For The Love Of Port

The year is almost over, so what was the worst Port you've had this year. I'm NOT talking about TCA infected bottles, so don't count those. But what was the Port that you thought was just horrible.

An 1873 Schofield that I had at a tasting in NYC. It was clearly past its prime, and it degraded rapidly once opened at the start of the tasting. So quickly, in fact, that by the end of the tasting (3-4 hours after it was opened) it was basically undrinkable it was so bad. And it only started out in the "fair" to "tolerable" range, in no small part because it was just fun to taste something that old.

It was still fun to taste, and I wouldn't trade the experience for some better Port (especially observing how it "aged" so quickly once opened), but it was also very easily the worst Port I had in 2008.

Taylor Fladgate 2002 LBV. Painfully acidic. Good for cooking with/in reduction but painful to drink. Tried three separate bottles from different sources, all had the same problem. Not to be "broken," I purchased three bottles simply to lay away in the cellar for a while to see if they "soften up" with the passage of a bit of time.

Todd

The Sandemans Ruby port was absolutely underwhelming at first. But for some strange reason, almost a month after unstoppering, I am starting to like it.

Four and a half, of the five bottles of 1983 Cockburn's I took part in during 2008 were corked. The half bottle is mentioned somewhat tongue in cheek, as it was the only one which was not badly corked by the time the bottle was finished.

Roy Hersh wrote:Four and a half, of the five bottles of 1983 Cockburn's I took part in during 2008 were corked. The half bottle is mentioned somewhat tongue in cheek, as it was the only one which was not badly corked by the time the bottle was finished.

Now now, no cheating...corked bottles don't count

the 85 noval vp

Cruz Ruby, and you know, it wasn't all that bad. That corked bottle of whatever I had was otherwise pretty good. I don't mind corked so much. Hey, I drink funky Belgian beers too.

The 1991 Martinez I had in 2008 was pathetic. Extra nights on the kitchen counter did not help it much.

Maybe a tired bottle of 1983 Dow's. Not corked, but not great either. Not that this port can't be great, this particular bottle was weak.
-Dave-

Noval, Quinta Roriz vintage 1991.

A horrible wine. It was lacking complexity in aromas and flavors, very alcoholic, hardly of drinking.... A wine that was not possible to enjoy it.
Without any doubts, the worst Port that I have drunk in 2008.

Without any doubt: 1989 Cruz VP.

Michael M. wrote:Without any doubt: 1989 Cruz VP.

The one I had tasted like the LBV I had it with - and wasn't too bad. It was pretty harmless. Why the difference?

Anyhow, I think the Kopke LBV 2004 was the worst one I had.

If judged as 'most disappointing' I would have to say Nacional '80..

Tom

Morten O wrote:

Michael M. wrote:Without any doubt: 1989 Cruz VP.

The one I had tasted like the LBV I had it with - and wasn't too bad. It was pretty harmless. Why the difference?
...

Morton, the bottle I had, was characterized by an awful medicinal nose. To me it lacks clean fruit and I found it to be somewhat scruffy. My wife did not find it so awful as I did. I did not think that it was an off bottle.

Michael

Andy - your rules for this topic were to not talk about TCA infected bottles. But TCA is normally a random problem, infecting 1-5% of wines depending on who you listen to, and clearly depending on the quality of the cork grade in the first place.

But Roy had TCA in 5 of 5 bottles of 1983 Cockburn, and he has mentioned this problem in posts in previous years. This is a very significant problem in an expensive highly rated port. This is drastic disappointment to me. Other people have mentioned lower quality ports that did not have the high expectations that 83 Cockburn would have. So I would vote Roy the "winner" of this post topic. What a horrible way to win.

I had 83 Cockburn when it was young and I noticed no TCA problems, and I am quite sensitive to TCA. It got good reviews so others had good bottles. Roy has seen such consistent problems with this port it is unlikely to be the corks causing the problem. Important California wineries like Heitz, Chalone, and Beaulieu have has problems with TCA in the cellar, as wineries in Bordeaux have had. The 1983 Cockburn must have been bottled in several batches with Roy having a case of the bad batch. Sorry Roy, Cockburn should be giving you a replacement case of something.

Taylors LBV 2002 - realy bad, NO nose, No taste, No nothing

Anders wrote:Taylors LBV 2002 - realy bad, NO nose, No taste, No nothing

Interesting. I had the 2003 Taylor LBV at an in-store tasting just before Christmas and thought it was pretty good. It was easily better than either of the Ruby Reserves we tasted, and it was also cheaper so that made it a pretty good bargain.

Without any doubt whatsoever the worst port that I tasted in 2008 was Marks & Spencer's BOB Pink Port - produced and bottled by Taylor Fladgate and discussed at length elsewhere on this site.

Yuck. :help:

Derek T. wrote:Without any doubt whatsoever the worst port that I tasted in 2008 was Marks & Spencer's BOB Pink Port - produced and bottled by Taylor Fladgate and discussed at length elsewhere on this site.

Yuck. :help:

Derek you do know exactly that this does not count. This is no Port but a pink alcoholic somewhat.