Schneider's in DC
Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 4:21 pm
Back in the early to mid-1990's when I lived in VA and worked in DC, this was one of my good Port sources.
Schneider's of Capitol Hill
300 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Washington, DC 20002
202.543.9300
Cellar.com
Cool Weather Vintage Port Sale
As temperatures drop, cozy up to velvety vintage ports at hot prices!
Name Retail Sale
2011 Barros Vintage Port 750ml - 3 bottle(s) $49.99 $39.99
This explodes on the palate, with power and intensity to the wild plum, raspberry and blueberry flavors, supported by plenty of fresh acidity. Distinctive, revealing powerful notes of smoke and spice on the refined finish. Drink now through 2020. 300 cases imported. –KM
94 Points - Wine Spectator
2011 Croft Vintage Port 750ml - 13 bottle(s) $89.99 $69.99
The 2011 Croft is initially taciturn on the nose, even after allowing it 20 minutes in my glass. A light swirling immediately awakens the aromatics to offer blackberry, Seville orange marmalade, blueberries and dried fig – complex and quite compelling. There is real mineralite within this bouquet that, returning after 30 minutes, offers alluring ocean spray scents rolling in off the ocean. The palate is medium-bodied with a velvety-smooth opening that belies the fine, structured tannins underneath. It clams up a little towards the finish, shuts the lid tight and consequently there is the sensation of less persistency here compared to the Taylor's or Fonseca. But Croft has a knack of filling out with bottle age and becomes both gentle and generous with the passing years. Tasted May 2013.
Importer: Kobrand Corp., Purchase, NY; tel. (914) 253-7700
(92-95) Points - Wine Advocate
1992 Dow's Quinta do Bomfim Single Quinta Vintage Port 750ml - 5 bottle(s) $95.00 $74.99
2007 Dow's Vintage Port 375ml - 1 bottle(s) $92.00 $79.99
1997 Dow's Vintage Port 750ml - 5 bottle(s) $92.00 $79.99
1991 Dow's Vintage Port 750ml - 5 bottle(s) $99.99 $79.99
Perfumed and gorgeous, with flowers, berry and plum. Full-bodied, very sweet and round, with lovely rich fruit and a long finish. A tiny bit of heat, but will come around nicely. Very pretty indeed. Hard not to swallow now. '91/'92 Port retrospective. Best from 2006 through 2014. –JS - Wine Spectator
1985 Dow's Vintage Port 750ml - 15 bottle(s) $129.99 $99.99
This is an extraordinary house that seems to have been particularly successful with its vintage port since 1977.The 1985 is dark-ruby/purple with a rather closed one-dimensional aroma. On the palate, this Dow is restrained, but rich, tannic, and full-bodied, yet not nearly as concentrated as one would expect. Have I missed something? - Robert Parker
1997 Ferreira Vintage Port 750ml - 2 bottle(s) $52.00 $44.99
2001 Fonseca Quinta do Panascal Vintage Port 750ml - 2 bottle(s) $359.99 $249.99
2000 Fonseca Vintage Port 375ml - 2 bottle(s) $92.00 $79.99
1997 Fonseca Vintage Port 375ml - 1 bottle(s) $81.00 $69.99
2011 Fonseca Vintage Port 750ml - 14 bottle(s) $104.99 $89.99
The Fonseca 2011 is typically more forthcoming on the nose compared to the bashful Croft: a strident bouquet with lifted scents of freshly picked blackberries, kirsch, crushed stone and a dash of Hoi Sin and oyster sauce. It is very well-defined, very focused and direct. The palate is silky smooth with not a rough edge in sight, though not a typically voluptuous Fonseca because of the keen thread of acidity and the structure that lends this mighty Port wonderful backbone. A slight viscosity on the finish lacquers the tongue and indicates a core of sweet fruit is ticking away underneath that will surely explode several years after bottling. A tincture of salted licorice on the aftertaste is very attractive. This will turn out to become an outstanding Fonseca, the growing season taming its exuberance with spectacular results. So much potential, but just 6,000 cases were produced.
(97-99) Points - Wine Advocate
2009 Fonseca Vintage Port 750ml - 4 bottle(s) $104.99 $84.99
The Fonseca 2009 has a very sweet, typically opulent bouquet of black plum, blackberry, chimney soot and a touch of pencil shavings that is very complex and alluring. The palate is full-bodied with powerful ripe blackberry, allspice, clove and balsamic notes, a roiling, powerful, assertive Fonseca with a sweet, dark chocolate-tinged finish that grips the mouth, but it needs two decades to mellow and demonstrate the finesse to balance the intensity. This is a wonderful 2009 Vintage Port, though I suspect that the 2011 will ultimately prove even better. Tasted May 2013.
