ThePortForum.com

[DRT]

Quinta do Infantado added.

[Axel P Email · WWW]

Dear all,

I just received a fax from Castelinho. They will not declare a VP in 2007.

Axel

[Roy Hersh]

Krohn did decide to declare afterall, they wanted to wait to see what would happen with their IVDP samples. I've tasted 49 of the 2007s so far. A unique young vintage with both highs and lows in the mix.

[Roy Hersh]

As for Suckling: although no one could say for sure whether he did his tasting blind, in addition to his tastings at TFP and SFE he also did a thorough sit down tasting at The Factory House.

As for Parker: he has not done any Vintage Port since 2000 and will certainly not do the 2007s. Two years ago he appointed Jay S. Miller to be the Vintage Port taster for the Wine Advocate. Pierre Rovani did the '03 vintage ... poorly at that, in my humble opinion. It should be noted that Robert Parker NEVER visited Porto/Gaia or the Douro in the entire time he rated VP. The only time he stepped on Portuguese soil was on his honeymoon, many decades ago and that was only in the Southern half of the country. I am not positive, but I can't think of ANY OTHER region where he was a regular critic of the wines with many years of reviews ... and nary a single visit to see the vineyards from where the wines came from. Seems very odd to me. Of course one can objectively taste the wines, (although he is notorious for not tasting blind) but having no context has to play some part in being more thorough in what is written.

Last but not least, tasting cask samples while staring at the labels is far less valuable (again, in one man's opinion) than doing them blind. Once again, I noticed a vast difference from some of my expectations of what a brand should deliver and how they actually showed, blind. It is humbling and prevents bias which is only natural, even with the very best tasters.

[g-man WWW]

As for Parker: he has not done any Vintage Port since 2000 and will certainly not do the 2007s. Two years ago he appointed Jay S. Miller to be the Vintage Port taster for the Wine Advocate.

Oh geez,

there was an article - to yank a paragraph
"a thousand tastings is relaxed as he picks at a bit of smoked salmon and confesses that yes, he likes to eat well, but often on these trips eager hosts ply him with enormous meals that leave him groggy and overfed."

I dont think I want any of my reviews groggy/overfed with smoked salmon in his mouth.

[RonnieRoots WWW]

As for Suckling: although no one could say for sure whether he did his tasting blind,

Accoring to WS's standards, his tastings should be blind.

[raul_alex Email]

In 2007 vintage ports – Part 1 Richard Hemming reported on a recent showing of these exciting new wines made by the three jolly good chaps shown here (left to right) Adrian Bridge of The Fladgate Partnership (Croft, Delaforce, Fonseca, Taylor’s), Paul Symington (Dow’s, Graham’s, Warre’s and more) and Christian Seely of AXA Millésimes (Quinta do Noval). I see that his scores were quoted and credited to ‘JancisRobinson.com’ in Fine & Rare Wine’s vintage port mailout this morning.

The tasting notes below are mine and relate to the much more comprehensive tasting organised this week by The Institute of Masters of Wine of as many new 2007 vintage ports as they could muster, which turned out, amazingly, to be these 42. Probably the most exciting additions to the rollcall of classic ports noted by Richard are the three from Niepoort, imported into the UK by Raymond Reynolds.

Yet even this list of 42 is not exhaustive. Calem seems to have slipped through the net for a start. Yet the total quantity of 2007 vintage port made represents barely one per cent of total annual port production, and is the equivalent of the annual output of just four large Médoc estates.Expect to pay between £100 and £200 for a case of six bottles in bond in the UK. See my overview on this distinctive, sophisticated, almost elegant vintage on May 30. These are the wines for those who wish to lay down wine for a child born in 2007.

These baby vintage ports are listed alphabetically with associated single quinta ports listed just before the principal bottling from the shipper that owns that quinta.Single quinta ports without an associated shipper are listed alphabetically by the name of the quinta.

Churchill's, Quinta da Gricha 2007 Port 16- Drink 2015-25
Looks deeper and bluer than the regular bottling. Fragant and fresh on the nose. A very firm spine, and even slightly spindly on the palate – much more fragile than one might expect. Refreshing with notable tannins but not an awful lot of flesh. Bone dry finish.

Churchill's 2007 Port 16.5 Drink 2015-30
Plummy and rich on the nose, Vigorous, slightly pruney on the nose but with marked acidity on the palate.A little pinched at this stage.

Cockburn's, Quinta dos Canais 2007 Port 17 Drink 2017-30
Very dark and lustrous. Black pepper and intensity of fruit on the nose. Fresh and firm – a claret of a port, or do I mean a Dow? Lots of neat, dry tannins but no shortage of flesh. Bracing finish.

