For The Love Of Port

I purchased three of these at auction for $35 each, and had hopes but not high expectations. I took a back-up bottle of LBV in case it didn't pan out. I was pleasantly rewarded with a nice QVR and good experience. I didn't take any notes at the time.

Stood the bottle up early in the day. Around 5 p.m. we tonged the bottle. This was a bit of an effort as the odd bottle shape makes it hard to get a good contact grasp with the tongs. Here's a picture from Sean for explanation:

Up to the wax, the bottle is too wide for the tongs. Above the bottom edge of the wax, the quick taper makes the tongs slide up. I had scraped the wax off, and perhaps if I had left it on I could have avoided the sliding (with what loss in heat transfer?) Anyway, on the third try, I twisted the tongs and this made better contact, and a few ice cubes caused the tell-tale crack. As we thought would be the case, the crack was actually in the middle of the cork, not below it, but I managed to take the top off with the cork intact. The cork was in much better shape than I expected. Poured into a decanter for consumption some time between 7 and 8. I took a sip at this time and it seemed pleasant with no off aromas or harsh alcohols.

Color definitely showed signs of aging. It wasn't pure tawny, but more so than the 1996 Quevedo Colheita I opened the previous week. Aroma also indicated some tawny character. In the mouth there was still some faint fruit, perhaps dried strawberry, and plenty of the sugary flavors I associate with tawny. It was quite nice, but not overly layered or complex, with a decent finish. I would definitely drink these up, as I don't think they are going to get better.

89 points.

The bottles that I have opened have been pretty close to pure tawny, but otherwise fit your TN. As you said, I find it to be a pleasant drinker but fairly simplistic and straightforward. Definitely not going to improve any further, and quite probably on the down slope. Drink up and enjoy 'em while you can!

My scores have ranged from 82-85, which falls into my "good" range. I used one bottle to show some new Port drinkers what an "old and tired" VP looks and tastes like so that they could get a better idea of the evolution of VP. The most mature that they've otherwise had is a 1985 Graham, so the 1970 RO made for a nice contrast.

I've never really been impressed with this Port. During this time period, the Vintage Ports made by this house were pretty weak. Elegant and soft at best, but not my style, especially given the great Ports from this excellent year.