ThePortForum.com

Tasting Notes:

1. 1884 Sandeman;
2. 1907 Unknown Shipper;
3. 1920 Fonseca;
4. 1927 Taylor;
5. 1935 Calem;
6. 1935 Taylor;
7. 1955 Cockburn;
8. 1963 Quinta do Noval; bottle 1
9. 1963 Quinta do Noval; bottle 2
10. 1968 Andresen Colheita;
11. 1970 Quinta do Crasto Colheita;
12. 1970 Dalva;
13. 1995 Porto da Silva LBV;
14. 1997 Rozes.

A big thank you to Tom for the wonderful organisation of the evening and all those who attended and made the evening a wonderful occasion - especially our guests who we hope to persuade to become members on the website!

There was the usual range of surprises and oddities. The oddities included a Noval 1995 LBV bottled under a "non-Noval" label, a Rozes 1997 decanted for 4 days (the minimum for it to become enjoyable but a great accompaniment to rare filet steak) and a 1970 bottled Sandeman Ruby in a ceramic Don decanter.

The surprises included a magnificent 1920 Fonseca, a Sandeman 1884 and a 1955 Unknown which turned out to be a Taylor 1935 - not to forget two bottles of 1963 Noval, a 1927 Taylor, a 1970 Crasto colheita, an Andresen 1968 colheita, a Dow 1969 colheita, a 1935 Calem, a 1973 Terrantez from Blandy and a magnum of Unknown but old port (possibly from 1907) and some others which I will be able to name when I get my notes out of the car tomorrow.

It was a great evening. The best wine, for my taste, was the fantastic 1920 Fonseca - just astonishing. I can't wait for next year!

I'm with Alex on the F20. I thought it might be fifty years old but ninety? Still a very powerful Port.

There was me thinking that a 40 yo Colheita would make a nice change and three turn up at once - doh!

AHB wrote:A big thank you to Tom for the wonderful organisation of the evening and all those who attended and made the evening a wonderful occasion - especially our guests who we hope to persuade to become members on the website!

Yes, many thanks to Tom for arranging this (and putting me up for the night) and everyone else for contributing such a great selection of bottles.

The Fonseca was undoubtedly the most spectacular of the wines, although it wasn’t much darker than the AHB’s 1907 I also really enjoyed the Cálem 1935 (which AlexK perfectly described as like drinking a chocolate orange) and the Sandeman 1884.

Of the colheitas, I particularly enjoyed the Crasto and the Andreson. The former was--I believe--a rare insight into the world of family tawnies owned by producers in the Douro whilst the later was a great complex wine.

Some photos might be attached, although I’m afraid that most of them came out quite badly...

Some more...which reminds me that we also need to thank Uncle Tom for clearing up the room the next morning...

As ever there were some fabulous old ports and great surprises at the Christmas bash. Thanks to Tom for organising the venue and those fantastic steaks. Thanks also to Rute, Joao and John for taking up our invitation to join us.

Lesson learned: Beer+Port+Madeira+Whisky = bad idea for DRT

DRT wrote:Lesson learned: Beer+Port+Madeira+Whisky = bad idea for DRT

Does anyone have a definitive list of what we drank? My notes suggest the following...

• Noval 1963 (first bottle)
  Cockburn 1955
  Dalva 1970
  Crasto 1970 Colheita
  Cálem 1935
  Taylor 1927
  Sandeman 1884
  Fonseca 1920
  Noval 1963 (second bottle)
  Quinta do Noval ‟Da Silva” 1995 LBV
  Taylor 1935
  Andresen 1968 Colheita
  Rozes 1997
  Sandeman ‟Partners’ Port” 1977 Ruby Reserve
  ‟W.W.W.” believed 1907 (Magnum)
  Blandy Terrantez 1973 Madeira
  Dow 1969 Colheita
  Morgan 1991 (or at least jdaw1 was seen clutching a bottle on leaving the Bell)...

DRT wrote:Lesson learned: Beer+Port+Madeira+Whisky = bad idea for DRT

...and bad idea for me too! I was able to blame the cold when I got home though!

My first Christmas offline and hopefully not the last. A great selection of unusual port to try and enjoy, fabulous steaks (thank you Tom), great and hospitable venue and some magical Christmas weather which remarkably seemed to make my journey home easier, not harder!