94 Points - Wine Advocate
1977 Graham's Vintage Port 750ml - 1 bottle(s) $173.00 $129.99
1991 Graham's Vintage Port 750ml - 4 bottle(s) $94.99 $74.99
2011 Graham's Vintage Port 750ml - 6 bottle(s) $109.99 $89.99
The 2011 Graham's comes from the five quintas that have been the source for many years (Malvedos, Tua, Vila Velha, das Lages and Vale de Malhadas). It represents a selection of the 131 pipes from a total production of 1,454 and is a blend of 40% Touriga Nacional, 31% Touriga Franca, 6% Sousao and 23% mixture of very old vines. It has a more “serious†bouquet compared to the Dow, with beguiling scents of blackberry, wild hedgerow, tobacco and cloves. Straight-laced, very well-defined and compelling, the palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins and supremely well-judged acidity. It is utterly harmonious, with a pure core of ripe black cherries, damson, marmalade, clove and spices, and the finish lingers long in the mouth. The separation of “The Stone Terraces†vines certainly does not appear to have detracted from a great Graham's. 5,000 cases declared. Tasted May 2013.
Importer: Premium Port Wine; www.premiumport.com
(95-97) Points - Wine Advocate
1985 Krohn Vintage Port 750ML - 1 bottle(s) $103.49 $89.99
1992 Niepoort Vintage Port Jubilee 1.5L - 1 bottle(s) $300.00 $239.99
While both the moderately sweet 1991 Vintage Port and the 1992 Vintage Port Jubilee are flattering and precocious for their respective vintages, I had a definite preference for the denser, richer, more aromatic and concentrated 1992 Jubilee. This forward 1992 is deeply-colored, rich, and exhibits admirable structure and length. Drink it between 1998-2025. - Robert Parker
2003 Quinta da Gaivosa Vintage Port 750ml - 11 bottle(s) $64.99 $51.99
1958 Quinta do Noval da Silvas 750ml - 2 bottle(s) $299.99 $239.99
1958 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port 750ml - 1 bottle(s) $2,500.00 $1,999.99
1934 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 750ml - 1 bottle(s) $3,000.00 $2,400.00
2000 Quinta do Vesuvio 750ml - 10 bottle(s) $69.00 $59.99
1997 Sandeman Vau Vintage Port 375ml - 1 bottle(s) $81.00 $59.99
1997 Sandeman Vau Vintage Port 1.5L - 3 bottle(s) $179.99 $159.99
Bright ruby. Fruity, ripe aromas of black cherry, blackberry and maple syrup. Not especially fleshy or sweet but juicy and intensely flavored, with notes of smoke, chocolate and orange peel. Finishes with lovely freshness and sneaky length. Shows modest structure for aging but this stylish wine offers considerable early appeal. - Stephen Tanzer
1994 Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port 750ml - 4 bottle(s) $90.00 $71.99
1945 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 750ml - 1 bottle(s) $1,799.99 $1,499.99
1994 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 750ml - 22 bottle(s) $249.99 $199.99
When tasting young vintage ports, Taylor is always the most backward. Yet potentially, it has the capability to be the most majestic. This classically made, opaque purple-colored wine is crammed with black fruits (blueberries and cassis). It reveals high tannin and a reserved style, but it is enormously constituted with massive body, a formidable mid-palate, and exceptional length. It is a young, rich, powerful Taylor that will require 10-15 years of aging. Compared to the more flashy, forward style of the 1992, the 1994 has more in common with such vintages as 1977 and 1970. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2045.
97 Points - Robert Parker
2007 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 750ml - 6 bottle(s) $110.00 $89.99
The Taylor’s 2007 is in a rather odd phase at the moment, its sweet, marzipan-tinged bouquet tending to dominate the ripe black fruit. The palate is much more controlled, with very fine tannins, supremely well-judged acidity and a very elegant, composed finish that has more purity and poise than the Fonseca. I would give bottles another decade to allow the aromatics to calm down. Tasted May 2013.
