Frank Sinatra is crooning about a White Christmas in the background, there's a large fry-up breakfast in front of me and my head-ache has been washed away by endless glasses of water during the night.
What a night it was. First up, I want to thank Tom for organising such a terrific event and for choosing such a fun theme that meant we didn't have a clue what was being drunk until the bottle was opened. Second, I want to thank the folks who donated bottles even when they couldn't be with us. We drank several toasts to generous benefactors and at least one to absent friends.
We had 10 people attend last night and 16 bottles of port. By the time we had to leave, we had sampled 14 of the 16 decanters and it looked like Alex and the Dutch contingent were well settled with the remaining two decanters in Tom's front room for the night. I managed notes on 11 of the 14 bottles and will post these notes once I have a proper internet connection and get off the BlackBerry.
What was fabulous was the way in which some of these wines changed in the glass over a relatively short time, despite having been in the decanter for several hours.
As the organiser, I will leave with Tom the fun of posting the list of ports we drank last night - but I fear that not all of my drinking companions of last night were drinking quite as much water as I was ...
Alex
The Port Forum Christmas Offline 2007
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Alex Bridgeman
- Graham’s 1948
- Posts: 14906
- Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Berkshire, UK
The Port Forum Christmas Offline 2007
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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uncle tom
- Dalva Golden White Colheita 1952
- Posts: 3519
- Joined: 23:43 Wed 20 Jun 2007
- Location: Near Saffron Walden, England
The Dutch contingent have gone for a walk in the icy air..
..I am on coffee #4
Why didn't I do any water last night..??
We managed to positively identify every bottle, and none were corked - some of the unknowns proved much older than expected!
Here's the line-up - Alex took notes:
1) Taylor 20yr, bottled 1973 - kindly donated by Derek
2) Roriz '88 LBV Cask sample
3) Roriz '88 LBV regular bottling
4) Taylor '70 - donated by the Roots
5) Warre '27 - previously an unknown
6) Sandeman '70 - donated by Ray Cook
7) Taylor '48
8) Smith Woodhouse '50 - kindly donated by Simon Lisle - previously an unknown
9) Taylor '20 - donated by Alex B
10) Sandeman '34
11) Offley '63
12) Offley '83
13) Fonseca '20 - previously an unknown
14) Fonseca Guimaraens '88 (not drunk - yet..)
15) Fonseca Guimaraens '87 (not drunk - yet..)
16) Cockburn '12 - donated by Alex B - previously an unknown
..more to report after I've recovered a little..!
Tom
..I am on coffee #4
Why didn't I do any water last night..??
We managed to positively identify every bottle, and none were corked - some of the unknowns proved much older than expected!
Here's the line-up - Alex took notes:
1) Taylor 20yr, bottled 1973 - kindly donated by Derek
2) Roriz '88 LBV Cask sample
3) Roriz '88 LBV regular bottling
4) Taylor '70 - donated by the Roots
5) Warre '27 - previously an unknown
6) Sandeman '70 - donated by Ray Cook
7) Taylor '48
8) Smith Woodhouse '50 - kindly donated by Simon Lisle - previously an unknown
9) Taylor '20 - donated by Alex B
10) Sandeman '34
11) Offley '63
12) Offley '83
13) Fonseca '20 - previously an unknown
14) Fonseca Guimaraens '88 (not drunk - yet..)
15) Fonseca Guimaraens '87 (not drunk - yet..)
16) Cockburn '12 - donated by Alex B - previously an unknown
..more to report after I've recovered a little..!
Tom
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly - W.S. Churchill
Jealous? Me? Don't be rediculous 
I hope you all had a great time drinking all that lovely port.
My evening began at 3pm with a drive from Chesterfield to Edinburgh. Arrived at 7:30pm just in time for the start of my son's school Christmas concert in which he was singing. Had a great time at the concert - next year X-Factor. Got back in the car at 10pm and drove back to Chesterfield, arriving at 03:30 this morning.
Now then, I can't wait to see if any of the reviews of the Christmas Offline can top that for excitement
I hope you all enjoyed the T20YO - Merry Christmas
Derek
I hope you all had a great time drinking all that lovely port.
My evening began at 3pm with a drive from Chesterfield to Edinburgh. Arrived at 7:30pm just in time for the start of my son's school Christmas concert in which he was singing. Had a great time at the concert - next year X-Factor. Got back in the car at 10pm and drove back to Chesterfield, arriving at 03:30 this morning.
