2005 Quarles Harris LBV Port

[John M.]

Purchased a year ago for $14 plus tax. I enjoyed it 3 times over 4 nights having roughly 1/3rd of the bottle each time.

0 Hours: Pop and pour. Definitely mature magenta rim--Semi-opaque. Nose has mature dark fruit. Hint of over-ripe plum. My first reaction to this is it tasted like an uber-ruby reserve. Blackberry and a hint of tar up front; moderate tannins. Tocuh of a lighter berry (strawberry/raspberry) towards the end. Moderate aftertaste. A little spirily. At this point I'm thinking this is a great QPR port.

48 Hrs: Color the same. Aroma-a little less there and seems stewed. Now tastes of stewed fruit and much more spirity. Piquant finish. Went far downhill.

72 Hrs: Still stewed fruit (rhubarb, strawberry plus that ever present tar--the tar is not unpleasant) but has mellowed out a bit--the finish is less piquant. The last third of a bottle was enjoyable but overall, the best tasting was the first.

I was amazed at how much this wine changed from tasting to tasting (wished I could have had some at 24 hours)...and notably this was its best at pop and pour. At 0 hours I would have called this 89; 48 hours 85 and the end 87. Overall...

87 Points

[John F. Newman]

John, sounds like a good bottle to pop open with a friend or two over. Where'd you pick this up at?

[John M.]

I got it at Trader Joe's in Phoenix, AZ when visiting there a year ago. I've never seen QH in the Garden State.