For The Love Of Port

As I have a very indulgent week lining up, a re-set..

Tesco Ruby. NV, bottled by Symington family estates. From a mixed auction lot. Age not known but current issue label.

Sealed with a fully plastic T stopper that proved very hard to extract. Despite careful leverage, the cap eventually detached from the plug.

Wine a little soupy, distinct 'Douro bake' on the nose. Moderately fruity on the palate and actually quite quaffable, with few rough edges.

Now things can only get better..

Over the weekend:

1977 Warre Vintage Port
NV Quevedo 40 year old Tawny Port

Tom Archer wrote:As I have a very indulgent week lining up, a re-set..

Tesco Ruby.
...
Now things can only get better..

Careful not to peak too early there Tom

Had a really nice Burmester Colheita 1989, one of the best colheita around 30 years I had this year!

1987 Souza (the US version of the UK crew's 1991 Morgan) VP.

1994 Fonseca

1985 Fonseca

2003 Taylor's LBV - showing far better than when young, which was not too shabby either.

When best to drink the Taylor LBVs?

I would agree with Roy that the 2003 is showing better than at any time previously, but another 15 years might well see it on the down slope..

Other than that, this week a rather splendid line up of Offley VPs from 1910 to 1985 on Tuesday, with both Dirk and George S. on parade, then Wolfgang's elegant luncheon with Champagne and '48 VPs on Wednesday and then an eclectic mix of odd bottles on Thursday, the oldest probably close to 150 yrs old, complete with fine fillet steaks, ice cream drizzled with Pedro Ximinez sherry, and a mysterious unlabelled magnum of wine that Dirk brought along..

I started the week with a re-set of Tesco ruby, and am finishing it with a semi re-set of an old bottle of The Wine Society's port - described simply as that.. - curiously light and semi tawny in appearance, it slips down a treat..

1987 Souza VP
NV S. Leonardo 30 Year Old Tawny Port

Both for my office's holiday party.

Tom Archer wrote:When best to drink the Taylor LBVs?

I would agree with Roy that the 2003 is showing better than at any time previously, but another 15 years might well see it on the down slope..

Other than that, this week a rather splendid line up of Offley VPs from 1910 to 1985 on Tuesday, with both Dirk and George S. on parade, then Wolfgang's elegant luncheon with Champagne and '48 VPs on Wednesday and then an eclectic mix of odd bottles on Thursday, the oldest probably close to 150 yrs old, complete with fine fillet steaks, ice cream drizzled with Pedro Ximinez sherry, and a mysterious unlabelled magnum of wine that Dirk brought along..

I started the week with a re-set of Tesco ruby, and am finishing it with a semi re-set of an old bottle of The Wine Society's port - described simply as that.. - curiously light and semi tawny in appearance, it slips down a treat..

What was the mag Dirk brought?


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Andy Velebil wrote:What was the mag Dirk brought?

It was a Dão old vines field blend from 2014 which has only been bottled in magnum and is only for private consumption. It was very, very nice.

Had some port over the weekend! Felt like a lot for two people... Must be getting old

Friday night - 1970 Dow & 1970 Borges.

Saturday night - 1960 Taylor, 1963 Dow, and 1970 Niepoort Colheita (bottled in '84).

Last week for a few tastings I opened bottles of Taylor 1948 (corked!), Graham 1948 (fabulous) and an unknown 1920 Vintage Port whose cork only read "Vintage Port 1920" but which was very tasty.

Delaforce 1977 VP (Magnum) as part of my birthday dinner. Quite light in colour, very nice in taste. 2 people thought it to be (ever so slightly) corked, but the others (14, including me) didn't notice it.

Last year I bought a half dozen mixed lot of unknowns with varying degrees of ullage. Most had suffered beetle damage to the corks, tainting the wine, and they became known as the 'weevily stash'

With just one bottle left, I decided to drink it through. No label, level high mid shoulder, and the cork had at some point had a crude attempt made to seal it with sealing wax.

Pulling the cork revealed it to be an Offley, with the vintage numbers 19 -?-1 clearly visible. The third digit is very indistinct, but I think it must be 3..

The wine is free of beetle taint, dark, rich, and drinking more like a 50 year old than an 87 yr old - very nice indeed..

Tom,

So you drank my bottle of 19-9-1 Offley, finally, eh? How was it?

Another in a long line of 1987 Souza Vintage Ports. I really love this Port, at this moment in time. Secondary characters and really showing extremely well in its early-mid maturity. This bottle seemed a bit fresher than ones that I decant for a few hours. Just pop and pour magic last night with my wife and our niece.


Tonight a 1970 Taylor's in about 3-2-1 ... hour.

San Leonardo 20 year old.

Bulas 20 anos
Devesa 20 anos
Ferreira 20 anos
Eufemia 20 anos branco

Nice little tasting with 2 childhood friends.

S. Leonardo (Quinta do Mourão) 30 Year Old Tawny - Bottled in 2008.

I opened a bottle of Martinez 1963 for Christmas Day — mid-shoulder fill so it wasn't brilliant, but still pleasant enough.

Opened a Leonardo 20 White tonight. Oh man is this rich! Can’t wait to see how this opens up.