Now then, I can't wait to see if any of the reviews of the Christmas Offline can top that for excitement
I hope you all enjoyed the T20YO - Merry Christmas
Derek
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
What a marvellous set of unknowns.
What a marvellous set of unknowns.
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KillerB
- Taylor Quinta de Vargellas 1987
- Posts: 2425
- Joined: 22:09 Wed 20 Jun 2007
- Location: Sky Blue City, England
Fabulous evening, thank you Tom.
Always good to see Tom, Alex, Stevie and the Rootses. Nice to meet the other guys as well.
When we go back to Tom's we were left with two decanters, the Fonseca Guimaraens of 1987 and 1988. They both showed well but the 1987 just about shaded it.
As Lady Roots disappeared into a sleeping bag I decided that it was probably time to get back to the B&B. Slept like a log and then had to get to Reading, which was achieved at an average speed of 27.937 MPH - I was late. Ho hum. Well worth it though.
Always good to see Tom, Alex, Stevie and the Rootses. Nice to meet the other guys as well.
When we go back to Tom's we were left with two decanters, the Fonseca Guimaraens of 1987 and 1988. They both showed well but the 1987 just about shaded it.
As Lady Roots disappeared into a sleeping bag I decided that it was probably time to get back to the B&B. Slept like a log and then had to get to Reading, which was achieved at an average speed of 27.937 MPH - I was late. Ho hum. Well worth it though.
Port is basically a red drink
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Alex Bridgeman
- Graham’s 1948
- Posts: 14906
- Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Berkshire, UK
With a few minutes on hand, I thought I would start typing out my notes from last night. I won't have time to finish them, but will edit additions in as time permits.
Overall, it was hard to choose between the three ports that came out as my top wines of the night. My top three were the port numbers 6, 16 and 13. If I had to, I would just give the nod to 13. I love a port when it gets to the delicate and ethereal stage of life and the F20 was beautiful and elegant - as were the S70 and the Ck12 (and boy, was that Ck12 a surprise when the cork came out).
Here are my overall notes on the wines of the evening (at least all the ones I wrote notes on):
1) Closed nose, cloudy appearance, orange-brown in colour. Sweet in the mouth with flavours of brown and muscvado sugars. Bitingly bitter aftertaste. Plain and simple port, very tertiary in character. 79/100.
2) Paired with (3). Deeper in colour than (3), but thin and transparent. Nose of sugar cane. Very bland in the mouth, then a curious mix of sweetness and bitterness at the same time, perhaps with a little strawberry jam. Weak aftertaste. 77/100.
3) Paired with (2). Light colour, orange rim. Perhaps some Serrano Ham on the nose. Nice feel in the mouth with flavours of Turkish Delight and, surprisingly, still some tannins in the wine. The aftertaste appears unexpectedly, is massive, and then stops abruptly. Thoroughly enjoyable and better than (2). Grew better in the glass over the course of an hour. to move up from 80/100 to 85/100.
4) Paired with (6). Deep red, still showing some youth in the colour. Nose of cherry juice and redcurrants. Smooth and fruity with raspberries and maraschino cherry. Lots of midpalate complexity and some burning spiciness. The aftertaste takes a while to arrive, but lasts a good time as a gentle strawberry blancmange flavour. Great drinking, but will probably be better in 5 years time or with more time in the decanter. 91/100.
6) Paired with (4). Pale red, thin and watery rim. Nose of brown sugar. Very balanced in the mouth with plenty of subdued raisins and cherries. Perhaps less complexity than (4) at first, but drinking just so elegantly. (After perhaps an hour in the glass, this had developed significantly more complexity and ended with a score of 94/100.)
7) Brown tinge on the rim, touch of stink on the nose. Balanced entry, with brown sugar, raisins, sultanas and some pecan pie. Spirity midpalate. The aftertaste develops a little but never delivers a lot. Slightly disappointing given some of the previous wines. 90/100.
8) Very pale colour, weak orange rim. Tangarines and violet drops on the nose. Very sweet entry of oranges and, surprisingly given the colour of the wine, there are still some tannins in the mouth. Lovely peppery midpalate, together with bitters and considerable complexity. Nice floral elements in the late development of the flavours in the mouth. A gentle aftertaste that never amounts to a great deal but is perfectly respectable. 92/100.
