ThePortForum.com

Please post links to your TNs here and use this thread to talk as much drivel as you normally would at a non-virtual off-line.

Tasting Notes

• Qunita do Vesuvio 1994: DRT;
• Martinz 1985: ARK;
• Warre's Bottle Matured LBV 1995: AP;
• Martinez 1997: JDAW;
• Taylor 1963: JDAW;
• Martinez 1985: AHB;
• Taylor 2002 LBV: BMHR;
• Taylor Vargellas 1988 in half: JES.

Note: Admins feel free to add to the above list as and when people create their TN threads.

This thread is for rambling from both sides of the pond.

jdaw1 wrote:This thread is for rambling from both sides of the pond.

Please don't make me ramble on and post some quotes from earlier this year

To start the rambling, I'll share a small problem that I have with the offline.

I'M STUCK IN BLOODY FRANCE AND MY PORT IS IN ENGLAND!!!

When and if I make it back, it looks like it might be a short or emergency decant of the Martinez 1985 that Brother Derek gave me a couple of weeks ago.

Alex

Both the Martinez 1994 and Cheap Ruby have been given a first taste and assessment. TN's will follow later.

It's likely that our attendance will be limited to the UK early evening, due to the fact that it's 3 hours later here and both LadyR and I have to get up at 6AM.

First impressions:

- cockburn fine ruby: YUCK!
- martinez 1994: CLOSED!

If the Martinez is anything like the 1985 or 1983 it will take a long time to open up - about a day or so. Good start.

AHB wrote:When and if I make it back, it looks like it might be a short or emergency decant of the Martinez 1985 that Brother Derek gave me a couple of weeks ago.

Use a decanter with a close-fitting stopper. Decant. Leave off the close-fitting stopper. Wait half an hour. Put on close-fitting stopper, hold it on firmly, and shake vigorously to mix in fresh air. Stand decanter further, again stopper-less. Good luck.

I have reached my off-line location with just less than half a bottle of Vesuvio 94 (the other half being in the fridge since decanting to be consumed later), an ISO glass and a very attractive tasting mat.

All I have to do now is get through dinner and chit-chat with the family and wait until they all go off to do other things so that I can join the tasting at around 10:00 this evening.

Good luck Brother AHB, we share your pain. But as we all have the advantage of having port to drink while feeling the pain that probably doesn't mean much to you at this point.

Derek

We enjoyed a nice dinner with friends to celebrate this happy occasion. The cheap ruby showed remarkably consistent after a couple more hours, the Martinez is now starting to show something of its future potential. A beauty of a port. Just a pity that none of the decanter will see tomorrow.

T63 might be past its prime: a little drier than ideal.

Just printed my fine-looking placemats (which are less redundant than most). Next task: rinse glasses.

I just had dinner with son, parents and sister & b.i.l - we had chinese, which will not help the V94

2 hrs chit-chat and watching footie then I should be swigging port alone

DRT wrote:I just had dinner with son, parents and sister & b.i.l - we had chinese, which will not help the V94

2 hrs chit-chat and watching footie then I should be swigging port alone

But will your focus be TPF or Facebook tonight? Pimping or Port?!

DRT wrote:I just had dinner with son, parents and sister & b.i.l - we had chinese, which will not help the V94

2 hrs chit-chat and watching footie then I should be swigging port alone

If they don't get to the bottle first

But will your focus be TPF or Facebook tonight? Pimping or Port?!

DRT is a professional...he will be doing both at the same time

AHB wrote: I'M STUCK IN BLOODY FRANCE AND MY PORT IS IN ENGLAND!!!

Bummer

But congrats on the anniversary guys!

Should I open the Taylors LBV of my status or the Fonseca LBV (unfiltered) that I acquired in expectation of still being of the previous standing? The latter does of course appeal more.

In which case I would need to seek authority from the powers that be!

I'm home!!

I'm decanted!!

And now I'm cooking tea for the family - cheese omlette and chips.

All is looking good for an extended taste of the Martinez 1985, with pictures, starting at about 2 hours of decanting time.

Initial impressions after 20 minutes in the decanter (which will be transferred across to a TN thread when I am sitting down) are as follow:

Crystal clear, mid-red colour holding into the rim, transparent centre. Beautiful smell of strwberry syrup rising out of the glass but with a bit of a dirty / hot tone when you put your nose into the glass. Very poised and elegant in the mouth, some lovely restraint. Lots of fruit, lots of tannins, huge acidity but plenty going on to keep me interested in the way this is going to develop. A bit harsh when you swallow, with the acidity and the alcohol fighting to see which can burn the back of your throat the most, but a great, lingering, chocolate and cherry aftertaste when the fight has finished.

Yummm!

benread wrote:Should I open the Taylors LBV of my status or the Fonseca LBV (unfiltered) that I acquired in expectation of still being of the previous standing? The latter does of course appeal more.

In which case I would need to seek authority from the powers that be!

My suggestion is that you need to open both so that you can decide whether or not you need help from the powers that be.

AHB wrote:... but a great, lingering, chocolate and cherry aftertaste when the fight has finished...

Did I say lingering?

Make that really, impressively long.

Hurray for Alex being home. Hurray for Ben being about to drink as much as the New Yorkers. Hurray for the glasses being rinsed, and my leaving in a little under two hours for the ’cross-the-water side of the party.

jdaw1 wrote: Hurray for Ben being about to drink as much as the New Yorkers.

Just worried about getting up for 8am rugby between England and New Zealand - in the pub!

Two bottles should last you till then. If you manage to delete three in eleven hours we'd be really impressed. Don’t eat though: food makes you sleepy. All calories from port — that’s the dieter’s motto.

[Drink your current rank: that’ll be enough.]

lets not forget that sushi needs to finish the port and still wake up at 5:30am to drive up to neverland.

I'm still eyeing the warres in my bag and it's tempting to pop it open and take a swig.

jdaw1 wrote:Two bottles should last you till then. If you manage to delete three in eleven hours we'd be really impressed. Don’t eat though: food makes you sleepy. All calories from port — that’s the dieter’s motto.

[Drink your current rank: that’ll be enough.]

You are too kind! Have started on the Taylors LBV - 2002 (Bottled in 2007)

benread wrote:You are too kind! Have started on the Taylors LBV - 2002 (Bottled in 2007)

Tell me about the Fonseca LBV and a fresh two-glass placemat can appear.

[url=http://www.theportforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=15651#15651]Here[/url] benread wrote:

jdaw1 wrote:

benread wrote:Taylors LBV

Any particular year?

How remiss of me! 2001 - I just checked the supplies!

[url=http://www.theportforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=15885#15885]Here[/url] benread wrote:Have started on the Taylors LBV - 2002 (Bottled in 2007)

2001 or 2002?