From a half bottle purchased recently from Seckford Wines
On Decanting
Huge blackcurrant smell when decanting from a well formed thick black crust. Nose is quite closed in the glass. Lovely dark red colour. Clear rim. Very, very thick in the mouth. Typically Graham's plummy fruit but with a distracting amount of heat. Hopefully that will blow off by the time I re-visit in about 8 hours time. Will post some photo's of this later.
1985 Graham
1985 Graham's vintage port
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
Re: 1985 Graham's vintage port
Half bottle with a full-size label
Back label
Cork
Sediment
Decanter
In the glass - the flash has made this look lighter than it really is
Back label
Cork
Sediment
Decanter
In the glass - the flash has made this look lighter than it really is
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
Re: 1985 Graham's vintage port
+8 Hours
Much darker in the glass than when decanted. Unless I am very much mistaken this has almost no smell whatsoever
Thick, chewy and delicious mouthfeel. Lots of big black fruits and as smooth as silk. The heat from earlier has all but vanished. The finish is exceptionally long and fruity. My cheeks are running but the underside of my tongue and inside of my lips are very dry from the huge tannins that are still holding this wine together. This has many years to go before hitting it's peak but is absolutely delicious now.
Now that I have tasted it and given it another swirl I am now detecting cherry on the nose.
Score: 8-9
Much darker in the glass than when decanted. Unless I am very much mistaken this has almost no smell whatsoever
Thick, chewy and delicious mouthfeel. Lots of big black fruits and as smooth as silk. The heat from earlier has all but vanished. The finish is exceptionally long and fruity. My cheeks are running but the underside of my tongue and inside of my lips are very dry from the huge tannins that are still holding this wine together. This has many years to go before hitting it's peak but is absolutely delicious now.
Now that I have tasted it and given it another swirl I am now detecting cherry on the nose.
Score: 8-9
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
Re: 1985 Graham's vintage port
+30 Hours
Still delicious but now has some of that heat back. It is also struggling to overcome the italian spicy chicken I had for dinner earlier this evening
Still delicious but now has some of that heat back. It is also struggling to overcome the italian spicy chicken I had for dinner earlier this evening
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
Re: 1985 Graham's vintage port
This is a very odd and un-Derek-like tasting note. How did DRT manage to persuade a half bottle, a mere half!, to last 30 hours? In the dim and distant past this would have been believed impossible.
Re: 1985 Graham's vintage port
I always try to drink good-uns over an extended period. I cope by also having something else to drink open at the same timejdaw1 wrote:This is a very odd and un-Derek-like tasting note. How did DRT manage to persuade a half bottle, a mere half!, to last 30 hours? In the dim and distant past this would have been believed impossible.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
Re: 1985 Graham's vintage port
+34 Hours
The final glass from my half bottle
My palate seems to have recovered from the spicy chicken and the harsher elements I was detecting earlier this evening have now gone. This is fabulous juice. I don't think it would be possible to have too much of it in your cellar.
The final glass from my half bottle
My palate seems to have recovered from the spicy chicken and the harsher elements I was detecting earlier this evening have now gone. This is fabulous juice. I don't think it would be possible to have too much of it in your cellar.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn