For The Love Of Port

Roy Hersh wrote: ↑Fri Apr 09, 2021 2:57 pm In order of preference, my TOP DOZEN:
1997 Vesuvio VP

A remarkable year of Port tastings!

I am so glad you added the 1997 Vesuvio to that stand out company. For me it is a very special wine from my favourite house and from a little under appreciated vintage.

Roy Hersh wrote: ↑Fri Apr 09, 2021 2:57 pm In order of preference, my TOP DOZEN:

1945 Croft was the best Vintage Port I had last year.
1945 Graham's Vintage Port
1927 Niepoort Vintage Port
1948 Fonseca Vintage Port
2017 Niepoort Vintage Port
1994 Taylor's Vintage Port
2011 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port
1863 Niepoort Garrafeira
DR L70
2011 Graham's The Stone Terraces VP
2017 Graham's The Stone Terraces VP
1997 Vesuvio VP

A remarkable year of Port tastings!

Interesting to see 2017 Niepoort so high already. the 27 was it Rolf bottling?

Frederick Blais wrote: ↑Sat Apr 10, 2021 1:07 pm Interesting to see 2017 Niepoort so high already. the 27 was it Rolf bottling?

This isn't a great picture, but maybe it'll tell you the answer?
There were 3 total bottles... 2 to drink and 1 as a backup.

Thomas V. wrote:

I am so glad you added the 1997 Vesuvio to that stand out company. For me it is a very special wine from my favourite house and from a little under appreciated vintage.

I could have listed 3 dozen extraordinary Ports with scores of 96 and above, but this was a standout up against other vintages of Vesuvio, including the 1994, which I have had a few dozen times. This one ... maybe 7 or 8 times in all. On the night we had a handful of vintages from Vesuvio and this was nearly perfect, (no not 98 or 99 points) but that matters not. It was so enjoyable to just sip on, that the bottle was consumed ridiculously fast. What we call in Sammamish, a "slurpy" Port. I am happy to own a remaining half case (12 orig.) and while this was still quite young at 24 years of age, it just struck me in a similar way that the 1985 Fonseca does. I hold the Fonseca in extremely high esteem and would now say the same about this fruit pleasure bomb of a 1997 VP.

Frederick,

No, the 1927 was not with the white paper label with the writing on it.

Two that stood out in my mind were:

1887 Croft. Oldest Croft I have had, perhaps the oldest around? Anyone had one older recently?


1963 Warre's. Sure there are some better 63's, but this one was a stunner. Taking it out of the OWC and hay was hoot too.

That's a really cool pic of the Warre's, Moses. Where were you able to score a case in such pristine condition?

1963 Fonseca

Mike J. W. wrote: ↑Sat Apr 17, 2021 9:43 pm That's a really cool pic of the Warre's, Moses. Where were you able to score a case in such pristine condition?

Not sure where that case is from. Was bought about 15 years ago. Want to say it was imported from UK.

Thomas V. wrote:

I am so glad you added the 1997 Vesuvio to that stand out company. For me it is a very special wine from my favourite house and from a little under appreciated vintage.

I just love 1997 Vesuvio. So after its standout performance in a couple of Vesuvio vertical tastings, I picked up another 6'er a couple of years ago, and a magnum a while back as well. I wonder when that big bottle will be at peak.

Eric Menchen wrote: ↑Mon Apr 19, 2021 1:42 pm Thomas V. wrote:

I am so glad you added the 1997 Vesuvio to that stand out company. For me it is a very special wine from my favourite house and from a little under appreciated vintage.

I just love 1997 Vesuvio. So after its standout performance in a couple of Vesuvio vertical tastings, I picked up another 6'er a couple of years ago, and a magnum a while back as well. I wonder when that big bottle will be at peak.

I hope our paths will cross at one time and we get to share a glass of Vesuvio. Myself I have a 6'er of them and I will probably extend that with additional 6. It is much more affordable than the 1994 though it will probably peak earlier. But that is no worry of mine.

As to your magnum question. I guess it depends on how you like your VP. I'd probably hold off for around 10 years since it is magnum format and I like my VPs a bit more mature than the current state of the regular 1997 - though it is damn tasty at the minute. But there is room for improvement.

The only remarkable port I drank was sharing a bottle of 1863 Taylor Fladgate amongst three of us one night. Unlike any port I had tasted.

WJ Evans wrote: ↑Thu Jul 15, 2021 6:44 pm The only remarkable port I drank was sharing a bottle of 1863 Taylor Fladgate amongst three of us one night. Unlike any port I had tasted.

Oh! That is an EPIC wine! Wow!!!

David Spriggs wrote: ↑Thu Jul 15, 2021 8:45 pm

WJ Evans wrote: ↑Thu Jul 15, 2021 6:44 pm The only remarkable port I drank was sharing a bottle of 1863 Taylor Fladgate amongst three of us one night. Unlike any port I had tasted.

Oh! That is an EPIC wine! Wow!!!

My cousin had bought a bottle and they drank it on a trip that I had to cancel at the last moment. So, since he was able to buy another, he did so I could taste it. It was remarkable.

It was close. A number of killer bottles were consumed before everything came to a sudden halt. But one that stands out due to how good it was and the rarity of it...1863 Niepoort Colheita.

Andy Velebil wrote: ↑Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:41 pm It was close. A number of killer bottles were consumed before everything came to a sudden halt. But one that stands out due to how good it was and the rarity of it...1863 Niepoort Colheita.

Andy,

Do you recall when it was bottled?

Mike J. W. wrote: ↑Wed Aug 18, 2021 3:38 pm

Andy Velebil wrote: ↑Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:41 pm It was close. A number of killer bottles were consumed before everything came to a sudden halt. But one that stands out due to how good it was and the rarity of it...1863 Niepoort Colheita.

Andy,

Do you recall when it was bottled?

I'll have to look at my notes and see if I wrote it down. IIRC, and from the old bottle, it was bottled quite a long time ago. I did keep the bottle (with permission of a certain younger Niepoort who hand carried it over the pond).

According to my notes it was "bottled" in 1972 and then "decanted" in approximately 1995. It was technically a Garrafeira, but because it had over 100 years in wood it was basically a very old tawny Port.

I’ve just updated my footer over on The Port Forum, which always records my current best Ports for the previous and current years.

My top Ports in 2020 were all scored at 99 points and were:
- Croft 1945
- Quinta das Lamelas 4 Gerações
- Niepoort 1940 Garrafeira

(And for what it’s worth, so far this year my top Ports are Niepoort Bioma 2017 and Quevedo 1970 White Colheita, both scored 96/100.)

Al B. wrote: ↑Thu Aug 19, 2021 3:07 pm both scored 96/100

You seem to be slacking this year... time to step up your game!