16) Put on substantial colour since decanting, now an orange rim and a mid-red centre. Still significant bottle stink and alcohol and a lot of discussion about whether there was a smell to this wine that is associated with leaking bottles (this bottle had been seeping and is why it was chosen for tonight). After sitting in the glass for a while, tertiary brown sugar smells appeared. Nicely entry with an elegant balance between sweet fruit sugars and structuring acidity. Bitter coffee on the edge of the tongue and caramel / toffee in the centre, changing in the mouth until you reach a lovely Seville orange. A glowing aftertaste that reminded me of the few times I have ended up (accidentally) chewing on Earl Grey tea leaves. 93/100.
9) Pale rim, deep orange centre. Washing up liquid coming out of the glass (which had no smell before the port was poured) together with boiled cabbage. Much more elegant in the mouth but still too many bottle stink flavours for my taste amongst the attractive cranberries and redcurrants. More time in the decanter would, perhaps, have been useful. Sweet and thick aftertaste of respectable length, but not dominating. 89/100.
13) Faded in colour, light centre, hint of green on the rim. Elegant and delicate nose with tangerines and rose perfume. Gentle entry, sliding into your mouth and bringing lovely, gentle sweet citrus notes. Such balance and elegance. Some bittlerness in the midpalate, but this fades away to be replaced again with sweet marmalade. Loads of development and complexity. An aftertaste that makes you close your eyes and enjoy the sensations, floral and yet more elegance. Very Fonseca with all that feminine charm. A "decent port" as someone else described it. 94/100.
5) Honey coloured rim, pale brown centre. Molasses on the nose (mild bottle stink) and an intriguing baked apple. Refined entry, the wine still tannic, with cinnamon and all spice. The spiced "baked apple" theme held throughout the flavours in the mouth but was replaced by a sweet and enjoyable butterscotch for the aftertaste. Perfectly balanced wine, but not with the elegance of (13). 92/100.
Overall, one thing that really came out of the evening for me was the frequency with which these old bottles were suffering bottle stink. None were corked, to everyone's relief, but at least half were stinky. Most of the stink had faded by the time the wines were drunk, but I would guess from the reaction of the others around me that I am more sensitive to these sulphur taints than perhaps I realised. I guess that reading Tom's comments below this post and the way the ports were drinking the next day, it is probably better to open a really old bottle earlier rather than later to give the likely stink a chance to blow off.
I did try to assist a couple of the bottles that were really suffering (the Warre 1927, for example) by vigorously shaking the decanter for a few minutes and it was a little amusing to see the horror on people's faces as I did so - but they had no idea just how smelly the wine had been before I did the shaking!
Alex
Overall, it was hard to choose between the three ports that came out as my top wines of the night. My top three were the port numbers 6, 16 and 13. If I had to, I would just give the nod to 13. I love a port when it gets to the delicate and ethereal stage of life and the F20 was beautiful and elegant - as were the S70 and the Ck12 (and boy, was that Ck12 a surprise when the cork came out).
Here are my overall notes on the wines of the evening (at least all the ones I wrote notes on):
1) Closed nose, cloudy appearance, orange-brown in colour. Sweet in the mouth with flavours of brown and muscvado sugars. Bitingly bitter aftertaste. Plain and simple port, very tertiary in character. 79/100.
2) Paired with (3). Deeper in colour than (3), but thin and transparent. Nose of sugar cane. Very bland in the mouth, then a curious mix of sweetness and bitterness at the same time, perhaps with a little strawberry jam. Weak aftertaste. 77/100.
3) Paired with (2). Light colour, orange rim. Perhaps some Serrano Ham on the nose. Nice feel in the mouth with flavours of Turkish Delight and, surprisingly, still some tannins in the wine. The aftertaste appears unexpectedly, is massive, and then stops abruptly. Thoroughly enjoyable and better than (2). Grew better in the glass over the course of an hour. to move up from 80/100 to 85/100.
4) Paired with (6). Deep red, still showing some youth in the colour. Nose of cherry juice and redcurrants. Smooth and fruity with raspberries and maraschino cherry. Lots of midpalate complexity and some burning spiciness. The aftertaste takes a while to arrive, but lasts a good time as a gentle strawberry blancmange flavour. Great drinking, but will probably be better in 5 years time or with more time in the decanter. 91/100.
6) Paired with (4). Pale red, thin and watery rim. Nose of brown sugar. Very balanced in the mouth with plenty of subdued raisins and cherries. Perhaps less complexity than (4) at first, but drinking just so elegantly. (After perhaps an hour in the glass, this had developed significantly more complexity and ended with a score of 94/100.)
