Your favorite Port tasted in 2012?

[Andreas Nielsen]

VP: Fonseca 1985 - could drink this port every Day
Tawny: Quevedo 20 year

[Glenn E.]

It took me a while to get to this thread because I'm way behind on my tasting notes. I really need to spend a couple of days getting the backlog cleared, because it's almost a year's worth now!

At any rate... here are my winners by category with a few notable extras tossed in for fun.

VP:
1977 Fonseca Vintage Port (97 pts) from a private tasting in Bellevue
1994 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port (96 pts) from the tasting at the 2012 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in NYC
1955 Cockburn Vintage Port, Loeb 375 ml bottling (96 pts)
2000 Niepoort Vintage Port (95+ pts) from the "Roy's Top 12" tasting in Bellevue
1991 Croft Vintage Port (95 pts) from the "Roy's Top 12" tasting in Bellevue
1970 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port (95 pts) from the tasting at the 2012 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in NYC

SQVP:
1987 Graham's Malvedos Vintage Port (94 pts) opened to celebrate our 25th anniversary in July
2008 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port (94 pts)
Which begs the question, are Noval and Vesuvio really SQVP or not? My instinct says no, because to the best of my knowledge their grapes are never used in some other "full declaration" Vintage Port. But I've included this one here anyway because it was really good for an "off" year.

LBV:
1992 Smith Woodhouse LBV (95 pts) from the FTLOP 7th Anniversary Tasting 1992 retrospective
2nd place drops all the way to 93 pts for a 2003 Taylor Fladgate LBV. I like LBVs, but I'm typically not wowed by them.

Colheita:
1935 Niepoort Colheita, bottled 1977 (97 pts) from the tasting with Dirk Niepoort in Bellevue
1953 Royal Oporto Colheita (96 pts) from the FTLOP 7th Anniversary Tasting

TWAIOA:
Quinta da Romaneira 40 Year Old Tawny Port (97 pts) served as "dessert" after the Ruby Reserve Taste-Off in January
S. Leonardo 30 Year Old Tawny Port (95 pts)
Quinta do Noval 40 Year Old Tawny Port (95 pts)

[Maurice Fitzhugh]

For me the best of 2012 was the 1948 Taylor Fladgate and so far the best I have ever had to date

[Tom D.]

My favorite was definitely a 1945 Taylor VP purchased in a Spectrum auction several years ago, and shared with some visiting wine friends this summer. Not only memorable for it's freshness and liveliness, but also it's sheer depth and power, which I had not previously experienced in a VP of that age.

As a result, I'm even more in love with these old VP's, and I continue to sell off my cellar holdings in other areas to free up space and funds for more of them (other than some younger Ports laid down for my grandchildren, I really don't have any Ports left in the cellar that are younger than 1966).

It can be a frustrating but rewarding hunt, trying to seek out these old bottles. Fortunately, when you can find them, even the greatest old Ports still seem to represent a relative "bargain" in the wine world, compared to what the great old Bordeaux and Burgundy are selling for.

PS: After the FTLOP buying opp earlier this year, I'm becoming a fan of some older Colheitas as well!

[Robbie D]

VP: Fonseca 1985 - could drink this port every Day

Amen Andreas - had one over Christmas; Best VP I've had in a couple years!!!

[David Spriggs]

VP: Fonseca 1985 - could drink this port every Day

Amen Andreas - had one over Christmas; Best VP I've had in a couple years!!!

Agreed! A stunning Port!