40 Year Old Tawny Port by Cálem -- Magnificent

[Glenn E.]

Brought to Seattle by Eric Menchen and shared at dinner with our wives, Kari and Marijke. This note from memory 5 days later.

Cálem Magnificent 40 Year Old Tawny Port
Bottled 1989

Color: Cloudy in the glass due to a flight from Denver to Seattle. Light brown with just a little bit of orange to give it a hint of color.
Nose: A little bit of leather, a little bit of VA, and significant alcohol. Eric thought it hot and I wouldn't argue against that. Some vague fruit, too, but difficult to find and label. On the whole, not a pleasant nose that you'd want to sniff repeatedly but also not what I'd call unpleasant.
Palate: Very smooth and creamy texture, but not overly thick. It wasn't syrupy, just deliciously creamy. Right after opening it bordered on hot to the palate, but as the evening progressed that heat faded to a pleasant warmth. Neither sweet nor dry, but right in the middle. Kari noted apricots which, upon reflection, seemed accurate. Also some brown sugar and apple skin. Marijke noted one poor dessert pairing out of an assortment we ordered, but it paired very nicely with the sea salt caramels and the Port-soaked cherry/herbed goat cheese crostini. The poor pairing might have been the creme brulee due to the Port not being sweet enough?
Finish: Nothing particularly notable to my memory. Neither long nor clipped. I don't recall any bitterness or excess heat, either.

Score: 91 points. In my tasting vernacular, "magnificent" is a rating between 97 and 99. This was not that. It was, however, a very nice Port that paired surprisingly well with an assortment of small desserts, but I suspect that it would not have faired well in a lineup with other 40 Year Old Ports. Or even 20 Year Old Ports for that matter. 21+ years of bottle age undoubtably changed this Port, but without tasting a fresh bottle I can't say whether or not it was for the worse. It wasn't as intense as most 40 Year Olds, and as noted was fighting to keep its alcohol in check.

Thanks for sharing, Eric!

[Eric Menchen]

I forgot about the creamy part, but you were right on with that. Paired great with the bread pudding with caramel sauce.