The Port Forum Offline #1
Posted: 11:07 Fri 20 Jul 2007
It was a real pleasure to meet up with a bunch of other port fans on Wednesday night and my thanks go to Alex K for making all the arrangements and to the staff - and Ian in particular - at the Crusting Pipe for making us as welcome as always. Julian's tasting notes and mats also went down a treat and were greatly appreciated.
Attending were myself, Alex K., Derek T., Uncle Tom, Christopher Gee and his guest John, a surprise appearance from Alan C. and our excuse for the evening - Ronnie and Lady Roots.
We poured 10 ports and 4 table wines. Sadly, I didn't take notes of the table wines but the ports that were poured and my impressions of them are set out below. All except the Niepoort 1977 were poured blind and in semi-random order and we had some fun trying to guess what they were
Croft b. 1960
Tom thought that this was the 1950 Croft rather than the 1960, but I have listed this in my tasting notes database as a 1960 based on what I thought I managed to read on the elderly cork. Pale rose in colour with a weak and watery looking rim, milk chocolate and oranges on the nose. Initial impact slightly bitter; tobacco, raisins and aniseed comes through in a nicely delivering mid palate. A slight burn on swallowing is followed by a lovely aftertaste. This wine is old and frail, but not falling apart by any means and was very enjoyable. About what I would expect of a mature vintage port. 5/5 or 92/100 and my joint favourite wine of the night. Tom picked this as a Croft, I picked it as a 1958.
Croft 1975
One of the surprises of the night, this port has the suffing to keep improving for a few years yet. Mid rose, watery rim. Alcoholic nose with ripe redcurrants and tobacco. Sweet into the mouth and showing some age-developed flavours. Some complexity in the mid-palate and a good aftertaste that lasts well. Not an overly impressive wine but I would expect this to improve a little over the next 10 years. 4/5 or 88/100.
Cruz Ruby
Alex K brought this for the Roots' to try (and, I suspect, so that he could get rid of the bottle and use the space for something else). Funky nose and taste, it wasn't revolting and received the praise of "Better than the Cockburn Ruby". 2/2 or 82/100.
Cruz 1989
This was one of my contributions and generated a lot of amusement when I revealed what it was. A couple of people who shall remain unnamed had this down as Fonseca (even if from a lesser year, like 1975), but there was some very serious and intent discussion about whether this was an English style or a Portuguese style of winemaking and whether it came from a “big name† or one of the obscure houses. My tasting note reads “Mid red centre, paling rim but with the colour holding into the rim. Sweet cherries on the nose, some bitter apples and aniseed. Sweet fruit impact, Liquorice All Sorts and plenty of development in the flavours. Some tannins show through and there is an elegant if slightly short length. About average for drinking today, but not likely to be as good in a decade's time. 5/4 or 88/100.†
Dow 1980
Deep, young colour holding right into the rim. Closed nose, overly alcoholic (but the wines were very warm) but some sweet toffees and strawberries. Strawberries again in the initial flavours but a shade hollow in the mid-palate; tannins still clearly present gave a very enjoyable aftertaste that lasted a good time. Will be better in a decade and I might see if I can track some down at a reasonable price. 4/5 or 90/100.
Fonseca 1955
I had this down as a Noval, it was so light and elegant and very impressive. Very pale rose, with a browning rim. Brown sugar, treacle and a promising bite of pepperiness on the nose. Dry entry and a mouthfeel that stays dry for a surprising time before the sweetness of the delicate fruit comes back into the flavour mix. Lots of brown sugars on the aftertaste. Quite a lovely wine, elderly and elegant. My third favourite wine of the night and a cork to reconstruct!. 6/5 or 91/100.
Fonseca 1966
Mid red with a rose coloured rim. Very odd nose, presented blind I seriously doubted this was a port. Nose full of volatile acidity and fairy liquid. However, this was very port-like in the mouth and convinced me that it was a port. Sweet on entry, with some fruit initially that develops into raspberry jam in the mid palate, nice acidic structure but a very odd bottle. This bottle is not representative of this wine (Lea & Sandeman, London). NR. Hopefully Ronnie was able to get a replacement from Lea & Sandeman.
Fonseca 1977
Deep red, solid but transparent core and a colour that holds right into the rim. Grassy smell at first from the glass but then comes a wonderful mix of red liquorice and violets. Initial mouthfeel is a little hollow but sweet red liquorice comes through in the mid-palate together with a nice spicy, peppery, bite. Aftertaste was either a little short or my palate was getting tired. Slightly disappointing today, but clearly has the ingredients to develop some more. 4/6 or 86/100.
Niepoort 1977
The only vintage port not presented blind, this was in honour of Lady Roots as a birth year port. Pale rose, brown rim, looking more elderly than I would have expected for a 1977. Sweet nose, a mix of ripe blackcurrants and orange peel. Sweet entry but very tawny flavours, delicate sugars, raisins and rose petals. Modest aftertaste dominated by burnt sugar. Rated by me as slightly below the average (for my taste in ports) of the ports I would expect to drink this year and also one that I don't think will improve with more bottle age. 4/4 or 88/100.
Offley Boa Vista 1963
Oh dear. The worst example of corked wine that I have come across in many years. Undrinkable and even unsniffable. NR.
Quarles Harris 1977
The last of three bottles of this port that I bought from a Belgian supermarket around 1993. Deep rose colour that holds right into the rim, smelling of freshly made (but uncooked) Christmas cake mix. Smooth and sweet into the mouth with some surprising thickness. Little fruit initially, but zesty, dried fruit does come through on the mid-palate. Tannins are well integrated but do support a good, if slightly short, aftertaste. Above average for the wines I expect to drink this year, but not likely to improve or deteriorate significantly in 10 years so a TomScore of 6/6 and a Parker score of 92/100. This was my other top port of the evening.