Of the port, I was somewhat hindered by the wrong end of a cold, but throughly enjoyed the 1970 Crasto colheita, the 2 bottles of 1963 Noval and the 1920 Fonseca. It was a great privilege to be able to try the 1884 Sandeman and start wondering what was happening in the world when it was bottled. For those with an interest:

-1st edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was published
- Corn flakes were patented in the USA!
- The UK's most destructive earyquake happened, not very far from Wendens Ambo, in Colchester

Hope to see you all again next year.

AHB wrote:It was a great evening. The best wine, for my taste, was the fantastic 1920 Fonseca - just astonishing. I can't wait for next year!

That shouldn't really be a surprise, should it? I can still remember that great bottle of 2 years ago.

Sounds like a great evening was had. Impressive line-up.

One remark about the Noval LBV: Da Silva is a second label that Noval uses. In the Netherlands it is commonly seen in a supermarket chain.

RonnieRoots wrote:

AHB wrote:It was a great evening. The best wine, for my taste, was the fantastic 1920 Fonseca - just astonishing. I can't wait for next year!

That shouldn't really be a surprise, should it? I can still remember that great bottle of 2 years ago.

Ronnie,

I didn't taste that bottle but I have to agree with the others that the one we had on Thursday was remarkable. I think all except KillerB guessed that it was from the 70s or younger

RonnieRoots wrote:One remark about the Noval LBV: Da Silva is a second label that Noval uses. In the Netherlands it is commonly seen in a supermarket chain.

I don't know if this was the same wine that is sold in the Netherlands but the label said it is only occassionally released and that the 1995 was limited to 250 cases, all of which were shipped to the UK. I'll try to find out and let you know.

It was indeed a great evening! The atmosphere (starting to snow and being quite cold) was just perfect to tuck into steak and drink a bit of Port
Once more thank you Tom for organising such a great event.
I am afraid to say that I do not have a best Port of the evening. I have four, Calem 1935, Taylor 1935, Taylor 1927 and Fonseca 1920 were just superp. If being pushed it would be the 1920 Fonseca. From the colheitas I liked the Andresen and the Castro very much. The Andresen was just so fine and to the point. Really great stuff!!

This was also my first Christmas offline and I hope it not to be the last.

regards

WS1

DRT wrote:

RonnieRoots wrote:One remark about the Noval LBV: Da Silva is a second label that Noval uses. In the Netherlands it is commonly seen in a supermarket chain.

I don't know if this was the same wine that is sold in the Netherlands but the label said it is only occassionally released and that the 1995 was limited to 250 cases, all of which were shipped to the UK. I'll try to find out and let you know.

I found an image of the Da Silva port, not the LBV but 10YO, but it should look more or less similar. Did it look anything like this?

RonnieRoots wrote: I found an image of the Da Silva port, not the LBV but 10YO, but it should look more or less similar. Did it look anything like this?

Yes, this label is almost identical to the LBV we tasted.

For some reason I ended up with a photo of the Da Silva bottle:
It also reminds me that they produced a 2007 Da Silva VP (which I though was pretty good and so ordered a case...).

JacobH wrote:It also reminds me that they produced a 2007 Da Silva VP (which I though was pretty good and so ordered a case...).

Where did you taste it? Are you sure it wasn't "C. da Silva", which is Dalva, or "Noval Silval", which is the second brand used by Noval?

DRT wrote:Where did you taste it? Are you sure it wasn't "C. da Silva", which is Dalva, or "Noval Silval", which is the second brand used by Noval?

Ah...it was the Noval Silval...Ronnie’s post merged the Silval and Da Silva in my mind...

Great place, great ports, great people. A big thanks to Tom for the organisation and to Derek for inviting Rute and Joao and the Port of the evening from my point of view (F20). Most exiting port was the Sandeman (thanks again, Tom).

Feliz natal

Axel

Slightly late in my offering of thanks to Tom for organising a graet evening but none the less sincerely meant.
I agree that the company was excellent and the steak was great as usual. I also believe the wine of the evening was the Fonseca 1920...Delicious and not as expected for a Nanogenerian.

Did anyone take TNs of this line-up? If so, could you please post them as many of these bottles deserve to leave their mark in history

Belatedly, thank you Tom.

I have some TNs somewhere.

Thanks to AHB for posting his TNs from this event. I have created some links at at the top of this thread.

DRT wrote:Lesson learned: Beer+Port+Madeira+Whisky = bad idea for DRT

This lesson was very useful tonight.

I have had absolutely no Madeira whatsoever. ( but the Stella Artois, Croft LBV 2004 and Laphoaig 16 yr old were all very nice )