For The Love Of Port

I've just returned from a visit to my local wine dealer, and he had a 1964 Krohn white Colheita. I'd never heard of white colheitas before. How does it compare to red colheitas and is $100 US an ok price for this?

-Lars

Lars,

If you search, a couple of us have had this and posted about it. Its pretty tasty for the price, but give it a good long decant prior to drinking.

I never had the chance to taste a White Colheita, this type is very rare on the market here.

Except Dalva and Krohn, who produces white colheitas?

Robin I've only had three white Colheita's, and only heard about 4.
1952 Dalva
1935 Barros
1964 Krohn
(and I've hear about the 1917 Niepoort...I think that was the year, but have not had this one)

Andy -

You have had only three white colheitas? I'm shocked!

I've been seriously interested in port for over thirty years and have not had one yet.

Years ago Corti Brothers in Sacramento carried both the 40 year old Taylor tawnies - red and white. I did not have the money to buy them, 40 year old tawny is never cheap. But I remember being told something that I found amazing to think about:

After forty years the red and white tawnies had almost the same color. The red lost color over the years and became a pale brown, while the white turned a pale brown with age.

Corti Brothers has carried an excellent white port over the years under the Martinez label. It is really good, and is about twenty years of age. Martinez (and Cockburn) have no market for aged white port. Corti Brothers is the only one to buy any. I have bought many cases of it over the years. It is a nice way to start a port tasting - with a nice glass of chilled white. It is complex and rich enought that people go back for more.

I've never heard of such a beast as Aged White Tawny… amazing. I thought I had already filled y quotient of "new things learned today"

If I ever see any of this, I will definitely have to pick a bottle up.

Whooaa... I definitely have to buy some when I will see them (and try to save a bit from that)!!!

Apart from those already mentioned:

1935 Kopke - probably the same as the Barros
1952 Presidential - probably the same as the Dalva

The Casa do Douro released a 1963 and 1964 "Colheita Lagrima" a few years ago - I believe these to be White Ports as well.

And of course there are probably many quintas who have some stock, but just don't release them commercially: for instance, Qta. d. Marrocos made a lovely 1972.

Steven,

the Dalva and Presidential are the same. Presidential is the name used for the US export market.

I don't think the Barros and the Kopke are the same though. The Barros was only the second time they bottled it and I was told there was only a small amount in barrel left and that it would never be for sale, only for in-house use at special ocassions.

Could be Andy. It would be interesting to know the bottle year of the Kopke, but I have not seen it myself - a friend gave me a tip when he saw a bottle on sale. It is the only time I have heard of this bottling.

Shawn Denkler wrote:Andy -

I've been seriously interested in port for over thirty years and have not had one yet.

Shawn,

Next time we meet up I will have to change that.

In "Wine Report 2007", by Tom Stevenson, there is mention of the following on page 162:

1985 Vista Alegre White Port

Has anyone tried this? I don't think that I've ever seen any Vista Alegre ports.

Gary