For The Love Of Port

Bottled in 2010--bottle was 375ml. My first colheita.

0 & 24 hrs-Aged ruby glass colored with a slightly yellow oranger rim-very clear. Nice aromas of raisins with hints of caramel. Upon tasting I was surprised at how many slight flavors there were--raisins, caramel, vanilla, toffee, all-spice, a very light nutty flavor. This was fun to just sip and sip and at various times these different flavors came out with each taste. Moderate finish, alcohol and acidity are nicely balanced. Easy to drink, hard to stop. Delicious.

Not much difference between the 0 & 24 hour tastings.

92 Points

Hi John,

As nice as the 2001 Colheita is, you owe it to yourself to find one with 20-30 years of age so you can see what a bit more of wood aging can provide to a Colheita. I have a feeling you will sense a very different character, albeit the 2001 is a fine youngster. As they develop and gain more caramelization in wood, the nuances change rather significantly. Please note that I used the term caramelization here, very loosely as that's not what actually takes place, except for the coloration.

My experience and likes tend toward rubies--so the colheita at $21 was a perfect one to try and it was great. My plan was to soon buy a 10 year tawny (likely Taylor or Niepoort) and build up to better if I continue to enjoy them.

As to Colheitas over 20 years, there is a limited local supply--one store has a 1979 Feist and a 1982 Feist (colheitas) but there are no TNs. Any thoughts?

John M. wrote:As to Colheitas over 20 years, there is a limited local supply--one store has a 1979 Feist and a 1982 Feist (colheitas) but there are no TNs. Any thoughts?

Feist isn't the first brand that comes to mind when I'm looking for a good aged Colheita. Unless the prices are good ($40-ish) I'd probably avoid those.

Kopke, Niepoort, Noval... even Porto Rocha. Treat yourself to one of those if you can find one.