June 2012, Portugal

What happened?
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jdaw1
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June 2012, Portugal

Post by jdaw1 »

Content follows.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

I have received permission from JDAW to write a few words about his recent trip to Portugal - so expect a post or two a day over the next week.

JDAW was lucky enough to be in Portugal last week, accompanied by a couple of friends, running both the tourist trail and also being lucky enough to visit one or two spots that are off the normal tourist trail.

JDAW's first visit and overnight stay was at Quinta do Tedo, which is a fabulous 5 bedroom B&B with private kitchen, snooker room, TV lounge, veranda and outdoor pool that comes with use of kayaks, canoes and mountain bikes. The location is brilliant, being half-way between Regua and Pinhão, at the confluence of the Tedo and Douro rivers. The views are terrific. Highly recommended for independent travel.
Last edited by Alex Bridgeman on 22:02 Sun 24 Jun 2012, 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.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

On day 2, JDAW took a taxi to have lunch at LBV 79 in Pinhão. From there he travelled to Quinta do Seixo, Sandeman's showcase visitor centre and working port winery in the Douro, on the south bank and a little downriver from Pinhao. While designed for the casual tourist who wants to learn a little more about port and the Douro, it also has enough to reward a visit by the port fan who will already be familiar with the standard speech of "port is a fortified wine made from grapes grown within the demarcated region in Northern Portugal...". This visit concluded with an interesting tasting of the Sandeman tawnies.

Dinner on day 2 was with some of the wine-making team from Tedo, at the excellent Regua restaurant Castas e Pratos. This is a conversion of one of the old train sheds by the station - and the outside tables are in old railway goods carriages! The views are less impressive than the architecture, unless you like to see rusting old steam engines. It also has an excellent wine-shop and you can buy wine from the shop to drink with your meal. JDAW says that it's well worth a browse in the wine shop as there are the odd little gems that turn up from time to time. Last year there was some Baldias 1987 LBV for sale, that was drinking really nicely.
Last edited by Alex Bridgeman on 22:03 Sun 24 Jun 2012, edited 2 times in total.
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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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by JacobH »

AHB wrote:the standard speech of "port is a fortified wine made from grapes grown within the demarcated region in Northern Portugal..."
Shame that Julian didn’t not the fact that this speech [is | was] delivered by someone dressed with the hat and cape ;-)
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

JacobH wrote:
AHB wrote:the standard speech of "port is a fortified wine made from grapes grown within the demarcated region in Northern Portugal..."
Shame that Julian didn’t note the fact that this speech [is | was] delivered by someone dressed with the hat and cape ;-)
Having questioned JDAW a little more closely, I can confirm that he was shown round by a man in a hat and cape who liked to stand silhouetted against bright backgrounds, preferably yellow ones.



Day 3 of JDAW's visit saw a leisurely morning with a jog around the Tedo Valley and a bareback horse-ride up to the top of the vineyards while waiting for his two travelling companions to wake for breakfast. After an exhausting morning lying by the pool, he made the decision to repair to the restaurant AZDouro for lunch. The menu was perfectly adequate and the food was well prepared, but the choice of ports on the wine list left JDAW rather disappointed with his first couple of choices not being available. He finally settled for a bottle of Quinta do Bucheiro's 10 year old tawny - which was port and was drinkable.

After lunch, JDAW took a taxi to and through Pinhao to the village of Chanceleiros. From there he had an interesting walk around the vineyards that now make up the estate of Boa Vista - backbone of Offley's great vintage ports. In the vineyards he came across two old ruined houses and a disused chapel. Judging by the dates on the ruins, these houses were probably abandoned around the time of phylloxera. JDAW reported that it was clear from the relative size of the lagares, animal accommodation and living quarters that life must have been extremely tough for the farmers. The old vineyard of Cachucha also has an extremely interesting arrangement for drinking water, with a long channel about the size of a small man having been dug into the heart of one of the mountains, being used to feed a cistern of cold, clean water.

Naturally enough, after a long walk around the hot and dusty vineyards, JDAW stopped for some refreshment and worked his way through a number of different bottles of Offley Ports that included the range of tawnies, the 2000 and the 2007 vintage ports. However, JDAW's main excitement was discovering a small collection of old Bills of Lading, which gave details of ports being shipped out of Portugal in the early and mid-19th century. Many photographs were taken and he left with a big smile on his happy face.