Cockburn's 2007 Port 17+ Drink 2017-35
Lush and sweet on the nose. Very ripe front palate attack and then fine, taut palate. Relatively restrained on the finish.Really quite dry.Should be a dependable, slow burner.

Croft 2007 Port 16.5 Drink 2020-30
Very bright, deep crimson.Smells almost overripe! Some burnt notes and even a hint of oak (can that be..?) and only then settles down into the tannic depths.Extremely youthful and unformed at this stage with, apparently, lots of disparate elements. Note of greenness on the finish.Not sure about this one. The oddest wine of the vintage?

Delaforce 2007 Port 16.5+ Drink 2013-20
Much fresher and more integrated on the nose than its stablemate Croft.Sweet, straightforward and then rather marked acidity and slightly light (for a vintage port) structure on the finish,

Dow's 2007 Port 18 Drink 2020-35
Very dark and brooding to look at. Dry and complex with some notes of vegetation on the nose. Really rather polished and superior. Masses of extract, not an awful lot of sugar, but refinement and breed. If it were a person it woulddefinitely be a man. In a pin striped suit (as this taster is today, funnily enough).Clean peppermint finish.

Ferreira 2007 Port 17 Drink 2020-30
Prunes and undergrowth on the nose.Definite dried vegetation: dried grass or leaves. Masses of tannin – as though it’s determined not to be dismissed for being too simply fruity!

Fonseca 2007 Port 18 Drink 2020-35
Looks much more evolved and indeed smells much more open than one might expect.Very luscious, with a hint of cough medicine and masses of ripe fruit, though no specious sweetness.Lots of tannin on the finish.I suspect if I were tasting this blind I might not be quite so indulgent and might wonder about what is tying everything together in the middle. Very dry finish, very open, loose start. Later: But I went back after an hour or so and can see that this is a very dramatic wine, not playing safe at all.Very tannic finish.

Gould Campbell 2007 Port 17 Drink 2017-30
Scented, fine boned, rather a pretty wine. Not desperately intense but very nicely balanced with a dry, peppery finish and fine tannins not unlike sandpaper.

Graham's 2007 Port 18+ Drink 2015-35
Blackish purple. Very rich and spicy and immediately attractive and rather luscious on the nose. Violets, liquorice and very flattering. Round and extremely fruity – so much less obviously tannic and dry than many.Is there enough tannin here? It’s certainly very well hidden! Literally gorgeous now but I wonder how it will age?Again, as with Fonseca, I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt that it has been made to age and that underneath all that voluptuous fruit is enough tannin for a long life. Certainly persistent.

Quinta do Intifado 2007 Port 16 Drink 2013-20
Lightish, clarety nose. Good balance but no great intensity.Redcurrant fruit. Very pleasant but a little spindly.Dry, almost rasping, finish.

Martinez 2007 Port 16+ Drink 2013-20
Dark crimson. Intense colour and very slightly woody nose. Relatively lightweight with marked acidity and pretty chewy tannins. I suspect this may always be a bit of wimp although there’s nothing actively unpleasant about it. Rather dry end.

Niepoort, Broadbent 2007 Port 17.5 Drink 2020-30
A joint venture with Bartholomew Broadbent, son of Michael, for the US market. Very bright crimson/ruby. Full, broad and very voluptuous. Really rather the opposite of Michael Broadbent! Though there is marked pepperiness on the finish.The shape of this port is quite different from most: tadpole ie fat at first and then narrowing to tightness. Certainly much tighter than the regular Niepoort bottling. Intriguing.

Niepoort, Pisca 2007 Port 17.5+ Drink 2015-32
This should have been a single quinta port but Dirk N didn’t get round to registering it as such.Not quite such a dark crimson as the regular bottling. Very distinctive herbal nose – seems quite different from most ports. Some full-blooded appeal on the nose. Very sweet and fat on the front palate – then rather floral.Then very deep throated appeal on the finish.Not desperately tannic but chock full of nuance and flavour. Just a bit lighter and looser than the regular bottling. Very delicious.

Niepoort 2007 Port 18 Drink 2020-38
Mid crimson, not the bluest by a long chalk. Fragrant with some black pepper and then extremely luscious at first with an impressive register of ripe tannins closing in on the finish. Real velvet glove with an iron fist hidden inside. Complex, different wine that has admirable freshness rather than being formulaic. Full of life.Rather playful.

