taste and lacking some finesse. However, the sweetness wasn’t as obtrusive and the finish was one of the longest of the group – albeit not particularly complex.