1979 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.

1979 Colheita (Bottled 2007): My rank #2, Group rank #2, Wine A, $75 Cdn
Light-medium tawny in colour with a lighter edge of the same colour.
Huge nose that showed walnuts wrapped in a blossom honey.
One of the more elegant wines – a little lighter in body than the others but showing good acid and bright tangerine peel fruit.

[Andy Velebil]

Last had this about 6 months ago and found it to be a tad hot and a bit hollow on the finish. Not up to normal par with many other older Kopke Colheita's I've had.

[Alan Gardner]

We thought this was the 'best value' in the tasting. Although I was mildly surprised that, as a set, the flavours were mainly orange-based, this was the wine that was most typical of what I expect from a tawny, with the nutty, almost caramel tendencies. If it hadn't been for this one I could possibly have dismissed Kopke with a 'needs 50 years to show at its best' overall comment. Of all the Kopkes I recall having, this is the only one less than 50 years old that I've truly enjoyed.
But, of course, it still doesn't rank up with those old (maybe I should say 'more mature' - I'd hate to imply that 50-years is 'old') ones.