Double decanted this morning and then decanted about 3 hours ago.
This is mid red in colour, young but apparently approaching early maturity. Still 90% opaque and with pigmentation into the rim but the colour has softened slightly from the vibrant magenta of youth.
On the nose it has an odd earthy or burnt rubber smell; perhaps the early stages of bottle stink developing in a bottle. Time in the glass will tell.
Medium-light bodied entry, simple at first but patience allows a lovely crescendo of dry and slightly sour fruit flavours to slowly build up to a really delightful and elegant peak. On swallowing, there is a burst of deep and rich raisin and dried cherry before a flash of heat and then a long finish of dark chocolate.
This is an odd port with the nose and palate being conflicting. I like it; the finish is a real feature. 91/100.
Now to try and guess what this might be. I'm struggling to place the age - it looks quite youthful but the flavours are certainly mature and secondary. Is this from the '70s?
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
You're probably throwing something odd at me, but I don't think so. The quality of the wine, the flavours, tannins and aftertaste all make me think that this is a top wine from a top vintage.
Is this, perhaps, a Dow 1970?
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
Hmm. Perhaps not dry enough to be a Dow. Shows such presence and gravity that I would still guess it to be a major shipper, but not Taylor or Fonseca - but that dark chocolate on the finish is stunning. Fabulous finish.
Is it one of the Symington's secondary labels - perhaps Gould Campbell?
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
Very dark red but I suspect it is older than it looks. Some dust on the nose which is quite closed. Thick and extremely smooth on entry with lots of chewy tannins and dark fruit. Delicious wine, which is not yet mature. I have a feeling this will become even better with lots of time in the decanter.
The colour makes me want to say that this is a 1985 but I think it is older. Is it from the 1960s?
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
Having tasted this again I'm struggling to see how it can be older than a 1980's vintage. There is so much tannin and the wine so tight and closed that I would be astonished if it was any older than that, but something tells me it is.
Is this wine older than 1980?
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
This is not a Dow port, but I do understand why you might say so. It is quite dry and austere.
It is from the odd vintage that is 1977, that produced some tight and brooding (your word, and very accurate) wines and some wines which have already fallen apart.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
benread wrote:I can tell you don't have young children! I am currently banned from going to bed for fear of waking Jonnie!
I think you're going to have to explain that one. Does this mean you're sleeping in the car tonight? If so, how long does it take to drive from Sussex/Kent to just south of Reading?
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.