What have you opened this week?

[Glenn E.]

1992 Taylor
...
An overrated wine.

I suspect an off bottle in some way, though nothing in your note indicates what it might be. I've had this a few times and it has always lived up to its reputation. Does it deserve WA's 100 points? Nah. But CellarTracker's 95-point community average seems appropriate based on my experiences.

[John M.]

1995 Dows Quinta do Bomfim. Super dry cork, just puffed into a hundred pieces (should have used a Durand in the first place). Despite this the Port is perfect...still very fruit forward. I have another ; it should sit for years but due to cork issue with this one will monitor closely.

[Moses Botbol]

2000 Quinta Vale D. Maria VP.

[Andy Velebil]

1995 Dows Quinta do Bomfim. Super dry cork, just puffed into a hundred pieces (should have used a Durand in the first place). Despite this the Port is perfect...still very fruit forward. I have another ; it should sit for years but due to cork issue with this one will monitor closely.

The curse of the mid to late 90's corks. Even dry wines from other countries have the same crumbly issue when you try to remove them. Anything past about 10 years old, of any wine, gets either an ah-so or a Durand to it.

[Tom Archer]

The curse of the mid to late 90's corks. Even dry wines from other countries have the same crumbly issue when you try to remove them.

I wonder whether it is poor corks, poor machinery inserting them or just possibly corks that were over-compressed - too big for the neck diameters they were forced into

Many seem very tight, but then erupt into fragments when drawn, which hints at the corks being crushed beyond their limit of elasticity.

[Andy Velebil]

The curse of the mid to late 90's corks. Even dry wines from other countries have the same crumbly issue when you try to remove them.

I wonder whether it is poor corks, poor machinery inserting them or just possibly corks that were over-compressed - too big for the neck diameters they were forced into

Many seem very tight, but then erupt into fragments when drawn, which hints at the corks being crushed beyond their limit of elasticity.

From what I've read and been told, it was just poor corks from that time period. Which also helped spur the big push by producers the world over to get cork suppliers to clean up their act (so I've heard anyways).

[Eric Ifune]

DR L70. Wish it was available in the States.

[Tom Archer]

Churchill Crusted 1985

Nice sound mature quaffer..

[Mike J. W.]

Ramos Pinto Quinta do Bom Retiro 20 Year Old Tawny bottled in 1999. I found this in an old, corner liquor store. Smells of maple syrup and sandalwood and it tastes delicious.

[Moses Botbol]

1966 Croft Vintage is lined up for Paseach tonight.

[Glenn E.]

Opened a Quevedo 40 Year Old Tawny Port for a virtual tasting on Tuesday. Fab as always. I recall giving it 94 points, but somehow lost the TN transcript from the Zoom meeting so don't have notes to post.

By the way, a Zoom virtual tasting is a lot of fun! Sure, you only get to taste your own Port, but you get to see everyone and have a good time.

[Eric Menchen]

Opened a Quevedo 40 Year Old Tawny Port for a virtual tasting on Tuesday.

Oh, I didn't see that one listed viewforum.php?f=9

[John M.]

Opened a Quevedo 40 Year Old Tawny Port for a virtual tasting on Tuesday. Fab as always. I recall giving it 94 points, but somehow lost the TN transcript from the Zoom meeting so don't have notes to post.

By the way, a Zoom virtual tasting is a lot of fun! Sure, you only get to taste your own Port, but you get to see everyone and have a good time.

We did one--it was a lot of fun!

[Glenn E.]

Opened a Quevedo 40 Year Old Tawny Port for a virtual tasting on Tuesday.

Oh, I didn't see that one listed viewforum.php?f=9

It wasn't an FTLOP tasting!

[Eric Menchen]

It wasn't an FTLOP tasting!

Mine was a casual nudge that perhaps it should be, or perhaps we should do another one here.

[Glenn E.]

It wasn't an FTLOP tasting!

Mine was a casual nudge that perhaps it should be, or perhaps we should do another one here.

We definitely should, it was a lot of fun!

[David Spriggs]

Bulas 20 Year Old Tawny Port

[Tom Archer]

Vesuvio '96

The last time I decanted one of these at home was Dec 6th 2007, a display of excess youth that was a major factor in my setting a minimum drinking age for VP at home.

A minimum drinking age that has morphed from 18 years to 21 years to 24 years over the years, and after sticking to the regime, finally this wine has caught up with time.

Whilst still very youthful, this is also a very good wine, indeed an exceptional wine from a non-declared year. It is very well rounded with an excellent nose, great complexity, a touch of spice and a sound finish. It has what I would describe as the early Vesuvio signature - whilst the Syms insist the style hasn't changed, I believe the modern V's are more austere, and that this early style is now closer to the house style of the current Dow Ribeira.

With 24 years of age this wine bears more than a passing semblance to the Fonseca '70 in its younger, cheeky days. It has the potential to be a serious classic, score 7-9 - stock up..

[Moses Botbol]

2010 Crasto LBV - Better than I thought it would be. Generally not a big Crasto port fan, but it hit the spot on a pop and pour.

[John M.]

Two @ 1985 Ferreira. Going to decant 2 on Friday, I will put in small bottles and then some local Port lovers will pick up a share. That evening we'll have a Zoom meeting and toast the Port together.