7) Brown tinge on the rim, touch of stink on the nose. Balanced entry, with brown sugar, raisins, sultanas and some pecan pie. Spirity midpalate. The aftertaste develops a little but never delivers a lot. Slightly disappointing given some of the previous wines. 90/100.
8) Very pale colour, weak orange rim. Tangarines and violet drops on the nose. Very sweet entry of oranges and, surprisingly given the colour of the wine, there are still some tannins in the mouth. Lovely peppery midpalate, together with bitters and considerable complexity. Nice floral elements in the late development of the flavours in the mouth. A gentle aftertaste that never amounts to a great deal but is perfectly respectable. 92/100.
16) Put on substantial colour since decanting, now an orange rim and a mid-red centre. Still significant bottle stink and alcohol and a lot of discussion about whether there was a smell to this wine that is associated with leaking bottles (this bottle had been seeping and is why it was chosen for tonight). After sitting in the glass for a while, tertiary brown sugar smells appeared. Nicely entry with an elegant balance between sweet fruit sugars and structuring acidity. Bitter coffee on the edge of the tongue and caramel / toffee in the centre, changing in the mouth until you reach a lovely Seville orange. A glowing aftertaste that reminded me of the few times I have ended up (accidentally) chewing on Earl Grey tea leaves. 93/100.
9) Pale rim, deep orange centre. Washing up liquid coming out of the glass (which had no smell before the port was poured) together with boiled cabbage. Much more elegant in the mouth but still too many bottle stink flavours for my taste amongst the attractive cranberries and redcurrants. More time in the decanter would, perhaps, have been useful. Sweet and thick aftertaste of respectable length, but not dominating. 89/100.
13) Faded in colour, light centre, hint of green on the rim. Elegant and delicate nose with tangerines and rose perfume. Gentle entry, sliding into your mouth and bringing lovely, gentle sweet citrus notes. Such balance and elegance. Some bittlerness in the midpalate, but this fades away to be replaced again with sweet marmalade. Loads of development and complexity. An aftertaste that makes you close your eyes and enjoy the sensations, floral and yet more elegance. Very Fonseca with all that feminine charm. A "decent port" as someone else described it. 94/100.
5) Honey coloured rim, pale brown centre. Molasses on the nose (mild bottle stink) and an intriguing baked apple. Refined entry, the wine still tannic, with cinnamon and all spice. The spiced "baked apple" theme held throughout the flavours in the mouth but was replaced by a sweet and enjoyable butterscotch for the aftertaste. Perfectly balanced wine, but not with the elegance of (13). 92/100.
Overall, one thing that really came out of the evening for me was the frequency with which these old bottles were suffering bottle stink. None were corked, to everyone's relief, but at least half were stinky. Most of the stink had faded by the time the wines were drunk, but I would guess from the reaction of the others around me that I am more sensitive to these sulphur taints than perhaps I realised. I guess that reading Tom's comments below this post and the way the ports were drinking the next day, it is probably better to open a really old bottle earlier rather than later to give the likely stink a chance to blow off.
I did try to assist a couple of the bottles that were really suffering (the Warre 1927, for example) by vigorously shaking the decanter for a few minutes and it was a little amusing to see the horror on people's faces as I did so - but they had no idea just how smelly the wine had been before I did the shaking!
Alex
Last edited by Alex Bridgeman on 09:38 Fri 14 Dec 2007, edited 1 time in total.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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uncle tom
- Dalva Golden White Colheita 1952
- Posts: 3519
- Joined: 23:43 Wed 20 Jun 2007
- Location: Near Saffron Walden, England
If popularity can be judged by degree of consumption, it may be of interest to know that the only decanters that were actually finished last night were:
Sandeman '70
Taylor '48
Cockburn '12
A few of the others have no more than a glass left though..
..I have some drinking up to do..
Tom
Sandeman '70
Taylor '48
Cockburn '12
A few of the others have no more than a glass left though..
..I have some drinking up to do..
Tom
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly - W.S. Churchill
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StevieCage
- Fonseca LBV
- Posts: 107
- Joined: 21:52 Thu 21 Jun 2007
- Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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uncle tom
- Dalva Golden White Colheita 1952
- Posts: 3519
- Joined: 23:43 Wed 20 Jun 2007
- Location: Near Saffron Walden, England
Have just re-visited the two 20's..