94+ Points - Wine Advocate
2011 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 750ml - 34 bottle(s) $104.99 $89.99
The 2011 Taylor’s Vintage 2011 has a multifaceted, Pandora’s Box of a nose that is mercurial in the glass: cassis at first before blackberry and raspberry politely ask it to move aside, followed by wilted rose petals and Dorset plum. Returning after one 45 minutes that nose has shut up shop. The palate is sweet and sensual on the entry, plush and opulent, with copious black cherries, boysenberry and cassis fruit, curiously more reminiscent of Fonseca! It just glides across the palate with a mouth-coating, glycerine-tinged finish that has a wonderful lightness of touch, demonstrating how Vintage Port is so much more accessible in its youth nowadays. But don’t let that fool you into dismissing the seriousness or magnitude of this outstanding Taylor’s.
(96-98) Points - Wine Advocate
1927 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port (unlabeled) 750ml - 3 bottle(s) $1,900.00 $1,499.00
This blows the '35 off the table. It is incredibly concentrated yet superbly balanced. It lives up to Taylor's lofty reputation. Medium ruby-garnet, with intense raspberry and blackberry aromas, full-bodied, with rich, velvety, ripe raspberry flavors and a long thick, rich finish. It will continue to improve with age. Best after 1989. –JS
95 Points - Wine Spectator
2011 Warre's Vintage Port 750ml - 65 bottle(s) $84.99 $59.99
Offers seamless flavors of kirsch, chocolate, dark plum and all spice, fresh and elegant, with a towering structure and intense red berry accents. Unctuous and long on the finish, showing loads of grip. Best from 2030 through 2060.
From Portugal. -K.M
96 Points - Wine Spectator
1985 Warre's Vintage Port 750ml - 28 bottle(s) $129.99 $99.99
This house makes rather restrained yet rich, flavorful vintage port and a very good tawny called Nimrod. Their vintage ports seem slow to develop, and while they never quite have the voluptuous richness of a Dow, Graham, or Fonseca, they have a unique mineral-scented character that gives them their own complexity and style. The 1985 is the sweetest and richest of the recent Warre vintages. Extremely concentrated, rich, even luscious, this full-bodied, intense, opulent wine has layers of fruit, a full-blown bouquet, and impeccable balance. The soft tannins and precocious appeal of the 1985 suggest rapid maturation. - Robert Parker
Schneider's of Capitol Hill
300 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Washington, DC 20002
202.543.9300
Cellar.com
Cool Weather Vintage Port Sale
As temperatures drop, cozy up to velvety vintage ports at hot prices!
Name Retail Sale
2011 Barros Vintage Port 750ml - 3 bottle(s) $49.99 $39.99
This explodes on the palate, with power and intensity to the wild plum, raspberry and blueberry flavors, supported by plenty of fresh acidity. Distinctive, revealing powerful notes of smoke and spice on the refined finish. Drink now through 2020. 300 cases imported. –KM
94 Points - Wine Spectator
2011 Croft Vintage Port 750ml - 13 bottle(s) $89.99 $69.99
The 2011 Croft is initially taciturn on the nose, even after allowing it 20 minutes in my glass. A light swirling immediately awakens the aromatics to offer blackberry, Seville orange marmalade, blueberries and dried fig – complex and quite compelling. There is real mineralite within this bouquet that, returning after 30 minutes, offers alluring ocean spray scents rolling in off the ocean. The palate is medium-bodied with a velvety-smooth opening that belies the fine, structured tannins underneath. It clams up a little towards the finish, shuts the lid tight and consequently there is the sensation of less persistency here compared to the Taylor's or Fonseca. But Croft has a knack of filling out with bottle age and becomes both gentle and generous with the passing years. Tasted May 2013.
