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Good deep colour, pleasant nose with sweet red cherry, blackberry and a hint of spirit. Medium bodied, with soft sweet fruit (same as on nose), some chocolate and sweet spice. Soft tannins. All is well up to the finish which is incredibly cloying with a lasting candied cherry flavour that pretty muc...

From 1/2 bottle. Such a beauty. Fresh floral nose that also shows ripe blackberry and dark cherry. Full-bodied, with fierce, but silky soft and ripe tannins. Although there's plenty of fruit (freshly crushed blackberry and black cherry), it's more about freshness and minerality. Beautiful long finis...

Vargellas, Guimaraens and Croft are all very good ports.
Many others (including Graham) I found slightly fast maturing and disappointing.

Quinta Eira Velha 2011? New to me, but obviously declared, see here. Has anyone come across this, or better, tasted it? I must admit I'm curious, knowing the quality the quinta is capable of producing.

The Wine Searcher article mentions that Dow Bomfim will be released, so this has been added to the first post. I had it confirmed yesterday that Wine Searcher was wrong, that only Vesuvio and Senhora da Ribeira will be released by SFE. Really? Not even Malvedos, Cavadinha, Bomfim for late release? ...

I remembered being fairly impressed with this when tasted about 10 year ago (see here , so decided to try one as it's one of the few ports that's half affordable here. Lost a good amount of its colour in the 10 years since we last met, as well as a good deal of its stuffing. Rather old fruit (dried ...

differentdave wrote:Am I the only one who uses the silly port glasses with the silly sipping straws built in to them?

We've talked about these before and that ended up in this. Do you really want to go there again?

1995s are drinking OK but I think they'll be better in 5-10 years. 1987 is a great year to drink now but also has everything they need to grow and mature. I'd drink 1985 and 1991 before 1987. But that may just be my personal prejudice. Good to hear. I think I'll try one of the '87s, just to see whe...

But to go back to the original subject: I was recently thinking about this as I wandered over my inventory and thought of what to open when we're back in Holland on holiday this summer. Next to the older declared vintages, I thought it could also be worth opening some of the 1987's (I have a good st...

I think Cave is a very fitting name to have if your occupation is "Cellar Plan Manager".

Another fine glass for port is the Spiegelau Profi Tasting (see here). I use these for wine courses and tastings, but they are a good size for drinking Port. Quite sturdy too.

I've tasted some Heredias ports from the late 90's / early 00's but was never blown away by their quality. Apparently a sister brand of Senhora do Convento (according to Mayson's Port and the Douro), although that has recently been bought by Canadians of Inniskilin fame, and there doesn't seem to be...

Flor is not unique to Jerez, it can happen to any wine if the conditions are right, but as it's rather picky you won't see it much. But it's fairly common in the Jura as well, and i would ve surprised if there isn't a new new world example to be found. As it's a type of yeast, it can be inoculated a...

If I had 47k, the ability to pick it up, and offsite storage for ~2 pallets of wine I'd probably be interested. Really? Why? That's an awful lot to drink. (And if you're buying as investment probably more hassle and cost than profit.) If you drink a bottle of port a week (I drink more than that) 13...

Glenn E. wrote:If I had 47k, the ability to pick it up, and offsite storage for ~2 pallets of wine I'd probably be interested.

Really? Why? That's an awful lot to drink. (And if you're buying as investment probably more hassle and cost than profit.)

As you are based in the Netherlands, I'd recommend you post these on Marktplaats. People are often willing to pay over the odds on that site. I don't think you should expect more than €250 from people here, and even that depends on how well these ports were stored (none of the Mitra shops I've ever ...

Owen, are you maybe interested in a small SQVP vertical, Bomfim, Senhora da Ribeira, Terra Feifa and Vargellas from years in which they were all released? Can't remember which vintage exactly (1987 perhaps?) but there is one year that Fonseca made a Quinta do Cruzeiro and Taylor a Terra Feita. Fun ...

Have flown from Heathrow T4 a lot the last few years. Forget about buying port there, it's better to stick to Whisky. Also, the selection of Champagne wasn't bad, but expensive.

For 2000, 2003 and 2007 (maybe others, but those I know) both a Cockburn's and a Quinta dos Canais were made. Also Martinez in each of those years. Might be interesting to line up and taste. There are a few older ones, too. Taylor and Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas 1970 (albeit the latter was a bit o...

Just spotted on their website that Quinta do Javali declared 2012 as well.

Back to the original question. For me it depends on what you're looking for in a port. As much as I like fully aged port, I sometimes look to drink something that still shows fresh fruit and has a tannic kick. Many of the SQ's from the 90s offer that right now. To mind come: - Fonseca Guimaraens 91 ...

Why would one buy a good bottle of port to put it in a barrel and see it getting worse? I'm with Julian on that one. And well, if you are willing to buy 15 litres of bad port, my best advice would be to use that money to buy a couple of good bottles. You'll have so much more fun.

Kopke '85 back in 2000 or 2001. Loved it so much that I've been hooked ever since. Finished my last bottle of Kopje '85 not too long ago and it was still a lovely Port.

Are the upright ones sold in the Gaia lodges all rubbish then? Because I've seen identical ones used in the Vintage hotel in Pinhão (where all the bottles on display have been tonged). No they're not. We bought tongs from the Graham's lodge years ago, and they served us well numerous times. If thei...

If you are still considering alternatives, I can recommend these in London: - Think Apartments: studio, 1 or 2 bedroom apartments, so have the advantage of a small kitchen, where you can prepare breakfast or a meal if you don't want to dine out. Several locations and affordable. I stayed at their Be...