Quinta do Noval, Silval 2007 Port 16.5 Drink 2013-20
Rich spicy nose and some fairly lean raciness on the palate. Lots of freshness but no great lusciousness or intensity.A pick me up port?

Quinta do Noval 2007 Port 18 Drink 2020-40
One of the darkest of the 2007s. Limpid and luscious-looking, Very sweet and ripe with some spice – cinnamon? All-enveloping and one of the sleekest and smoothest in terms of texture.The acid and then tannins creep in on the finish but this is a bit of a standout in terms of its dry energetic finish. This gives the impression of polished leather – not one of the sweetest on the finish.A palate scrub of a wine. Distinctive.

Offley BV 2007 Port 17 Drink 2014-20
Blood red and very polished. Sweet and flattering with the acid and tannin just intruding on the finish – not unlike a turbo charged Napa Cabernet! There just doesn’t seem to be masses of complexity or depth in the middle but it’s a good effort,

Quinta de Passadouro 2007 Port 16 Drink 2014-20
Brownish tinge. Less intense than most.Lively and almost doing cartwheels but not really deep or rich.Just a little scrawny on the finish.

Pintas 2007 Port 17 Drink 2016-25
From Wine & Soul. Bright purplish crimson. Floral with violets -very Touriga Nacional it seems to me.Smells almost like a varietal table wine!And in terms of density it’s a little more transparent and simpler than the greatest 2007s although it seems a bit more confident than many of these ports.Dryness on the finish dominates a bit. Good effort but I’m not sure it has the stuffing for a very long life.

Poças, Quinta de Santa Barbara 2007 Port 16.5 Drink 2015-25
Light, peppery, hint of pickled vegetables (might go down well in Korea?). Very lush and sweet with dry oak tannins on the front – as though some new wood might have been used for this?! Different and dramatic though the opposite of classic.

Poças 2007 Port 16.5 Drink 2015-25
Blackish ruby, A little muddy on the nose,Very sweet start with a hint of liquorice, then marked fine tannins – extremely embryonic,A little bit awkward and uncertain.

Quinta do Portal 2007 Port 17 Drink 2015-28
Very dark purple. Scented and complete. Very sweet start – extremely flattering.Round and then a dry finish with lots of drama on the mid palate. Pretty damn flashy!Though not as deep flavoured and complex as some.

Quarles Harris 2007 Port 17.5 Drink 2015-25
Dark crimson. runey, superripe nose, Very very flattering and ripe and sumptuous – almost like a syrup!Thick and rich.This should wow lots of tasters in the early to mid term.Fine tannins tucked in on the finish. Not hot at all – really quite impressive.

Ramos Pinto, Quinta de Ervamoira 2007 Port 16.5 Drink 2020-30
Putty and minerals on the nose. Lively and positively quivering with masses of acidity and rather awkward treacly fruit before the kick of tannin.Not the most classic style! But it makes a splash. A little bit too tannic for the fruit intensity? Extremely dry finish.

Ramos Pinto 2007 Port 17 Drink 2017-30
Very dark crimson.Exciting, well balanced liquorice notes on the nose. Lots of ripe fruit – rather like stereotypical ‘Portuguese port’ – and then rather awkward acidity and fine tannins.Somehow more like a revved up table wine than a calm, well balanced vintage port. Wood shavings on the finish. This wine nearly made it to a higher score but not quite.

Real Companhia Velha 2007 Port 16.5- Drink 2015-25
Very dark. Sweet and plummy on the palate. Rather flashy and beguiling but without much in the middle.Reminds me of one of those sweet Saperavis from Georgia.

Quinta da Romaneira 2007 Port 16.5 Drink 2012-20
First vintage from the posh hotel with which Christian Seely of Noval is associated. Heady and luscious and full of charm.Very sweet with acidity and some relatively light tannins added almost as an afterthought. Definitely belongs to the single quinta school rather than classic vintage port.Very dry finish – almost gawky. A shame as the nose is stunning.

Quinta de Roriz 2007 Port 16.5 Drink 2013-20
Hint of evolution at the rim. Hint of overripeness on the nose.Very very sweet but just a bit too lush.Not really the depth of a vintage port. A little awkward and stringy on the finish,

Royal Oporto 2007 Port 16.5 Drink 2010-18
Dark purple. Scented, polished nose.Sweet and gentle and awfully friendly already – like liquefied chocolate covered prunes. Lovely stuff for the short term but is it real vintage port..? A bit short and sinewy.