Importer: Kobrand Corp., Purchase, NY; tel. (914) 253-7700
(92-95) Points - Wine Advocate
1992 Dow's Quinta do Bomfim Single Quinta Vintage Port 750ml - 5 bottle(s) $95.00 $74.99
2007 Dow's Vintage Port 375ml - 1 bottle(s) $92.00 $79.99
1997 Dow's Vintage Port 750ml - 5 bottle(s) $92.00 $79.99
1991 Dow's Vintage Port 750ml - 5 bottle(s) $99.99 $79.99
Perfumed and gorgeous, with flowers, berry and plum. Full-bodied, very sweet and round, with lovely rich fruit and a long finish. A tiny bit of heat, but will come around nicely. Very pretty indeed. Hard not to swallow now. '91/'92 Port retrospective. Best from 2006 through 2014. –JS - Wine Spectator
1985 Dow's Vintage Port 750ml - 15 bottle(s) $129.99 $99.99
This is an extraordinary house that seems to have been particularly successful with its vintage port since 1977.The 1985 is dark-ruby/purple with a rather closed one-dimensional aroma. On the palate, this Dow is restrained, but rich, tannic, and full-bodied, yet not nearly as concentrated as one would expect. Have I missed something? - Robert Parker
1997 Ferreira Vintage Port 750ml - 2 bottle(s) $52.00 $44.99
2001 Fonseca Quinta do Panascal Vintage Port 750ml - 2 bottle(s) $359.99 $249.99
2000 Fonseca Vintage Port 375ml - 2 bottle(s) $92.00 $79.99
1997 Fonseca Vintage Port 375ml - 1 bottle(s) $81.00 $69.99
2011 Fonseca Vintage Port 750ml - 14 bottle(s) $104.99 $89.99
The Fonseca 2011 is typically more forthcoming on the nose compared to the bashful Croft: a strident bouquet with lifted scents of freshly picked blackberries, kirsch, crushed stone and a dash of Hoi Sin and oyster sauce. It is very well-defined, very focused and direct. The palate is silky smooth with not a rough edge in sight, though not a typically voluptuous Fonseca because of the keen thread of acidity and the structure that lends this mighty Port wonderful backbone. A slight viscosity on the finish lacquers the tongue and indicates a core of sweet fruit is ticking away underneath that will surely explode several years after bottling. A tincture of salted licorice on the aftertaste is very attractive. This will turn out to become an outstanding Fonseca, the growing season taming its exuberance with spectacular results. So much potential, but just 6,000 cases were produced.
(97-99) Points - Wine Advocate
2009 Fonseca Vintage Port 750ml - 4 bottle(s) $104.99 $84.99
The Fonseca 2009 has a very sweet, typically opulent bouquet of black plum, blackberry, chimney soot and a touch of pencil shavings that is very complex and alluring. The palate is full-bodied with powerful ripe blackberry, allspice, clove and balsamic notes, a roiling, powerful, assertive Fonseca with a sweet, dark chocolate-tinged finish that grips the mouth, but it needs two decades to mellow and demonstrate the finesse to balance the intensity. This is a wonderful 2009 Vintage Port, though I suspect that the 2011 will ultimately prove even better. Tasted May 2013.
94 Points - Wine Advocate
1977 Graham's Vintage Port 750ml - 1 bottle(s) $173.00 $129.99
1991 Graham's Vintage Port 750ml - 4 bottle(s) $94.99 $74.99
2011 Graham's Vintage Port 750ml - 6 bottle(s) $109.99 $89.99
The 2011 Graham's comes from the five quintas that have been the source for many years (Malvedos, Tua, Vila Velha, das Lages and Vale de Malhadas). It represents a selection of the 131 pipes from a total production of 1,454 and is a blend of 40% Touriga Nacional, 31% Touriga Franca, 6% Sousao and 23% mixture of very old vines. It has a more “serious†bouquet compared to the Dow, with beguiling scents of blackberry, wild hedgerow, tobacco and cloves. Straight-laced, very well-defined and compelling, the palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins and supremely well-judged acidity. It is utterly harmonious, with a pure core of ripe black cherries, damson, marmalade, clove and spices, and the finish lingers long in the mouth. The separation of “The Stone Terraces†vines certainly does not appear to have detracted from a great Graham's. 5,000 cases declared. Tasted May 2013.