Both very good, but the Taylor has some slightly odd notes that are hard to place - reminds me of some very old Chinese liquor I was once offered! - the Taylor signature has been well described as 'a bit of a beast' and these notes may be the skeleton...
The F20 is absolutely flawless now - the consensus 'wine of the night' yesterday - and still absolutely perfect - if not better...!
Someone remind me next year - I have some more 'unknowns' from the same stable - same distinctive capsule - green wax with boar's head motif, but varying bottle shapes - possibly re-used..
..Need to open another!
While the consensus went to the F20 as top dog last night, the T48 got my vote - but only by a short head...
.. whilst it is a good wine, I did conclude that it's merits are completely out of step with the dizzy heights of it's market price..!
Tom
Both very good, but the Taylor has some slightly odd notes that are hard to place - reminds me of some very old Chinese liquor I was once offered! - the Taylor signature has been well described as 'a bit of a beast' and these notes may be the skeleton...
The F20 is absolutely flawless now - the consensus 'wine of the night' yesterday - and still absolutely perfect - if not better...!
Someone remind me next year - I have some more 'unknowns' from the same stable - same distinctive capsule - green wax with boar's head motif, but varying bottle shapes - possibly re-used..
..Need to open another!
While the consensus went to the F20 as top dog last night, the T48 got my vote - but only by a short head...
.. whilst it is a good wine, I did conclude that it's merits are completely out of step with the dizzy heights of it's market price..!
Tom
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly - W.S. Churchill
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Alex Bridgeman
- Graham’s 1948
- Posts: 14906
- Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Berkshire, UK
My notes above are now complete.
Tom - any chance that you could add decanting times to the list of the ports? The two that I remember were:
Taylor 1920 - decanted 5:30pm, poured about 11pm
Cockburn 1912 - decanted 4pm, poured about 10:30pm
Alex
Tom - any chance that you could add decanting times to the list of the ports? The two that I remember were:
Taylor 1920 - decanted 5:30pm, poured about 11pm
Cockburn 1912 - decanted 4pm, poured about 10:30pm
Alex
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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RonnieRoots
- Fonseca 1980
- Posts: 1981
- Joined: 08:28 Thu 21 Jun 2007
- Location: Middle Earth
What a great event this was! Tom, thank you very much for organising everything and for letting us raid your living room.
My top 3 of the night:
1. Fonseca 1920 - wonderful how lively, balanced and delicate this old lady was. A true beauty.
2. Taylor 1970 - this has still a long, long way to go, but what joy to drink already.
3. Taylor 1948 - this was disappointing at first, but the glass that Stevie kept behind, got better and better during the evening. Had we given this more time in the decanter, it would probably have ended higher.
My top 3 of the night:
1. Fonseca 1920 - wonderful how lively, balanced and delicate this old lady was. A true beauty.
2. Taylor 1970 - this has still a long, long way to go, but what joy to drink already.
3. Taylor 1948 - this was disappointing at first, but the glass that Stevie kept behind, got better and better during the evening. Had we given this more time in the decanter, it would probably have ended higher.
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RonnieRoots
- Fonseca 1980
- Posts: 1981
- Joined: 08:28 Thu 21 Jun 2007
- Location: Middle Earth
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Alex Bridgeman
- Graham’s 1948
- Posts: 14906
- Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Berkshire, UK
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RonnieRoots
- Fonseca 1980
- Posts: 1981
- Joined: 08:28 Thu 21 Jun 2007
- Location: Middle Earth
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StevieCage
- Fonseca LBV
- Posts: 107
- Joined: 21:52 Thu 21 Jun 2007
- Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
I've uploaded some of the pictures I've taken: click here!
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RonnieRoots
- Fonseca 1980
- Posts: 1981
- Joined: 08:28 Thu 21 Jun 2007
- Location: Middle Earth
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StevieCage
- Fonseca LBV
- Posts: 107
- Joined: 21:52 Thu 21 Jun 2007
- Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Alex Bridgeman
- Graham’s 1948
- Posts: 14906
- Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Berkshire, UK
I do. I use Fairy tablets and a Ruby Port pre-wash. Brings the red out a treat.Conky wrote:Psst.... You do think he washes it now and again?
All those attending Wednesday night were treated to a live demonstration of why I wear this shirt to port events. Can you see any stains on it in Stevie's pictures?
Alex
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Andy Velebil
- Quinta do Vesuvio 1994
- Posts: 3031
- Joined: 22:16 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Los Angeles, Ca USA
- Contact: