For The Love Of Port

Julian, Derek and I were together with a few friends the last weekend in June and opened some bottles. Between us all we got through the following, either full bottles or just a glass or two:
Barao de Villar 2000
Bomfim 1992
Cockburn 20YO tawny
Cockburn Fine White (makes excellent Port & Tonic)
Croft 1966
Dalva 2000
Dow 1966
Dow 1970
Dow 2000
Ferreira 1960
Fonseca 1966
Fonseca 1970
Fonseca 2000
Graham 1966
Graham 1970 (x2)
Graham 2000
Morgan 1977
Morgan 1991
Noval 2000
Offley 2000
Sandeman 1934
Sandeman 2000
Sandeman Founder's Reserve
Taylor 1985
Taylor Scion 1855
Warre 1966
Warre 1970
Warre Otima 20YO tawny

It was a pretty festive "weekend" that lasted 6 days.

What a Portlist Al. Quite amazing. Hope Your liver survieved the weekend.

My final bottle of the weekend. Starting saturday with DOW's 1964, sunday Shepherd's Vintage 1937 and ending yesterday with Niepoort VP 1942 and an old bottling of the Niepoort VV. This is the third time trying this port - and it never stops amazing me.

Just stunning!
Posted a tastingnote (does not credit the Port 100 %)


The 1942 was a very pleasent wine. Soft and smooth, But when the VV came marching, the poor VP 1942 had to retire.

If You ever end up, like Tom Hanks on a deserted Island, bring Niepoort VV and not Wilson...

Friday: 1987 Porto Souza to celebrate our 29th Anniversary (which is actually Monday).
Saturday: 1994 and 2003 Broadbent Vintage Ports, both of which showed beautifully. The 2003 was originally a safeguard against the 1994 having VA issues, but there were none to be found. We opened it anyway and both bottles disappeared rapidly!

Allan Engelsted Laurents wrote:What a Portlist Al. Quite amazing. Hope Your liver survived the weekend.

It was a surprisingly restrained weekend, the weekend started on Thursday evening and finished Tuesday evening. Despite the long list of bottles opened it was a leisurely pace with most bottles being shared by 3-6 people with plenty of water and lots of time to rest. We had the 2000 vintage as a horizontal on Saturday night and most of the 1966 / 1970 ports as a 2 x 4 matrix on Sunday night. The other bottles accompanied lunch or dinner on Thursday, Friday, Monday and on Tuesday afternoon after lunch while waiting for our plane home. We also had lots of good table wine with the Altano Branco being very popular with the ladies in our party.

Allan Engelsted Laurents wrote:The 1942 was a very pleasent wine. Soft and smooth, But when the VV came marching, the poor VP 1942 had to retire.

I love the Niepoort 1942, especially the fact it comes in a lovely shaped 1 litre bottle. But the VV must have been very good to have made the 1942 retire...


This weekend I opened a bottle of Taylor 1980. It's surprisingly good and robust for a port that was generally poorly regarded a few years ago.

A 1990 Dalva / Presidental Colheita.

Taste note to follow. Wasn't that impressed.

Al B. wrote:Bomfim 1992

It was a pretty festive "weekend" that lasted 6 days.

You had a great Week end!
How was the Bomfim 1992? I have one more and i think ill drink it soon.
I drank one in 2011 (2 hours in carafe) and it was pretty closed to me.

1982 Kopke Colheita. Tremendous taste, not so much for aromatics, but the taste is enough to elevate this to high a rank.

1991 Ramos Pinto VP

1994 Quinta Do Crasto VP

1991 Fonseca Guimaraens VP....that was horribly corked

After more than a year finally opened a bottle of port..

1995 Warre VP, decanted for 24 hours but it showed its best after 48+ hours.

1965 Delaforce Colheita

Monique Heinemans. wrote:After more than a year finally opened a bottle of port..

1995 Warre VP, decanted for 24 hours but it showed its best after 48+ hours.

That's a long wait for a glass of port

Andy Velebil wrote:

Monique Heinemans. wrote:After more than a year finally opened a bottle of port..

1995 Warre VP, decanted for 24 hours but it showed its best after 48+ hours.

That's a long wait for a glass of port

Yes indeed, I'm deeply ashamed

Will never happen again as my son and daughter in law moved to my hometown last week and they are big fans of port too

Monique Heinemans. wrote:

Andy Velebil wrote:

Monique Heinemans. wrote:After more than a year finally opened a bottle of port..

1995 Warre VP, decanted for 24 hours but it showed its best after 48+ hours.

That's a long wait for a glass of port

Yes indeed, I'm deeply ashamed

Will never happen again as my son and daughter in law moved to my hometown last week and they are big fans of port too

Woohoo

1992 Niepoort LBV

LOUISSS J wrote:How was the Bomfim 1992? I have one more and i think ill drink it soon.
I drank one in 2011 (2 hours in carafe) and it was pretty closed to me.

It was pretty good. You can find the tasting note here.

I opened a bottle of Dow 1962 LBV which we drank alongside a bottle of Warre 1962 LBV and Dow 1960 LBV. Quite an unusual tasting!

One of my All time favorites!
A simple bottle of Port from Niepoort.
Fine old Senior Port.
In Cask for 7 years, in bottle for 39 years (as written on the cork), in a decanter for 3 hours, and in my glass for 15 min.

Simply the Best non vintage I know. (Not talking about the VV offcoarse)

The Nose was absolutely perfect, and the taste was like a Colheita from 1970....

1970 Fonseca Vintage Port
20 YO Sandeman Tawny
1975 Kopke Colheita

1995 Fonseca Guimaraens vintage port, very nice, better than the Warre 1995 VP last week.