Importer: Premium Port Wine; www.premiumport.com
(95-97) Points - Wine Advocate
1985 Krohn Vintage Port 750ML - 1 bottle(s) $103.49 $89.99
1992 Niepoort Vintage Port Jubilee 1.5L - 1 bottle(s) $300.00 $239.99
While both the moderately sweet 1991 Vintage Port and the 1992 Vintage Port Jubilee are flattering and precocious for their respective vintages, I had a definite preference for the denser, richer, more aromatic and concentrated 1992 Jubilee. This forward 1992 is deeply-colored, rich, and exhibits admirable structure and length. Drink it between 1998-2025. - Robert Parker
2003 Quinta da Gaivosa Vintage Port 750ml - 11 bottle(s) $64.99 $51.99
1958 Quinta do Noval da Silvas 750ml - 2 bottle(s) $299.99 $239.99
1958 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port 750ml - 1 bottle(s) $2,500.00 $1,999.99
1934 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 750ml - 1 bottle(s) $3,000.00 $2,400.00
2000 Quinta do Vesuvio 750ml - 10 bottle(s) $69.00 $59.99
1997 Sandeman Vau Vintage Port 375ml - 1 bottle(s) $81.00 $59.99
1997 Sandeman Vau Vintage Port 1.5L - 3 bottle(s) $179.99 $159.99
Bright ruby. Fruity, ripe aromas of black cherry, blackberry and maple syrup. Not especially fleshy or sweet but juicy and intensely flavored, with notes of smoke, chocolate and orange peel. Finishes with lovely freshness and sneaky length. Shows modest structure for aging but this stylish wine offers considerable early appeal. - Stephen Tanzer
1994 Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port 750ml - 4 bottle(s) $90.00 $71.99
1945 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 750ml - 1 bottle(s) $1,799.99 $1,499.99
1994 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 750ml - 22 bottle(s) $249.99 $199.99
When tasting young vintage ports, Taylor is always the most backward. Yet potentially, it has the capability to be the most majestic. This classically made, opaque purple-colored wine is crammed with black fruits (blueberries and cassis). It reveals high tannin and a reserved style, but it is enormously constituted with massive body, a formidable mid-palate, and exceptional length. It is a young, rich, powerful Taylor that will require 10-15 years of aging. Compared to the more flashy, forward style of the 1992, the 1994 has more in common with such vintages as 1977 and 1970. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2045.
97 Points - Robert Parker
2007 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 750ml - 6 bottle(s) $110.00 $89.99
The Taylor’s 2007 is in a rather odd phase at the moment, its sweet, marzipan-tinged bouquet tending to dominate the ripe black fruit. The palate is much more controlled, with very fine tannins, supremely well-judged acidity and a very elegant, composed finish that has more purity and poise than the Fonseca. I would give bottles another decade to allow the aromatics to calm down. Tasted May 2013.
94+ Points - Wine Advocate
2011 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 750ml - 34 bottle(s) $104.99 $89.99
The 2011 Taylor’s Vintage 2011 has a multifaceted, Pandora’s Box of a nose that is mercurial in the glass: cassis at first before blackberry and raspberry politely ask it to move aside, followed by wilted rose petals and Dorset plum. Returning after one 45 minutes that nose has shut up shop. The palate is sweet and sensual on the entry, plush and opulent, with copious black cherries, boysenberry and cassis fruit, curiously more reminiscent of Fonseca! It just glides across the palate with a mouth-coating, glycerine-tinged finish that has a wonderful lightness of touch, demonstrating how Vintage Port is so much more accessible in its youth nowadays. But don’t let that fool you into dismissing the seriousness or magnitude of this outstanding Taylor’s.
(96-98) Points - Wine Advocate
1927 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port (unlabeled) 750ml - 3 bottle(s) $1,900.00 $1,499.00
This blows the '35 off the table. It is incredibly concentrated yet superbly balanced. It lives up to Taylor's lofty reputation. Medium ruby-garnet, with intense raspberry and blackberry aromas, full-bodied, with rich, velvety, ripe raspberry flavors and a long thick, rich finish. It will continue to improve with age. Best after 1989. –JS
95 Points - Wine Spectator
2011 Warre's Vintage Port 750ml - 65 bottle(s) $84.99 $59.99
Offers seamless flavors of kirsch, chocolate, dark plum and all spice, fresh and elegant, with a towering structure and intense red berry accents. Unctuous and long on the finish, showing loads of grip. Best from 2030 through 2060.
From Portugal. -K.M
96 Points - Wine Spectator
1985 Warre's Vintage Port 750ml - 28 bottle(s) $129.99 $99.99
This house makes rather restrained yet rich, flavorful vintage port and a very good tawny called Nimrod. Their vintage ports seem slow to develop, and while they never quite have the voluptuous richness of a Dow, Graham, or Fonseca, they have a unique mineral-scented character that gives them their own complexity and style. The 1985 is the sweetest and richest of the recent Warre vintages. Extremely concentrated, rich, even luscious, this full-bodied, intense, opulent wine has layers of fruit, a full-blown bouquet, and impeccable balance. The soft tannins and precocious appeal of the 1985 suggest rapid maturation. - Robert Parker