For The Love Of Port

Any info? Is this shut down right now? This is my anniversary year and I'm looking to add some mid-term agers.

I haven't got the 2000. I think its the last one released from Niepoort. Though I've got the 94 and 97 in the last 3 months. It is a very pleasing VP with medium body, sweet with flavours of licorice and ripe plums mainly. I'd buy this VP as a fine medium term bottle. The 94 was at its peak imo and the 97 was almost mature having his tannins tamed.

Though I never had the 2000 Passadouro, I had other years on several occasions and found out, that the Passadouro is a very pleasant Port, but its style is a kind of wine-ish. It always reminds me more of a red table wine than most of the other Ports. The Passadouros are very often early-drinkers and Im pretty convinced, that this will be the case in 2000 as well.

I have tasted many 2000 lately in semi-bottles and they are not a lot of fun right now. If I would want to celebrate with a bottle of 2000 port I would go for the (pretty cheap and) very Vintage-like Noval Unfiltered LBV 2000 which is one of my price-value favourites (ever). If you are a label-drinker and it has to be a vintage port, then it will be a (expensive) dissapointment, as all the 2000 VPs that I have tasted in the last 2 years are asleep right now.

All the best for your anniversary

Axel

Raj,

I would also add that if you are looking for mid-term agers from 2000 then the Vesuvio is a good option (and also I would support Axel's suggestion of the unfiltered Noval LBV, which ages extremely well).

I'm not sure about the Passadouro, having not tried a lot of their wines, but my experience is that in general the 2000 vintage is shut down and not very enjoyable at the moment. Give them another 2-3 years and they should be coming out of their sullen period.

Alex

Thanks for helping me remember to keep looking for the 2000 vesuvio as there are none in the cellar yet.