2007 Graham (tasted in components)

[RonnieRoots]

Tasted during a wonderful tasting, hosted and prepared by Gustavo, in the Graham's lodge (26/11/2009)

We tasted the 2007 Graham's as a finished product, but also a number of the loose components that went into it. Fascinating to try.

Vinhas Velhas from Malvedos
Beautiful density and complexity of flavours. Lots of dark fruit (blackcurrant, forest fruit, blackberry) and great minerality on the nose. Not much in terms of tannin structure

Touriga Franca from Quinta das Lages
Very tannic. Tight, dry and hard. Mainly red fruit: redcurrant and (slightly unripe) raspberry. Lacking in aroma, but great for structure

Touriga Nacional & Touriga Franca from Malvedos
Very expressive nose, like being in a field full of flowers. Also very prominent lemon blossom. Sweet and ripe, but lacks balance, causing the sweet fruit to get overpowering. This is also lacking a bit in tannins.

2007 Graham's Vintage Port
On the sweet side, full of beautiful round fruit. It retained that lovely minerality of the vinhas velhas. Elegant. It has depth and a fierce structure, but remains pleasant to drink thanks to the very elegant and harmonious fruit. A beauty.

More components than those tasted were used in the final blend, but that didn't stop us from trying to produce a blend of our own. We failed miserably, but it was fun to try nevertheless.