What are your top 5 or 10 Portuguese Ports of all time?

[Roy Hersh]

A new newsletter subscriber sent me an email asking virtually this same question. I told him that we had a thread like this and it took me a long while to find it. A pretty good read and I hope that David V. will join the discussion as he said he'd drop in to find this on the first page tonight.

Anyone else who would like to add their two cents, please feel free!

[Paul Napolitano]

Roy,

I brought an absolutely pristine British bottling of 1966 Fonseca to Laurent Drogin's house on Sunday. As far as post 1963 "mature" Ports go, this could be my all-time favorite. Absolutely stunning. As balanced as Port gets. What an amazing vintage. If anyone knows where to get any 1966s, give me a call!!!!

I hope everyone is doing well,

Paul

[Eric Menchen]

Off the top of my head, I'll go with these five to start:

• 1955 Burmester Colheita
• 1935 Sandeman VP
• 1960 Niepoort VP
• 1970 Niepoort VP
• 1994 Quinta do Vesuvio VP
• S. Leonardo 30 Year Tawny

O.k., that was 6.

[Glenn E.]

Now that we have the handy "My Tasting Notes" feature in the TNDB this is much easier to do than before.

My #1 hasn't changed since 2008. It might not ever change. But the rest of my list has morphed over time, especially having tasted the 2007s when they were first released and then again after the 2010 Port Harvest Tour. This list includes every Port that I've ever rated 97 points or higher here on FTLOP, which includes my only 100-pointer and two 98-pointers.

Hmm... 4 VPs and 8 Colheitas/tawnies.

1. 1906 Brunheda Colheita - a mind-altering experience. Absolutely amazing in every way.
2. 1910 Andresen Colheita - from the 2010 Port Harvest tour
3. 1937 Warre Colheita - from the FTLOP 4th Anniversary Party
4. 1970 Andresen Colheita - from the 2010 Port Harvest tour
5. 2007 Quinta do Vale Meão Vintage Port - tasted as a cask sample shortly after release in 2009
6. NV Quinta da Romaneira 40 Year Old Tawny Port - multiple examples including once at Vinologia in Porto
7. 1977 Fonseca Vintage Port - from David Sprigg's 50th birthday party
8. 1977 Porto Rocha Colheita - from the "2 Brits on Tour" tasting at my house
9. 1900 Constantino Colheita - from the 2010 Port Harvest tour
10. NV Kopke 40 Year Old Tawny Port - multiple examples
11. 2007 Duorum Vintage Port - tasted as a cask sample shortly after release in 2009
12. 2007 Porto Rocha Vintage Port - tasted as a cask sample shortly after release in 2009

[Todd Pettinger]

1. 1906 Brunheda Colheita - a mind-altering experience. Absolutely amazing in every way.
2. 1910 Andresen Colheita - from the 2010 Port Harvest tour
3. 1937 Warre Colheita - from the FTLOP 4th Anniversary Party
4. 1970 Andresen Colheita - from the 2010 Port Harvest tour
5. 2007 Quinta do Vale Meão Vintage Port - tasted as a cask sample shortly after release in 2009
6. NV Quinta da Romaneira 40 Year Old Tawny Port - multiple examples including once at Vinologia in Porto
7. 1977 Fonseca Vintage Port - from David Sprigg's 50th birthday party
8. 1977 Porto Rocha Colheita - from the "2 Brits on Tour" tasting at my house
9. 1900 Constantino Colheita - from the 2010 Port Harvest tour
10. NV Kopke 40 Year Old Tawny Port - multiple examples
11. 2007 Duorum Vintage Port - tasted as a cask sample shortly after release in 2009
12. 2007 Porto Rocha Vintage Port - tasted as a cask sample shortly after release in 2009

Glenn, I'm surprised less to see 8 of 12 Colheitas/Tawnies on your list than I am that 3 of the 4 VPs were from 2007.

What a great thread to resurrect Roy... awesome!

I will kick in with a few from the top of my head. Its a pity I don't have all my TNs handy... a good 40-50 were lost when a hard drive of mine crashed last year (this fact just became evident as I looked up some of my favs tonight and could not find some.)

In no particular order (except maybe the first one really being my very favourite:)
1. 1976 Fonseca Guimaraens VP (my birth year and ignoring the fact that I am choosing a birthyear port as my #1, literally some of the best juice I have ever tasted!)
2. 1970 Fonseca VP
3. 1963 Taylor VP
4. 1994 Vesuvio VP
5. NV Taylor 40 Yr Tawny
6. 1966 Messias Colheita
7. 2003 Noval VP

I have a feeling that many of my "best" are yet to come. It is frustrating living in a land of such overly expensive Port because it is not easy to procure around here and until recently, I have not had the finiancial means to afford much of the good stuff. I have been fortunate in my life to have made some good choices and am now starting to reap some financial rewards that will allow me to afford some of the luxuries I have not been able to until recently, including some very good VPs and other excellent wines. I look forward to trying some of the gems in my cellar which have been treasured as they are very rare for a guy like me (and honestly could not be afforded when I bought them.) I have never tried a pre-1963 VP. My "old VP" experience is extremely limited. I have yet to try a Nacional, which I very much look forward to one day. I have been gifted a special bottle by a friend which I really wish to try. Other gems await me... and I do look forward to enjoying these one day. This list is reflective of a very short, finaincially-limited Port-consuming life. I look forward to expanding and changing it, and then revisiting this topic in a few years to celebrate new gems and achievements!

