1935 Cockburn

Tasting notes for individual Ports, with an index sorted by vintage and alphabetically.
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Tasting notes for individual Ports, with an index sorted by vintage and alphabetically.
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Alex Bridgeman
Graham’s 1948
Posts: 14868
Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
Location: Berkshire, UK

1935 Cockburn vintage port

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

From a bottle bought as Taylor 1935 with a "mid-shoulder" description which had leaked on the journey home to finish with a "just below low shoulder" fill - and a cork riddled by cork weevil but still clearly branded as "Cockburn 1935". A clear, ruby shade of tawny; surprisingly red for such a badly ullaged bottle. On the nose is a little toffee and spirit. On the palate, this is wonderful. Deeply flavoursome, full of sweet burnt rhubarb and honey; thick in texture but with perfect acidity. The immediate aftertaste is hot as the alcohol shows clearly, but this is followed by a huge finish of dark honey and lemon with delicious black treacle and a touch of lovely bitterness. This is a seriously good wine that is not going to decline for years yet. 94/100. Drunk 2 September 2010 after 2 hours decanting.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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DRT
Fonseca 1966
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Joined: 23:51 Wed 20 Jun 2007
Location: Chesterfield, UK
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Re: 1935 Cockburn vintage port

Post by DRT »

A sample of this was delivered to me blind on Sunday 5th Sep and tasted on the evening of 6th Sep.
In an email to AHB on 6th Sep 2010, DRT wrote:Some VA on the nose. Medium weight, quite tawny-like but I don't think it is a tawny. Figs and dates but with quite a sharp acidic edge. The finish is very sweet and long.

Is this another sample from the Ferreira 1963?
I have to say I was very surprised when I found out what this was. As AHB describes, and as I failed to note, the colour was remarkably red for a wine of this age, let alone one from a badly ullaged bottle. Reading my note back it doesn't quite convey the enjoyable experience it was to drink it. I had finished the glass before finding out what it was some 30 minutes later and I could still taste it at that point.

A big thanks to AHB for allowing me to share in the experience of this great old bottle :D
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
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