Your TOP Port during 1st half of 2011 ... ?

[Roy Hersh]

You can choose to put a top Port from whatever categories you want, but I'll keep it simple:

Best bottle of wood-aged Port you've had so far this year?

Best bottle of bottle-aged Port you've had so far this year?


I know you like a book, you'll never pick just ONE (at least the majority of you won't/can't ) so within your "list" please pick one favorite.

[John M.]

Best bottle of wood-aged Port you've had so far this year? 2001 Niepoort Colheita

Best bottle of bottle-aged Port you've had so far this year? 1997 Fonseca

[Frederick Blais]

I did not taste much this year yet...

Wood aged would be Noval Colheita 95

Bottle aged is Dow's 1977

[Eric Menchen]

I too have not opened a lot of bottles thus far this year. Faced with this question, I consulted my posted tasting notes and came up with:

• 1964 Krohn Branco White Colheita Port
• 1970 Taylor Vintage Port

[Glenn E.]

One that isn't going to surprise anyone, and one that's a bit of a shocker...

The best wood-aged Port I've had so far this year is a Quinta da Romaneira 40 Year Old Tawny Port. No surprise there, right? If you want a Colheita, the best one so far would be a 1963 Kopke Colheita.

The best Vintage Port that I have had so far this year is a tie between the 1985 Graham at the "Best of the 80s" tasting here in Seattle and the 1970 Dow at the ACPT Dow Vertical in NYC. The Dow would be a bit of a surprise though not really a shocker, but I'm being sneaky. Those are just the best Vintage Ports that I've had so far this year.

The best bottle-aged Port? That would be a 1994 Pocas LBV. Yep. Blew everything else away. An amazing Port of any kind. A truely astounding LBV.

[Gary Richardson]

Best wood aged: 1952 Delaforce Colheita (bottled 2005)

Best bottle aged: 1963 Fonseca Vintage

-- Gary

[Marc J.]

Best wood aged (tie): 1875 A.J.S. da Silva Colheita & 1890 Burmester Colheita

Best bottle aged: 1963 Quinta do Noval Nacional

[Derek T.]

Best wood-aged: I don't think I've had one!

Best bottle-aged: Croft 1945 - a truly stunning wine.

[Jeff G.]

Best bottle-aged: Croft 1945 - a truly stunning wine.

sniff, see regrets post

[Andy Velebil]

Best bottle-aged: Croft 1945 - a truly stunning wine.

same here and I assume it was the same one we shared. An amazing Port!

I'll be back with the Tawny answer as soon as I dig through my notes....if i can find them right now.

[Derek T.]

Best bottle-aged: Croft 1945 - a truly stunning wine.

same here and I assume it was the same one we shared. An amazing Port!

Yes, the same bottle

[Lamont Huxley]

I haven't had many wood-aged ports this year but of the handful I did drink my favorite was a 1992 Andresen Colheita.

Bottle-aged would probably be an excellent bottle of 1992 Niepoort VP that I drank last week and haven't posted a note for yet.

[Lamont Huxley]

Best wood aged (tie): 1875 A.J.S. da Silva Colheita & 1890 Burmester Colheita

Best bottle aged: 1963 Quinta do Noval Nacional

Really slummin' it these days eh?

[Roy Hersh]

Marc certainly drinks well!

[Brian C.]

I had a glass of the Millennium, which I was told was from the 1880s. Maybe someone can help me determine what it was, exactly.

As for VPs, I'd say the 1983 Warre's. It had an unexpected tannic presence which I thought was pretty cool.

[Andy Velebil]

I had a glass of the Millennium, which I was told was from the 1880s. Maybe someone can help me determine what it was, exactly.

Is this the 1880 Whitwham Millennium your referring to?

[Brian C.]

Yes, Andy, I believe that's it. I wasn't sure I had it right, because I didn't see any notes for it on here. Thanks.

[hugo oliveira]

Best wood aged was a Barros 1960 colheita, bottled in 2008.

[Roy Hersh]

Only the 2nd Port in my "career" where I've scored a perfect 100 points, a bottle that my buddy Sean opened in repayment for the night before when I opened a 1963 Nacional, which was only a 99 point experience. His was a pristine bottle of 1896 Dow which remains one of the top 5 wines (not just Ports) that I've ever had in my life.

As to the wood aged Ports ... although the 1970 Crasto Colheita was fantastic, I'd have to give the nod to the 2006 bottling by Real Companhia Velha, which produced an amazing wine to celebrate their 250th anniversary with the oldest wine in the blend dating to 1867 and the youngest was 1927. Remarkable juice, 2000 bottles released at only 200 Euros. Loved it and hope to have it again someday.

[Rob C.]

TOP port in first half of 2011...

the two that first spring to mind are not necessarily the most excellent in absolute terms but the two wines which surpassed expectations by the furthest...

Quinta de la Rosa 1991 - a revelation: very attractive for drinking right now, leading to bartering over loose stock at the table

Royal Oporto Quinta da Carvalhas 1970 - adding weight to Tom A's maxim that the 1970 vintage was so good that anyone could hit the ball out of the park.

Best wood aged? for QPR, the San Leonardo 10yr tawny. But ignoring price, the Dalva 1952 GW.