What have you opened this week?

[Phil W]

Glenn - how would you rate the '76 vs '84 and/or '74?

'76 reigns supreme for any (relatively) recent Krohn Colheita. It is sublime. I can't compare it to the 1896 or 1863 because, much to my dismay, I haven't had either of those. But from what I've heard, they might actually be even better.

I don't doubt that the '84 and '74 are also superb, though I can't recall specifically having had either of them. Are you thinking of the Kopke '84 and '74?

If you're looking for numbers, I generally have the Krohn '76 in the 97-98 range. My memory puts the Kopke '84 in the 92-94 range. I haven't done a TN yet, but this Krohn '87 will probably end up in that range as well depending on how it shows tonight.

Thanks Glenn; you're right that I misread you post as being about '76 Kopke rather than Krohn, hence the years mentioned. In which case, by way of further comparison, which would you rate as the best Kopke year(s), say since '70? I'll keep an eye out for Krohn '76.

[Glenn E.]

Glenn - how would you rate the '76 vs '84 and/or '74?

'76 reigns supreme for any (relatively) recent Krohn Colheita. It is sublime. I can't compare it to the 1896 or 1863 because, much to my dismay, I haven't had either of those. But from what I've heard, they might actually be even better.

I don't doubt that the '84 and '74 are also superb, though I can't recall specifically having had either of them. Are you thinking of the Kopke '84 and '74?

If you're looking for numbers, I generally have the Krohn '76 in the 97-98 range. My memory puts the Kopke '84 in the 92-94 range. I haven't done a TN yet, but this Krohn '87 will probably end up in that range as well depending on how it shows tonight.

Thanks Glenn; you're right that I misread you post as being about '76 Kopke rather than Krohn, hence the years mentioned. In which case, by way of further comparison, which would you rate as the best Kopke year(s), say since '70? I'll keep an eye out for Krohn '76.

Kopke has several excellent Colheitas since '70. I'm not particularly fond of "young" Colheitas, though, so I'll put an upper bound of 1990 on the list as well. Yes, I consider 25 years "young" for a Colheita. They're just coming into their own at that age... 30 is really preferable for my palate with only a handful of exceptions such as the 1991 Dona Matilda and 1992 Quevedo.

So in that range, the 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1984, and 1987 are all worth trying and I'd say you really can't go wrong with recent bottlings of any of them. The '74 and '76 are the best of the batch for me, but the '84 is exceptional value for the money. I skipped buying the '74 in the most recent Kopke buying opportunity, but loaded up on the '84 due to that value. As always, try to get recent bottlings if at all possible, especially on the younger ones as the extra years in wood can make all the difference. The 1987 seems to have improved fairly dramatically over the last 8-10 years in wood, just as an example.

Note that Kopke is very prolific - the only years that they didn't make a Colheita during that 20-year span are '70-'73 and '85. (I'm relying on Roy's TNs and the TNDB for that list.) Also beware that they bottle the same Colheita repeatedly, so checking the bottling date on a Kopke is critical. I know of at least 4 bottlings of the 1987 ranging from 1997 (though part of my brain is trying to tell me that it was 1995) to 2011. As you can imagine the 1997 and 2011 bottlings are very different Ports.

Kopke Colheitas tend to be somewhat more acidic than some other brands, which I find more notable in their "middle" years. The 1978, for example, seems rather tart and dry to me compared to the 1976 and 1974. Some people really like that, though.

[Thomas V]

Kopke has several excellent Colheitas since '70. I'm not particularly fond of "young" Colheitas, though, so I'll put an upper bound of 1990 on the list as well. Yes, I consider 25 years "young" for a Colheita. They're just coming into their own at that age... 30 is really preferable for my palate with only a handful of exceptions such as the 1991 Dona Matilda and 1992 Quevedo.

So in that range, the 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1984, and 1987 are all worth trying and I'd say you really can't go wrong with recent bottlings of any of them. The '74 and '76 are the best of the batch for me, but the '84 is exceptional value for the money. I skipped buying the '74 in the most recent Kopke buying opportunity, but loaded up on the '84 due to that value. As always, try to get recent bottlings if at all possible, especially on the younger ones as the extra years in wood can make all the difference. The 1987 seems to have improved fairly dramatically over the last 8-10 years in wood, just as an example.

Note that Kopke is very prolific - the only years that they didn't make a Colheita during that 20-year span are '70-'73 and '85. (I'm relying on Roy's TNs and the TNDB for that list.) Also beware that they bottle the same Colheita repeatedly, so checking the bottling date on a Kopke is critical. I know of at least 4 bottlings of the 1987 ranging from 1997 (though part of my brain is trying to tell me that it was 1995) to 2011. As you can imagine the 1997 and 2011 bottlings are very different Ports.

Kopke Colheitas tend to be somewhat more acidic than some other brands, which I find more notable in their "middle" years. The 1978, for example, seems rather tart and dry to me compared to the 1976 and 1974. Some people really like that, though.

Great insight Glenn. You should really do a series on Colheita's from the different producers. I would read it for sure.

