Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Sorry no pictures, but last night we had an excellent round up of port and Madeira:

1898 Barbeito Verdelho Madeira
1970 Morgan Vintage Port
1977 Ferreira Vintage

It was first for trying any of these vintages. I have had a lot of Ferreira and once did a vertical of Ferreira from '55 to '85, but was missing the '77. The '77 had a funky nose, yet was still grapey and well balanced. A touch hot and we detcted a little TCA, but not enough to say it was an infected bottle.

The Morgan '70 was awesome! Buy all you can if you ever see it. I have never had a Morgan, but know collectors in England that rave about it and its QPR. This is one of the most velvety smooth ports that was like straight up strawberry jam. A little dead on the nose, but still incredible.

The Barbeito was just another excellent Madeira, not a blockbuster, but certainly no slouch. Typical prailene and dried fruits, with a fairly dry finish. Excellent indeed.

Two people and 2.5 bottles drank... Feeling it today.

For cigars, I started off with Montecristo A, had a vintage Montecristo No. 2, and then a vintage Punch Churchill... Still tasting the cigars this morning...

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

I love it when you review your tastings!!!! It reminds me of when Dave does a review of something out of the ordinary from his collection!!!!!

Speaking of collections, Moses, Do you have any pics of your collection that you might want to share? Maybe a close up of that bottle from Prince Charles and Diana's wedding

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Adding to the question....Once it has been opened, should it be stored at room temp or in the fridge? Tried the six grapes last night. I liked it. Very sweet and smooth.:al

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Nice hedonistic night! That much alcohol and residual sugar would have my head banging in the morning

~Vitis

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Yikes!! and I'll bet you're still feeling the 2.5 bottles :rolleyes:

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Either way, but if you serve port cold, it will be more acidic and not as sweet. I would keep it out and put in the freezer for 10 minutes before serving again. Port should be served around 62 degrees.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

I can't find the Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer Fonseca bottle picture :hm

Just poking around my photobucket album, I found this one:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...ol/photo-5.jpg

Which was fun little Fonseca vertical we did earlier this year. The largest vertical we've done is with Croft, which actually was the most complete Croft vertical ever know to have been done. One participant actually went to a vertical at Croft in VNG, Portugal and we more vintages. It went from 1896 to 1970 with only a couple of vintages missing.

We've had well over 100 different vintages on our weekend port and cigar tastings. It begins to be a blur which ones I have had and haven't had.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Very nice!!!:tu

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Finally found a bottle locally and picked it up. Gonna pop this bottle with a few friends and enjoy a few smokes with it. This is by far my fav port ive had so far, but ive yet to get into the higher end ones bc of the fear of dropping good money and not liking it.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

I have the opposite fear. Fear of dropping good money and liking it too much!

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

I gotta try that with you Joey. I thought about picking that up a few days ago as well, but I still haven't finished my six grapes!

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

How did you pop the bottle top, Moses? :confused: That's a sweet little trick -- a lot more efficient than fishing and filtering.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

I used port tongs to cleave the end of the bottles off. Doing so allows the cork to be preserved for identification and prevents fishing the cork out. The tongs are fun to use and I have an acetilene (sp) torch just for this.

It's very easy to get a cork out of bottle that has been pushed in, but I'd rather not have to deal with it.

Rare and/or unique bottles I may pull the cork, but I generally do not save corks or bottles so they are of little concern.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Taylor 10 & 20yr ....20 a little harder to find here, but well worth it.
Grahams 10yr
Fonseca White
Six Grapes

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Picked up a bottle of Taylor Fladgate 10 yr, and a bottle of Fonseca Bin 27 for a herf over the weekend. Looking forward to trying the Fladgate, and I know I like the Bin 27

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

I just opened my first bottle of Osbourne Tawny Port tonight . Seemed a bit sweeter then the bottle of Fonseca Bin 27 I had previously . Can anybody give me a reference point about the sweetness levels of different types of port ? The ruby I've had seemed dryer then the Tawny and I've not yet tasted a LBV .

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

The risdual sugar levels are probably very close to both bottles you mentioned. The styles will have different levels of acid which change your perception and add to the dryness of port. It's the acid that makes it drier, not the RS level.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

You learn something every day. I'm a big port fan (although I usually stick with the local varieties). I Googled a few articles on the port tongs that were very interesting.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

just had some Penfold's Tawny port. Rob suggested it because he is a big fan of their other wines. It was a very good port for only 10.99 at Total Wine.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

One of the most profound bottles I have had so far was provided by Roy Hersch, not sure if you know the guy or his Port newsletter (lives in Seattle). He brought the bottle to a dinner I organized in SF for local wine geeks and opened it, blind, after dinner. After letting every one enjoy the wine he asked all of us to guess the vintage. Some said '80s, some guessed '70s. I guessed '63-64 looking at the slight oxidation the color showed and the "more developed" complexity of the wine, after all, 40 years of age is pretty good as is. Turned out to be a Sandeman Vintage 1945, I was shocked at how well preserved the wine was, anyone else but Roy pouring it I would have said '80s, that young in appearance and color, taste as well: vibrant by all respects and still with a huge aging potential.

Too bad I can't afford a bottle.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

I know Roy fairly well. We have had a couple offline tastings, one of which was a nearly complete Croft vertical from 1896 to 1970 with every vintage represented and no off bottles! The previous evening we had 1927 Graham, 1948 Taylor, and several others that were big hits that are escaping me. The day after our Croft vertical, it was a 1967 Nacional with '54 Dalva White Colheita.

Last weekend I went to a "50 Years of Post War Graham" where 9 bottles were represented up to 1994,

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

And I thought I am drinking well...

