1970 Dalva Vintage Port

Tom Archer · Post by **Tom Archer** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 5:32 am

I'm not expecting a lot from this - I bought a case because it was going very cheap.

Unusual packing - on prising open the case I found the bottles in cello wraps that had been put in corrugated sleeves.

Under the cello, the bottles have a liberal coating of what look like bat droppings..

Top of the bottle was liberally daubed in a very hard red/brown wax that went all over the place as I chipped it off with a teaspoon. The cork was recessed about 5mm which made this exercise all the more fiddly.

Cork was very soft, but I managed to draw it in one piece.

Decanted a few minutes ago - brick red colour - cloudy - not very attractive.

Bouquet earthy, spiritous

First sip - very smooth, licorice dominant, slides down with ease - much better than it's looks and bouquet promised.

Clearly a wine that is over the hill, but with no rough edges, this is one of the best initial sips I can recall.

More anon

Tom Archer · Post by **Tom Archer** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 12:15 pm

Six hours on and the colour has greatly improved, but still not as clear as I would have hoped.

Bouquet light, still a bit spiritous, earthiness gone.

Still smooth, tasty, with some pleasant tawny flavours, but a little fire is creeping in on the finish.

This wine has probably seen better days, but still offers very respectable drinking.

Steven Kooij · Post by **Steven Kooij** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:54 pm

My TN on the Dalva 1970 after +/- 8 hours of decanting (tasted blind):

The second Port in this flight looked just “old”. Some VA, but not enough to be offensive. Not much more on the nose, though, apart form some alcohol. Good bodied, smooth, sweet, and rather nutty. Long smooth finish. Probably a VP that is over the hill, and that “has evolved into a delicious tawny”. 83 – Dalva 1970 Vintage Port. (March 2004)

Tom Archer · Post by **Tom Archer** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 5:44 am

24 hrs on..

A little clearer now - the haze in the liquid has parted to show some small particulates. I am making a note to try a coffee filter next time instead of the gauze.

Still spiritous on the nose - I am thinking that this wine is so well pickled it will probably be drinkable (just!) in 100 years time.

Still very smooth. Pleasant but not outstanding. Very gluggable!

Over the hill, certainly, but it probably didn't climb much of a hill in the first place.

Will probably be quite respectable for affordable 40th birthday presents in 2010.

tom

Tom Archer · Post by **Tom Archer** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 11:42 am

Fourteen months on and time to open another. Mindful of the cloudiness problem last time, I stood this one up for over a week (with capsule removed) before decanting, and removed the cork with more care than usual to avoid disturbing the contents.

The wine decanted is almost haze free, but has that slightly matt magenta look that says 'I'm old and tired, give me a day or two and I'll be OK'

- Which is what I'll do..

Tom

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 11:52 am

I have had Dalva VPs back to 1905 when they used to be called, C. Da Silva with the 1926 standing out as the best example. They are really best known as a Colheita producer though (bottled as Presidential for the US marketplace). I have loved their wood aged Ports and believe this is where they excel. It will be interesting to see what happens to Dalva now with changes in Gaia!

Thanks for the note on the '70 Tom, a great read to say the least. I can't wait to hear how this second bottle turns out with a change to gain some air time and to allow things to integrate. I don't have faith but hopefully you will find, some of the spirit does blow off with time. I'd be surprised though.

Todd Pettinger · Post by **Todd Pettinger** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 1:19 pm

uncle tom wrote:I stood this one up for over a week (with capsule removed) before decanting, and removed the cork with more care than usual to avoid disturbing the contents.

The wine decanted is almost haze free, but has that slightly matt magenta look that says 'I'm old and tired, give me a day or two and I'll be OK'

- Which is what I'll do..

Tom

Just out of curiousity Tom, why remove the capsule prior to standing it up? Is this just so that you don't re-disturb the sediment when opening the bottle, or is it for another reason as well?

Todd

Tom Archer · Post by **Tom Archer** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 4:05 pm

Just out of curiousity Tom, why remove the capsule prior to standing it up? Is this just so that you don't re-disturb the sediment when opening the bottle

Yes!

Tom

Todd Pettinger · Post by **Todd Pettinger** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 10:33 pm

Thanks Tom! (Still learning, learning, learning!!)

Todd

Tom Archer · Post by **Tom Archer** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 10:48 am

24hrs on..

A better bottle this one - possibly due to the lack of sediment, but it also seems a little less tired and ancient. Spirit on the nose is noticeable, but not a major issue. A little over sweet, and a bit fiery on the finish.

To score (my last note pre-dates my scoring system)

For immediate gratification, this wine falls short of the mean, but is not in the bottom quartile - so a 3

Where's it going?

I have a good feeling about the longevity of the 70's in general, and reckon this wine will carry on for many years yet. In ten years time it might well continue to qualify as a 3, but 2 is perhaps a little more likely.

So my score is 3-2

Tom