1950 Croft Vintage Port

[Andy Velebil]

1950 Croft Vintage Port

From a vintage not often seen or talked about, I thought it would be fun to open this VP at a dinner tonight. Never had it before, so I guessed at a decant time of about 6 hours...which was a wise choice. Initially a little lean and hot, this really gained some weight and mellowed by the time dinner wound up and it was time to dive into this bottle. Still has remarkable color for a 59 year old, a light purple with some reddish brown highlights. There is a little heat overlaying lavender and licorise on the nose. One thing that strikes me is there is still very prominent tannins on this. The heat is a bit protrusive on the palate, but it doesn't overpower the eucalyptus, spices, and strawberries that still have solid grip and depth. A lot of herbs show up on the long finish to help round out the full package. Overall, I'd probably say this is at it's peak, however it will stay here for at least another 10-15 years before it starts to fade if this bottle is representative. A very nice bottle, and even in a weaker vintage, shows the potential Croft has. 92 points

08/16/09