[SEAN C.]

Old thread resurrected..
I'll play...

1. 1896 Dow
2. 1908 Graham
3. 1931 Noval
4. 1945 Taylor
5. 1948 Fonseca
6. 1955 Graham
7. 1963 Noval Nacional
8. 1963 Fonseca
9. 1966 Dow
10 1970 Fonseca

and probably 1985 Graham and Fonseca!

[Moses Botbol]

Here's my list without thinking too long about it (no order):

1. 1952 Dalva White
2. 1908 Graham
3. 1931 Noval
4. 1945 Croft
5. 1948 Taylor
6. 1955 Graham
7. 1970 Niepoort
8. 1963 Fonseca
9. 1952 Delaforce Colheita
10. 1970 Fonseca

I know I am missing several blockbusters...

[Marc J.]

1. 1900 Taylor
2. 1963 Noval Nacional
3. 1948 Taylor
4. 1945 Croft
5. 1994 Noval Nacional
6. 1955 Niepoort
7. 1927 Taylor
8. 1931 Noval
9. 1970 Niepoort
10.1890 Burmester Colheita

[Al B.]

I've just rediscovered this thread and thought it might be fun to resurrect. My top 5 has certainly changed in the last 6 months - is that because my memory is fading or is it because I have been able to appreciate the more recent ports better than I could in the past.

Also, I haven't had the opportunity to taste / drink any really old ports. Other than the 1937 Burmester Colheita my oldest wines are from 1963, my birth year. Sadly, the 1937 Colheita was drunk right at the beginning of my port drinking days so I didn't really take any notes and don't really remember it too well ... but it must have had an impact since I'm now hooked on the stuff.

My top 5, in no order of preference because that will depend on the mood I'm in, are:

* Quinta do Vesuvio 1994 - knocked my socks off the first time I had one last year
* Fonseca 1966 - a wine which I've had in my cellar for many years and which gets opened every now and then
* Taylor 1963 - my birthday wine
* Grahams 1980 - great "once a month" wine
* Warre 1983 - great quaffing wine, my daily port

Oh how times change! A few months after this post I went on the Harvest Tour with Roy and had the most amazing tasting at Noval. So much so that I need to update my list. Now my top 10 would be:

* Noval Nacional 1963 - consistently great, but hugely expensive
* Croft 1945 - difficult to find, but amazingly good
* Croft 1927 - not at all what I was expecting
* Noval Nacional 1994 - will easily outlive me
* Noval 1931 - deserves its reputation
* Graham 1955 - the surprise of the night
* Fonseca 1948 - truly a stunning port
* Morgan 1945 - a rarity, shared with friends in Seattle
* Niepoort 1942 - from a 1 litre bottle!
* Noval 1997 - a brooding monster, but so over-priced

There's a few wines I agonised over including, the most notable of which were Vesuvio 1994, Fonseca 1963 and 1966 and Taylor 1948. My daily drinker is now Croft 2004 LBV and I don't have enough Graham 1980 left to be able to open a bottle a month - I wish I did!

Roy - thanks for reviving this thread. Another fun one to revisit!

[dom carter]

@ Glenn E;

Sorry for turning up at your house ("2 brits on tours" - yes it was me!!) and you having to drink such a horrible port, no. 8 on your list of favourites!

Regards

Dom

[Glenn E.]

Sorry for turning up at your house ("2 brits on tours" - yes it was me!!) and you having to drink such a horrible port, no. 8 on your list of favourites!

Oh the horrors we suffer to support those of a like mind.

[Roy Hersh]

I have yet to narrow my own choices to an all time Top 10 list but will eventually get around to that. For now, I have VP's segregated into older and young VP bottlings; as well as a bunch of wood-aged Ports that are worthy of their own Top 10 list. So although I've failed to narrow them down, here are my 3 top 10 lists by aforementioned categories and by vintage and not in order of preference:


TOP 10 YOUNG VINTAGE PORTS
1963 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port
1966 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port
1967 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port
1970 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port
1970 Fonseca Vintage Port
1994 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port
1994 Taylor Vintage Port
1994 Fonseca Vintage Port
2000 Niepoort Vintage Port
2000 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port


TOP 10 OLDER VINTAGE PORTS
1896 Dow Vintage Port
1900 Taylor Vintage Port
1927 Niepoort Vintage Port
1927 Taylor Vintage Port
1931 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port
1931 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port
1945 Croft Vintage Port
1945 Taylor Vintage Port
1948 Fonseca Vintage Port
1948 Taylor Vintage Port


TOP 10 WOOD AGED PORTS
1896 Krohn White Colheita Port
1863 Niepoort Colheita Port
1863 Krohn Colheita Port
1882 A.J. Symington Reserve Port
1896 Krohn Colheita Port
1890 A.J. da Silva Colheita Port
1906 Brunheda Colheita Port
1917 Niepoort White Port
1863 Ferreira "Vezuvio" Colheita Port
1912 Niepoort Colheita Port