For The Love Of Port

As part of the 2016 FTLOP Harvest Tour we visited Brunheda as the last visit. It was a wonderful day there with nice lunch incl. tastings and then some fabulous tawnies (incl. one white from 1964). I will try to share my impression of their 100+ years tawny port.

During the tasting/lunch we had Blackett extra dry white, vintage ports 2013 + 2015, then Blacketts tawny reserve, 10 yrs + 20 yrs + 30 yrs tawnies, before ending the lunch with some very nice Douro reds. Then moving on to their cellar we had 1964 Brunheda white port, then Brunheda abt 40 yrs tawny, followed by 80+ years tawny. They were all in the 95-98 pts range in my book. So, what could possibly be better?

During my life I have been lucky enough to taste/drink a lot of very good ports (the two top has been 1885 DR colheita (99) tasted twice and Mourao 60+ yrs tawny (99) tasted many times. I have now tasted my first 100 pts. Brunheda 100+ yrs tawny straight from barrel. I have seen tasting notes from 1906 Brunheda colheita and it could be the same port, but I am not sure. This Brunheda 100+ yrs tawny made me having to sit down, as I was completely blown away. Sitting on my own on a wooden beam between two large wine barrels enjoying this fantastic port in my own little ”bubble”. I tried to write down some sensible words in my tasting book, and managed at the end. After some time my wife Emmy came over to me and was clearly impressed by this port.

No decanting, no bottling, straight from barrel into the glass. Colour is medium dark brown. Aroma was wonderful, being fresh, showing wood, citrus, minerals etc. It was a clear indication that something good will be tasted. I kept some time to just enjoy the aroma before even tasting the port. Full body. The taste was super elegant and powerful, the combination that I really love. Acidity and sweetness in perfect balance. Structure of this port was perfect. It was demanding and pleasant at the same time. Some coffee notes. Long, long aftertaste. 100 pts.

sounds ok to me...

Must've been some port! Good for you to experience that, very nice.

Rune, if it is the 1906 Colheita, then our experiences are similar. The 1906 Brunheda Colheita was my first 100-pt Port as well.

I am confident they are one and the same. From what I tasted, at the same time as Rune ... and previously with Glenn ... the 1906 that I shared with him, these are definitely from the same batch as what we tasted from cask last month in Douro.

I did not want to boast nor mention at the time, but the famous 1906 Old Tawny Ports, literally were cask samples filled for me to write about when NOBODY even knew the name Brunheda. It was a myth at that time and one of many small producers I've introduced to the world over the past two decades.