Unsure of where to have dinner that night, JDAW decided to experiment with the best and booked a table at DOC. Rui Paula was working in DOC that night and since it was not a busy evening, Rui Paula agreed to prepare a tasting menu specifically designed to go with the wines and ports that JDAW had chosen to drink that night - which included a port from 1896! The service and food were impeccable, even to the extent that Rui Paula came to the table and introduced every one of the nine courses. Eventually, even JDAW could eat and drink no more, so he returned to Tedo and a good night's sleep in his comfortable bed.
Last edited by Alex Bridgeman on 22:04 Sun 24 Jun 2012, 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.
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by Deleted_User_1 »

AHB wrote: Last year there was some Baldias 1987 LBV for sale, that was drinking really nicely.
That was not last year...that was the year before 88)
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by DRT »

Cookie wrote:
AHB wrote: Last year there was some Baldias 1987 LBV for sale, that was drinking really nicely.
That was not last year...that was the year before 88)
Actually, it was last year and the year before. :D
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by jdaw1 »

Shhh! You are interrupting the story. I want to know what happens next.
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

The next day, JDAW woke as the sun streamed in through the crack in the curtains. He had an early start to make. After a hurried breakfast of cheese, ham, eggs, bread, tea, coffee, cake, pasteis de nata, fresh fruit, fruit juice and toast he jumped into the waiting taxi - he had been promised a guided tour of Cavadinha's experimental vineyards if he could make an early morning rendezvous with his guide.

He made it to Bomfim in time to meet his charming and debonair guide. His host effortlessly shepherded JDAW into the waiting quinta tour bus and they drove off. JDAW spent several very happy hours being shown the different size and colour of leaf of touriga franca being grown on 8 different types of rootstock ("Honestly", says JDAW, "it makes a real difference!"), 4 different types of stay for the vine training wires (wood, metal, plastic and schist), the vine flowers (which are principally wind pollinated, not insect pollinated) and the tiny little grapes from the early fruit set. There were countless combinations of clonal variety and rootstock variety and JDAW carefully inspected and photographed each one of them. The only time he was distracted from this task was when he once looked up and gasped at the beauty of the view across the Pinhão valley. The highlight of the visit was a glimpse of the damage that could be done by wild boar in the vineyards.

A quick lunch at Bomfim, washed down by just a single bottle of Cockburn 1908 ("Perfect lunch port", said JDAW) was followed by a windy and bumpy boat ride upriver to Quinta do Roriz. This is now the production base for the Prats & Symington joint venture between the Symington Family and Bruno Prats and the source of the great wines Post Scriptum and Chryseia. There is still a little vintage port produced at the quinta in exemplary years. JDAW tasted several vintages of the wines and ports and expressed considerable delight in their structure and power. He observed that the ports had a considerable element of minerality to them and that he would be interested to see how they developed over the next 20-30 years.

Dinner was back at Bomfim with a number of guests, washed down by a very fine glass (or two) of the white wine from Ataide, the red Vesuvio DOC and a selection of vintage ports. JDAW reports the food to have been very fine, the wine and ports quite splendid and the company most excellent.

In all, JDAW reports to have had a jolly splendid day.
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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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by DRT »

I really like JDAW's adventures, and particularly enjoy the style in which the reporter has delivered the sensory experience to us. When reading each chapter it actually makes me feel like I was there enjoying it with him. It must have been a fabulous trip.
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by Deleted_User_1 »

DRT wrote:I really like JDAW's adventures, and particularly enjoy the style in which the reporter has delivered the sensory experience to us. When reading each chapter it actually makes me feel like I was there enjoying it with him. It must have been a fabulous trip.
I think they call that dead jar view :lol:
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by g-man »

Sounds like i need to make my way back to portugal!
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

My apologies for the break in the narrative.

Day 4 of JDAW's trip saw another early start. The smell of freshly scrambled eggs served on warm buttered toast broke through his reverie of port-centric dreams and had him showered and shaved in no time at all. After a fine breakfast, he and his host carried their picnic hamper and coolbox down to the river-side and they climbed aboard their trusty riverboat to make their way to the Spanish border.

As he made his way upriver, JDAW tested his memory by counting and naming each quinta visible from the river. The views were as spectacular as ever (editor's note: we may be able to persuade JDAW to post some of his pictures if enough people request he do so) but JDAW did have one mildly alarming encounter with a very large cruise ship when passing through the very small navigable channel close to Malvedos. Other than this, he had a very pleasant journey chatting animatedly with his genial host, although he did notice that his host was looking distracted from time to time.

The Valeira Dam was just as JDAW remembered; like the dungeon of some medieval castle once you were inside and the lock gates were shut. 35m deep, with water swirling all around you, but the boat gently bobbing on the surface. The lock visit passed uneventfully and he was soon on his way again. This time, however, he noted his host was listening carefully - and not only to his conversation - and starting to look worried.

The story will continue after a short break...
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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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by g-man »

ran outta port?
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June 2012, Portugal

Post by Andy Velebil »

g-man wrote:ran outta port?
Superbock ;)
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

...ran out of time! Some of us have to work to earn our port vouchers.