[Phil W]

So in that range, the 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1984, and 1987 are all worth trying and I'd say you really can't go wrong with recent bottlings of any of them. The '74 and '76 are the best of the batch for me, but the '84 is exceptional value for the money. I skipped buying the '74 in the most recent Kopke buying opportunity, but loaded up on the '84 due to that value. As always, try to get recent bottlings if at all possible, especially on the younger ones as the extra years in wood can make all the difference. The 1987 seems to have improved fairly dramatically over the last 8-10 years in wood, just as an example.

Cheers Glenn - it is very interesting for me to be able to compare your observations with my own experience which is much more scattergun. The Kopkes I have enjoyed most have been the '38, '74 and '84 (in that order); The one I've bought most of has been the '84, based primarily on QPR between the '84 and '74. While I'm sure there are likely other superb old ones, I was therefore particularly interested in your opinions on '70 onwards as I've only had '74, '78 (which I found overly sharp), '82 and '84 and was wondering whether I had (a) tasted the best of them, (b) tasted a representative sample or (c) was missing some other excellent vintages from those years. Thanks again for the detailed reply.

[Glenn E.]

Great insight Glenn. You should really do a series on Colheita's from the different producers. I would read it for sure.

Thanks Thomas! I'm not sure I have enough experience with other producers to make that worthwhile, though. I guess I need to do more research!

Cheers Glenn - it is very interesting for me to be able to compare your observations with my own experience which is much more scattergun. The Kopkes I have enjoyed most have been the '38, '74 and '84 (in that order); The one I've bought most of has been the '84, based primarily on QPR between the '84 and '74. While I'm sure there are likely other superb old ones, I was therefore particularly interested in your opinions on '70 onwards as I've only had '74, '78 (which I found overly sharp), '82 and '84 and was wondering whether I had (a) tasted the best of them, (b) tasted a representative sample or (c) was missing some other excellent vintages from those years. Thanks again for the detailed reply.

You're welcome! The '38 is excellent, but I like the '37 better and would compare the difference to the difference between the '78 and '84. I find the '38 and '78 to be a little more tart and a little more acidic than their comparison partners. Sharper, as you've said, would also fit.

As far as other superb old ones go, the '52 is sublime and is arguably the best Colheita that Kopke has produced in the last century. The '37 can give it a run, but I find that the '52 usually wins out. After those two there's the '40, '57, and '66. The steps from '52 to '37 to '40 to '57 to '66 are very small, so any of them should be pretty amazing. They're close enough that the order can change on any given day. I'd say the '66 and '38 are comparable, though different.

Roy also has notes on the '41 and '51 that look impressive, but I can't recall ever having had either of those. A special presentation of the '40 was bottled as the "Kopke 375" to celebrate their 375th Anniversary. I'm told that the '40 was chosen because that was the year that the IVDP recognized Kopke as the oldest Port house.

[Allan Engelsted Laurents]

For tomorrow night. A handfull of Portfriends over. Three bottles should be enough.

3 total different bottles All together.

The Calem was bottled in 1991
The Andresen is a rare birthday bottle, and the White Amandios is a great bottle of White Port.

Have a great weekend
AEL

[Al B.]

I bought, opened and consumed a bottle of Dow 1970 this evening. It's in a good spot for drinking at the moment.

[Andy Velebil]

I bought, opened and consumed a bottle of Dow 1970 this evening. It's in a good spot for drinking at the moment.

Well chosen.


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[Allan Engelsted Laurents]

What to do? Invited over for dinner tomorrow. "Bring something Nice".

I hope they will enjoy this crazy bottle of Niepoort Garrafeira 1938. One of my Iconic Vinho do Portos....

[Eric Ifune]

Krohn 20 year old.

[Edward J]

1994 Quinta do Crasto LBV unfiltered

[Andy Velebil]

1980 Kopke Colheita and a 1980 Smith Woodhouse VP (.375ml) this past weekend

[A dschus]

Quarles Harris 10 yr Tawny. Strong nutty aromas with plum and candied fruits. Maybe even some burnt sugar on the taste and finish.

[Andy Velebil]

Quarles Harris 10 yr Tawny. Strong nutty aromas with plum and candied fruits. Maybe even some burnt sugar on the taste and finish.

For the price this is a pleasant QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Tawny. And easy to get at Trader Joe's too.

Oh, and you just posted your first TN, which I've already copied it and posted it there as well.

[Edward J]

1995 Smith-Woodhouse Madalena from winebid @ $34inc.

Decanting now for tonight. Not corked Initially this port looks like an easy drinking winner. Looking forward to it in 5-6 hours.

[Bradley Bogdan]

1995 Smith-Woodhouse Madalena from winebid @ $34inc.

Decanting now for tonight. Not corked Initially this port looks like an easy drinking winner. Looking forward to it in 5-6 hours.

Gotta love those '95s!


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[Bert VD]

Noval 2007 LBV

[Edward J]

Gotta love those '95s!

Opened a bottle of 1995 Krohn's colheita for a side by side tonight.

[Andy Velebil]

Gotta love those '95s!

Opened a bottle of 1995 Krohn's colheita for a side by side tonight.

How'd it show??


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[Al B.]

Opened a bottle of Ferreira 1960 as my Sunday night port this week. It's rather good and might not last long into the week!