For The Love Of Port

K&L purchase, first of 4 bottles. Stark label with no bottling info, imported by Adventure in Wine, Daly City. No selo, but capsule was embossed Dow 1970. Cork was saturated (and imprinted) and I am now hoping we do a group purchase on a Durand. Either that or I buy some tongs and learn how to use them. Unfortunately the cork broke off 2/3 through and had to be pushed in for decant. Bright garnet color and a metallic stink that happily went away. 7 hour double decant, and it was still a bit cloudy with some fine sediment even after a 3 day stand up. The nose was tight and hard to get anything but try I did. Grapefruit peel along with ?, I just don't know. The color had darkened up a bit, but there was no mistaking this for a young Port. Except that after the first taste I wanted to re-cork it and try again in another 10 years. Instead I marveled how a 45 year old Port could show so young and strong? The tannins were fully resolved but still dominated the finish for the first two days, finally as I sip the last bit while writing this review have they settled down. The complexity makes it hard to describe, some times I got Jolly Roger candy and some times it was a distinct hop flavor. On the third day it showed a tea leaf character as it mellowed out. This is the finest showing I have yet to have in my limited experience. Did I mention the finish that was the longest ever? 94 days 1&2, 95 days 3-4.

I am pleased to read the note above. Lots diss on this Port and I've typically found it to be excellent as your note portrays ... very youthful from best bottles. Lots of promise for the future two decades.

That is a blockbuster vintage. If anyone says differently, they had an odd bottle. Then again I am big Dow fan, so call me biased.

I've had a sole bottle before, it was excellent.


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I'm very glad that I have 3 more in my cellar. There is something about the Dow's style that I love.