2000 Martinez Quinta da Eira Velha Vintage Port

[Derek T.]

Selected to celebrate the launch of the new TNDB as it is a VP that does not currently appear in the index...

D+2hrs
Very dark ruby red and still fully opaque. A little tanky and spirity on the nose. Smooth and thick entry with masses of blackcurrant and chocolate. Good acidity and ripe tannins. Stawberry in the finish, which is long and very, very dry.

Unlike some 2000 VPs I have tasted recently this is nowhere near being approachable at this point. My remaining bottles will be sent off to storage for at least 5 years.

Congratulations to the team on the launch of the new TNDB

[Mike Kerr]

A little tanky and spirity on the nose.

Thanks for the TN!

I noticed "tanky" mentioned a lot in Roy's notes, and again here. I was wondering what "tanky" means to those who describe it? I've not seen it used before in TN's until the recent FTLOP newsletter.

I have a saltwater fish tank and I'm sure when you describe "tanky" it's far from the nose I get when I go near my fish tank.

Mike.

[Glenn E.]

I noticed "tanky" mentioned a lot in Roy's notes, and again here. I was wondering what "tanky" means to those who describe it?

When I use it, I'm referring to the smell of the tonels (10,000+ liter barrels) in the lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia. It's a combination grape/wood/earth/stone/yeast smell that is readily identifiable if you've ever been on one of the lodges.

I don't consider it a bad descriptive. For me it just indicates that the Port is very young because the tanky smell usually integrates or otherwise disappears with age. I'd say it is rather unusual for Derek to have found it in a 2000 SQVP... I would even be surprised to find it in a 2003. It's reasonably common in the newly released 2007s, though.

[Derek T.]

Glenn's description nails it. I too was surprised to detect it on this but it reminded me of the same raw smell I experienced when opening some of the 2007 cask samples earlier this year. Perhaps in this instance bottle stink would be a better descriptor? Either way, it didn't smell balanced and refined, more like young and green.

[Derek T.]

I just remembered that I meant to say in my initial post that this wine was shipped by Symington Family Estates and sold under the "Taste the Difference" brand of Sainsbury supermarket in the UK. I included the word Martinez in the TN title to ensure it appeared alongside other QdEV vintages in the TNDB index but I have no idea whether or not this wine was produced by Martinez.

Derek