1980 Tuke Holdsworth Vintage Port"
Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2014 10:40 am
I found a bottle of Tuke Holdsworth 1980 Vintage Port in my local Grocery Outlet for the crazy low price of $24.99, so I bought one to see if it is worth buying more. Vic and I opened it on Christmas Day to sip while we watched the Doctor Who Christmas Special.
Upon opening, a gorgeous aroma of strawberries wafted from the bottle. I noticed that the cork seemed rather new and had the words "Robertson 1980 Vintage Port" on it. The port was decanted using the Hersch Method and left to sit for 4 and a half hours.
Visual: Medium ruby color with significant bricking on the edges. Sitting on the counter, the port looked like it had bricking throughout, but when I turned the glass on its side more, I could see the deep ruby center.
Nose: The nose was very strong of ripe strawberries with some white pepper and clove.
Taste: Spicy strawberries, rhubarb, black licorice, nice big mouthfeel, sweet bing cherries, some mild red hots. After sipping for a half hour, I started to get some orange juice flavors. There is still a small amount of heat on the front of the palate with a finish that is strong and around 30 to 40 seconds long.
I enjoyed this port, but it isn't going to blow anybody away. A very nice flavor profile. Vic found it not sweet enough for his taste and a touch bitter. Upon retasting, I could see what he was getting, though I thought it was sweet enough for me. For the price, this really couldn't be beat. For the price of an everyday ruby, you could have a VP with 35 years of age on it. Not too shabby.
89 points
Upon opening, a gorgeous aroma of strawberries wafted from the bottle. I noticed that the cork seemed rather new and had the words "Robertson 1980 Vintage Port" on it. The port was decanted using the Hersch Method and left to sit for 4 and a half hours.
Visual: Medium ruby color with significant bricking on the edges. Sitting on the counter, the port looked like it had bricking throughout, but when I turned the glass on its side more, I could see the deep ruby center.
Nose: The nose was very strong of ripe strawberries with some white pepper and clove.
Taste: Spicy strawberries, rhubarb, black licorice, nice big mouthfeel, sweet bing cherries, some mild red hots. After sipping for a half hour, I started to get some orange juice flavors. There is still a small amount of heat on the front of the palate with a finish that is strong and around 30 to 40 seconds long.
I enjoyed this port, but it isn't going to blow anybody away. A very nice flavor profile. Vic found it not sweet enough for his taste and a touch bitter. Upon retasting, I could see what he was getting, though I thought it was sweet enough for me. For the price, this really couldn't be beat. For the price of an everyday ruby, you could have a VP with 35 years of age on it. Not too shabby.
89 points
![[cheers.gif]](./images/smilies/cheers.gif "Toast"){kind=small}
Thanks Lisa!