1967 Croft Quinta da Roeda Vintage Port

[Andy Velebil]

Decanted about 5 1/2 hours ago.

I have two bottles of this, one with a mid neck fill and this bottle with a base neck/very top shoulder fill. Since I've never had it, I figured I'd open the worse of the two bottles just to try it for the first time.

Considering many '67s are starting show their age, this is still a rather medium ruby with only the slightest bit of age on the edge. With the exception of the '67 Quinta do Noval and Nacional, this has one of the most attractive floral noses of any 1967 I've had. And one of the very few '67s that isn't showing some heat on the nose. Initially, very soft cherries give way to a large amount of tannins and some heat on the mid palate. Just when I though this would be like many other '67s, with fading fruit and lots of heat, a remarkable turn-around happens and an amazing amount of soft ripe strawberries, tannins, and solid acidity take over and the heat completely goes away. This leaves a rather long finish full of cherries and just a faint touch of tobacco. A week ago I had the 1967 Cockburn's and Martinez. I must say this is far superior to those two, and one that while probably at it's peak, will hold here for another 5+ years before it starts a decline. I was a bit torn between 91 and 92 points, but the more I drink this the more I like this. I'm curious now to see if my other bottle shows even better than this.
92 points