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Fonseca makes good port. Anyone drink white port?

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Fonseca is my favorite post war port house, followed by Grahams.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Here's yesterday's port tasting pictures:


From Left to Right:

1927 Taylor Vintage
1934 Da Silva "Vintage"
1935 Croft Vintage
1948 Warre Vintage
1955 Graham Vintage
1966 Dow Vintage
1977 Offley Vintage
1978 Taylor Crust Port

Here's our table just before the start.


For food, we ate 1/2 lb of Iberico Jamon and Wild boar salami with an assortment of fancy cheese.

For cigars, started off with a Partagas Serie D., then Sancho Panza Corona, wind it up with a Cohiba Esplendidos.

I am all set for cigars and port for the rest of the week. Feeling it this morning...

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Man, that looks great! I would love to do some port tasting like that!

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

bogle tawny is nice

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

I picked up a bottle of Gould Campbell 2001 Late Bottle Vintage...this will be my first port. Has anyone tried this?

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

??

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Gould Campbell is a good name in port. I would expect to be decent at a minimum. Let the bottle breathe for 4-6 hours after decanting through cheesecloth.

Please report back with your tasting impressions!

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Thanks and will do!! :ss

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Resurrecting a helpful thread. Appreciate all of the recommendations. :tu

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

How was the 94 vintage for Dow? Im looking for a nice bottle of port and 94 seems to get a lot of attention. 1977 was the other vintage I was looking at as well.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

I been drinking port for a few month's now and have something to confess. I have been driking the cheap ones you can buy at walmart, and ABC. i like it though so i guess thats all that matters. One of the brands is Taylor (but i dont think it's the same Taylor as referred to here) and the other is Fairbanks.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

IIRC, '94 was a great vintage for all, I don't think you can go wrong.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

1994 Dow is one of the best of the vintage. Approachable already and quite awesome. Fat and lucious for a Dow. I had a bottle about 4 months go. I would go for the 1994 Dow over 1977 as the '77 has had a lot of bottle variance. I have had the '77 Dow at least 15 times and few weren't so hot. 1994 is less expensive too.

Not saying to stay away from '77 Dow, just bringing what could be an issue to your attention.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Taylor USA and Fairbanks, you're a high roller :r Everything OK? Do we need a fundraiser for you? Just kidding. My girlfriend's mom drinks that "Taylor".

My tip is to buy port from Portugal.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

1994 was an epic year for port. Weather was perfect. Maybe Ill get a 1994 Dow and maybe a Warre from the same vintage. Both 94's maybe be close to the same price as one bottle of 77' Dow.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Tastes good to me bro.:tu

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Offley Forrester 1977 could be a play. About $40 less than Dow. Ever have this Moses?

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

I have a case of '94 Warre and it's typical Warre style; elegant and subtle. I would wait longer to drink the Warre if possible. My friend had a case of the '94 Warre and we drank through it last summer. Warre will need two days decanting to really shine.


Not sure if I have had their '77, but probably. I know I have had '70 and '27 off the top of my head; both were decent. If it's $40 less than the Dow, I would buy it for sure (depends on what your were paying for the Dow).

Do you mind stating what the actual price you are buying it for and I can give you better opinion? Offley is a sleeper brand that has never had much penetration in the US.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Dow 1977 is $120 and the 77 Offley is $85. Do these seem to be reasonable prices?

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Some other offerings from Offley I've seen around are 85' and 94' vintages. Both are about 60 bucks.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

I would not pay that for the Dow, kind of borderline on the Offley. I've bought '77 Dow for $70 at auction, for instance.


Both vintages are going to be little hot on the alcohol, but the '85 is OK. The Warre & Dow '94 are the two best mentioned on this page.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

The Sandeman's Founders Reserve is one of my favorites as well.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Sandeman's 20 year tawny is one of the best out there. Not sure if I have ever had the Founders Reserve? Is that the one in the frosted glass?

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Glad to see there's a port thread here!

TF 10 year is my go-to Tawny port. I've had most of the other brands and nothing comes close IMO.

Though I like tawny, I'm a huge fan of vintage port. And the recession has made a lot of bottles at auction a lot more reasonable. I've been able to get my hands on 1977 Taylor Fladgate, 1977 Fonseca, 1985 Fonseca, and a few others. The 77 Fonseca is by far the best beverage I've ever tasted.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

I've got 3 bottles of '94 dow in the basement...it is a HUGE wine. I'm planning on waiting another 4 years before I open the first bottle. I haven't had the 77 Dow, but if it's anything like others from the vintage, you won't be disappointed.

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

Have you had the '94 Dow before? It can be opened now, or later. Normally I would not suggest opening such a young vintage, but I bottle of '94 was given to me to see that it is possible to enjoy this vintage now.

1977 Dow can be winner but there is a lot of bottle variation and I would suggest to stay away unless you buying such bottles is not an expense. I have had TCA in the '77 Dow a few times. I would suggest 1963 or 1970 Dow over the 1977 any day. If you like a drier vintage with seemingly endless aging potential, go for the 1985 Dow. 1980 & 1983 Dow's are sleepers than be be had for short money. I had an '83 Dow last night actually...

Re: The Port Wine Thread
 

I have found auction prices for port to have risen a lot over the last 2 years.

Just about every vintage of Fonseca (or Taylor) is outstanding. Fonseca is a port that does declines at a snail's pace. It may not be as vibrant as Taylor, yet just keeps ticking away. I love the 1935, 1948,1955, 1963, 1970... Actually the only one most ever think twice on is 1983 and that is still solid if bought well.