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On Thursday 13^th December 2012 a subset of the obvious suspects gathered at the Bell, Wendens Ambo CB11 4JY, to taste some treasures.

Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 1830 Sherry (#1);
• 1942 Rebello Valente (#2, JDAW, from THRA);
• 1945 Dow (#3, RAYC);
• Cockburn Crusted, bottled 1928 by Avery’s (#4);
• 1922 Sandeman? (#5, WS);
• Unknown perhaps Croft 1912 (#6, CMAG);
• 1927 Taylor (#7);
• 40 year old Santa Eufemia White Tawny (#8);
• Penfolds Great-Grandfather Tawny (#9);
• 1931 Ramos Pinto (#10, AP);
• 1927 Croft (#11, PW);
• 1927 Taylor (#12, AHB);
• Unknown perhaps a very old colheita (#15, CMAG);
• Niepoort VV, 2012 bottling (#16, DN);
• ‘Placemats’, meaning TN sheets and sticky labels, and the parameters used in their construction;
• Planning and arrangements.

Previously at the Bell: 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008.

Bottled by Shortridge, Laughton & Co. An unknown port, with a short and unbranded cork. A touch of bottle stink, but then lots of VA, toffee apple and bovril. Sharp and dry on entry; very concentrated, hugely acidic and concentrated building up to a massive palate. Lots of VA also showing on the palate. A huge colheita wine, tasting as though it is very old. 84/100.

The above tasting note is of a madeira not a port. Two sets of clues: one in the name of the shipper...

Shortridge Lawton were a fairly obscure Madeira shipper founded 1757 but, for me, really flowering in the Victorian and Edwardian era. They joined the MWC early. Fun fact: I understand they were the last shipper commercially to stick to the old practice of sending their wine on a voyage round the Cape to mature it, doing so latterly on container ships, rather than just using the estufagem or canteiro method of maturation. The last-bottled wines were filled in the 1980s (I had one years ago with an IVM seal but I've never seen one with an IVBAM seal) since when the house has been effectively extinct. Shortridge Lawton made wonderful wine, if one gives it enough air (several days) which the bottle you were drinking did not have. The FTLOP madeira crowd rhapsodise about the Shortridge Lawton 1861 Bual, and with good reason, as it, and their 1900 Moscatel, are two of the finest wines of any variety I have ever drunk.

… and several in your tasting note. Short unbranded cork. Bottle stink. Very high VA. Huge acidity. It's Madeira!

Great post.

Now you come to pull it all together, I can see how obvious it is! Thank you for taking the time to help us figure out what we were drinking. A shame we hadn't realised earlier what we were opening and therefore able to give it several days in the decanter. Oh well, we live and learn.