Alex
Attending were myself, Alex K., Derek T., Uncle Tom, Christopher Gee and his guest John, a surprise appearance from Alan C. and our excuse for the evening - Ronnie and Lady Roots.
We poured 10 ports and 4 table wines. Sadly, I didn't take notes of the table wines but the ports that were poured and my impressions of them are set out below. All except the Niepoort 1977 were poured blind and in semi-random order and we had some fun trying to guess what they were
Croft b. 1960
Tom thought that this was the 1950 Croft rather than the 1960, but I have listed this in my tasting notes database as a 1960 based on what I thought I managed to read on the elderly cork. Pale rose in colour with a weak and watery looking rim, milk chocolate and oranges on the nose. Initial impact slightly bitter; tobacco, raisins and aniseed comes through in a nicely delivering mid palate. A slight burn on swallowing is followed by a lovely aftertaste. This wine is old and frail, but not falling apart by any means and was very enjoyable. About what I would expect of a mature vintage port. 5/5 or 92/100 and my joint favourite wine of the night. Tom picked this as a Croft, I picked it as a 1958.
Croft 1975
One of the surprises of the night, this port has the suffing to keep improving for a few years yet. Mid rose, watery rim. Alcoholic nose with ripe redcurrants and tobacco. Sweet into the mouth and showing some age-developed flavours. Some complexity in the mid-palate and a good aftertaste that lasts well. Not an overly impressive wine but I would expect this to improve a little over the next 10 years. 4/5 or 88/100.
Cruz Ruby
Alex K brought this for the Roots' to try (and, I suspect, so that he could get rid of the bottle and use the space for something else). Funky nose and taste, it wasn't revolting and received the praise of "Better than the Cockburn Ruby". 2/2 or 82/100.
Cruz 1989
This was one of my contributions and generated a lot of amusement when I revealed what it was. A couple of people who shall remain unnamed had this down as Fonseca (even if from a lesser year, like 1975), but there was some very serious and intent discussion about whether this was an English style or a Portuguese style of winemaking and whether it came from a “big name† or one of the obscure houses. My tasting note reads “Mid red centre, paling rim but with the colour holding into the rim. Sweet cherries on the nose, some bitter apples and aniseed. Sweet fruit impact, Liquorice All Sorts and plenty of development in the flavours. Some tannins show through and there is an elegant if slightly short length. About average for drinking today, but not likely to be as good in a decade's time. 5/4 or 88/100.†
Dow 1980
Deep, young colour holding right into the rim. Closed nose, overly alcoholic (but the wines were very warm) but some sweet toffees and strawberries. Strawberries again in the initial flavours but a shade hollow in the mid-palate; tannins still clearly present gave a very enjoyable aftertaste that lasted a good time. Will be better in a decade and I might see if I can track some down at a reasonable price. 4/5 or 90/100.
Fonseca 1955
I had this down as a Noval, it was so light and elegant and very impressive. Very pale rose, with a browning rim. Brown sugar, treacle and a promising bite of pepperiness on the nose. Dry entry and a mouthfeel that stays dry for a surprising time before the sweetness of the delicate fruit comes back into the flavour mix. Lots of brown sugars on the aftertaste. Quite a lovely wine, elderly and elegant. My third favourite wine of the night and a cork to reconstruct!. 6/5 or 91/100.
Fonseca 1966
Mid red with a rose coloured rim. Very odd nose, presented blind I seriously doubted this was a port. Nose full of volatile acidity and fairy liquid. However, this was very port-like in the mouth and convinced me that it was a port. Sweet on entry, with some fruit initially that develops into raspberry jam in the mid palate, nice acidic structure but a very odd bottle. This bottle is not representative of this wine (Lea & Sandeman, London). NR. Hopefully Ronnie was able to get a replacement from Lea & Sandeman.
Fonseca 1977
Deep red, solid but transparent core and a colour that holds right into the rim. Grassy smell at first from the glass but then comes a wonderful mix of red liquorice and violets. Initial mouthfeel is a little hollow but sweet red liquorice comes through in the mid-palate together with a nice spicy, peppery, bite. Aftertaste was either a little short or my palate was getting tired. Slightly disappointing today, but clearly has the ingredients to develop some more. 4/6 or 86/100.
Niepoort 1977
The only vintage port not presented blind, this was in honour of Lady Roots as a birth year port. Pale rose, brown rim, looking more elderly than I would have expected for a 1977. Sweet nose, a mix of ripe blackcurrants and orange peel. Sweet entry but very tawny flavours, delicate sugars, raisins and rose petals. Modest aftertaste dominated by burnt sugar. Rated by me as slightly below the average (for my taste in ports) of the ports I would expect to drink this year and also one that I don't think will improve with more bottle age. 4/4 or 88/100.
Offley Boa Vista 1963
Oh dear. The worst example of corked wine that I have come across in many years. Undrinkable and even unsniffable. NR.
Quarles Harris 1977
The last of three bottles of this port that I bought from a Belgian supermarket around 1993. Deep rose colour that holds right into the rim, smelling of freshly made (but uncooked) Christmas cake mix. Smooth and sweet into the mouth with some surprising thickness. Little fruit initially, but zesty, dried fruit does come through on the mid-palate. Tannins are well integrated but do support a good, if slightly short, aftertaste. Above average for the wines I expect to drink this year, but not likely to improve or deteriorate significantly in 10 years so a TomScore of 6/6 and a Parker score of 92/100. This was my other top port of the evening.
Alex