Rozès 2007 Port 16 Drink 2013-18
Chestnut crimson colour. Scented and sweet but a little bit flabby, relatively speaking.Acceptable but only at half cock really,

Sandeman 2007 Port 17 Drink 2018-30
Healthy colour and lovely dry finish – superior stuff with great vigour after a series of rather more humdrum samples, although oddly dry on the end.

Smith Woodhouse 2007 Port 18- Drink 2016-30
Firm smoky and liquorice with a hint of tar. Serious stuff. Nice fresh fruit and really rather luscious.. Exciting tingle on the palate. There’s a great beginning, middle and end to this wine.Zesty but rewarding,Bravo!Maybe not for the very long term but great balance for the medium term.

Taylor's, Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha 2007 Port 18- Drink 2015-30
Not especially dense or blue as a colour. Heady, plummy, very flattering nose.Spicy, beguiling – rather more transparent than the regular Taylor’s.Interesting and rather intellectual.This demands attention and has notably supple tannins.

Taylor's 2007 Port 18+ Drink 2020-40
Serious stuff – just the merest hint of cheesiness but real complexity and almost rough tannins – hurly burly – at this stage.Very vibrant and positive with great length. This wine certainly doesn’t follow any formula.Dry – yes, porty – finish.Grown up stuff.Sophisticated and a bit wild.

Quinta Vale D. Maria 2007 Port 16.5 Drink 2018-25
Bright purplish crimson. Drier than most – like a lush table wine almost.Lively and a bit sinewy.Lacking flesh – a little anorexic.Taut. Very dry and rather unsatisfying end.

Quinta do Vale Meão 2007 Port 17.5- Drink 2015-25
Dark, rich and not so dissimilar to Quinta Vale D. Maria 2007 tasted immediately before it but with a bit more stuffing.Interesting, herby – non classic.More like souped up table wine but very satisfying and well balanced,

Quinta do Ventozelo 2007 Port 16.5 Drink 2014-20
Slightly cheesy nose,Rather open textured – lots of nice ripe fruit but not real intensity.A bit awkward and inky on the finish. A little bit more ripe fruit on the mid palate please! Finishes very dry.

Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 Port 17.5+ Drink 2016-30
Vibrant purple. Very lush and almost rudely fruity.Lots of interesting dry tannins and herbs on the finish.Obviously very much a terroir wine.Lovely long finish.

Quinta do Vesuvio, Capela 2007 Port 17.5 Drink 2016-30
Special very small production from this Symington-owned quinta (pictured).Very dark.Hint of treacle on the nose. Very round and actually a little lighter than the regular bottling.Great edge and attack and lots of sweetness but not as dense as the regular bottling – though there is more obvious tannin on the finish.I imagine this is more expensive than the regular Quinta do Vesuvio but I’m not quite convinced by its superiority?

Warre's 2007 Port 18 Drink 2020-35
Liquorice and richness on the nose.Lots of spice and sweetness and very complete. Perhaps the wine closest to classic vnitage port of all the 42 wines tasted here. Biding its time, all in place.Not at all showy.Dry finish.Great balance and integration.

[Michael M.]

I don't know if everyone interested in is aware that Richard Mayson has TNs of the 2007 VP on his website. Here is the link. http://www.richardmayson.com/Port_Notes/
Apologies if redundant.

Michael

[ajfeather]

thanks Michael I for one had not spotted that

[Axel P Email · WWW]

Krohn actually declared both Retiro Novo and Krohn. As well did Vista Allegre and Valle Longo declare.

Axel

[Axel P Email · WWW]

As it seems, Cachao will not be declared. I just received samples from Messias.

Derek, please remove from list

Axel

[Axel P Email · WWW]

Last in the list so far: Borges

Axel

[Axel P Email · WWW]

Dalva declared, too.

Axel

[Glenn E.]

The ones I've tried (some are already listed in this thread):

Croft
Martinez
Quinta do Vale Meão
Smith Woodhouse
Sandeman
Niepoort Pisca
Gould Campbell
Broadbent (produced by Niepoort)
Valle Longo (produced by Vallegre)
Magalhães (produced by Quinta do Silval, not to be confused with Quinta do Noval's Silval brand)
Porto Rocha
Dow
Vista Alegre (produced by Vallegre)
Quinta do Portal
Quinta do Vesuvio Capela
Niepoort
Croft (tasted this one twice)
Taylor
Graham
Warre
Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha
Fonseca
Duorum (I don't recall the producer off the top of my head... the label was hand written)

[RonnieRoots WWW]

I understood that Niepoort Pisca will only be bottled next year. Does anyone have anymore information as to the what and why of this different type of ageing?