1970 Graham Vintage Port
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 4:01 pm
A bottle won at a Zachy's auction a little over a year ago. The bottle was in excellent condition and the cork extracted easily with a Durand. Initial impressions from the "quality control" sample have been blended with more detailed notes take after dinner, dessert, some New Year's Eve partying, and a good night's sleep. :)
1970 Graham VP
Color: Started out a little deeper than a rich ruby red, but turned more garnet with air time. Some age shows at the rim as it fades through orange and yellow rather than pink, but only at the very edge of the rim. Otherwise it still look very youthful and alive.
Nose: When the bottle was opened, a rich dark strawberry aroma wafted into the room. In the glass the aroma is even darker, so some combination of very ripe strawberries and sweet blackberries. There's a faint hint of browned meat as well which I find adds complexity. Also a bit of cinnamon and just the faintest whiff of black pepper. With time a few more purple berries showed up, such as marionberries.
Palate: The body started out almost syrupy, but eased up a bit with time. Mouth coating and very full. Very sweet as well. Gentle strawberry flavor, some very mild heat, and still a few tannins. With time the palate grew in complexity, eventually showing marionberries and loganberries along with some very sweet blackberries.
Finish: Good length, if very slightly bitter. Warm and comfortable. No grip to speak of. The tail resolves as apple skin, which is pleasant.
Score: 95 points. It's borderline too sweet to get a higher score, but is still outstanding. Give it a good long decant for best results - I'd say 8-10 hours.
1970 Graham VP
Color: Started out a little deeper than a rich ruby red, but turned more garnet with air time. Some age shows at the rim as it fades through orange and yellow rather than pink, but only at the very edge of the rim. Otherwise it still look very youthful and alive.
Nose: When the bottle was opened, a rich dark strawberry aroma wafted into the room. In the glass the aroma is even darker, so some combination of very ripe strawberries and sweet blackberries. There's a faint hint of browned meat as well which I find adds complexity. Also a bit of cinnamon and just the faintest whiff of black pepper. With time a few more purple berries showed up, such as marionberries.
Palate: The body started out almost syrupy, but eased up a bit with time. Mouth coating and very full. Very sweet as well. Gentle strawberry flavor, some very mild heat, and still a few tannins. With time the palate grew in complexity, eventually showing marionberries and loganberries along with some very sweet blackberries.
Finish: Good length, if very slightly bitter. Warm and comfortable. No grip to speak of. The tail resolves as apple skin, which is pleasant.
Score: 95 points. It's borderline too sweet to get a higher score, but is still outstanding. Give it a good long decant for best results - I'd say 8-10 hours.