A few minutes later, the host and pilot of the boat sadly announced that the journey would have to be aborted. There was a problem with the cam belt on the boat and it could not be relied on to last the rest of the way to the Spanish border and back. They would have to stop at the next convenient location and call an engineer to meet the boat and repair it. A convenient jetty was encountered on the south bank which was also very close to a train station - probably as close to ideal for an emergency stop as could be hoped. The pilot and JDAW pulled in to the jetty, tied the boat up and walked up to the house to ask to use the phone to call the engineer.

As they walked along the bank towards the house, JDAW admired the fertile vegetable gardens, full of produce and the citrus trees lining the path that were laden with luscious ripe fruit - he even picked an orange as he walked and found it to be one of the best he had ever enjoyed. As he walked up the steps to the main door, JDAW couldn't help but notice the name painted on the arch over the stairs. It read "V E Z U V I O".

The owners of the house were more than happy to help, very generously allowing JDAW and his host to call for the engineer and to stay by the house while waiting for assistance. JDAW and his host enjoyed a very relaxed lunch on a beautiful terrace overlooking the Douro, on a wonderfully warm and sunny day. After lunch, JDAW walked around the vineyards and watched some lemons which had fallen from a tree bob along in the river. Around 5pm, the engineer arrived and looked at the cam belt...and announced that it needed to be repaired but that he did not have the right parts or equipment with him. He "thought it would probably last long enough to get the boat back to Pinhão, but couldn't be sure". JDAW and his host decided to take the risk.

And they were fortunate enough to have an uneventful journey back to Pinhão, arriving shortly before dinner. Dinner was a splendid affair, with generous quantities of tasty slabs of steak keeping JDAW very happy. These were washed down with plentiful supplies of some of Graham's finest vintage ports which JDAW discovered in his suitcase, including a complete vertical of the declared (and undeclared) vintages from the 1940's. The temptation of a late night cigar proved irresistable, and JDAW finally retired just as the mosquitos were massing to make one final charge through the fog of tobacco smoke about 3am.
Last edited by Alex Bridgeman on 09:26 Wed 12 Sep 2012, 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.
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

It was another early start for JDAW on Wednesday. He was woken by the dawn chorus from the vineyard workers as they ascended the slopes to begin their work tying back the vine shoots. He woke with a slight panic - he only had 30 minutes before his taxi arrived and he still had to pack away the 32 bottles of vintage port and wine he had with him.

Fortunately, he finished his packing just as the cheerful local taxi driver arrived at the front door. JDAW loaded his bags and boxes into the taxi, bade a fond farewell to his most excellent host and climbed into the taxi. The taxi driver (who spoke no English) gave JDAW a friendly smile and JDAW (who speaks no Portuguese) smiled back. Then they were on their way to Oporto.

It occurred to JDAW that he had not told the driver where they were going. Still, the driver was heading for Oporto so all was well.

JDAW must have dozed off. The next thing he knew was a gentle shaking of his shoulder and voice in his ear saying "Senor, aeroporto." JDAW woke with a start. "No," he said "not aeroporto - Yeatman, Porto." The driver realised that JDAW had been in a deep sleep and was a little confused, so he smiled benignly and replied "Si. Aeroporto. No Yeatman." and pointed to the luggage trolley where he had kindly put JDAW's two bags and four boxes while he had been sleeping.

20 minutes and several dozen Euros later - and with the assistance of an American resident of Portugal - the confusion had been cleared up, the luggage put back in the car and the driver was on his way to his first ever visit to Vila Nova de Gaia...what could possibly go wrong?

Nothing, surprisingly! The drive from the airport to the Yeatman was uneventful. The hotel check-in smooth and polished and the hotel deserving of its reputation as a fabulous place to stay. JDAW was glad that he had chosen to stay there and take advantage of its location and proximity to the lodges. His first visit was a late morning appointment at the Ferreira lodge.

The Ferreira lodge is one of the most westward lodges along the Vila Nova de Gaia waterfront, away from the main grouping that is centered around Sandeman. JDAW reports that it is very much worth the extra effort to visit Ferreira; the lodge is extremely visitor friendly, well laid out and with some very interesting photographs and other historical artifacts that make for a fascinating 2-3 hour visit. JDAW also had the advantage of a pre-arranged personal tour, which highlighted many of the historically significant items that he might have overlooked - and lots of bottles and labels which he was able to add to his ever-growing collection of photographs! I have been told that the lodge tour starts at the river level, and works its way through a series of deep and dark tunnels that follow the hill-side until, at the end of the tour, the visitor emerges blinking into the sunlight halfway back up the hill. A short walk through a walled garden then brings the visitor to the shop and tasting room...and (visits by appointment only) to Ferreira's bottle cellar!

JDAW had visited the Ferreira bottle cellar once before, and had witnessed the recorking of the handful of bottles in store from the 1815 vintage. He was keen to return with his camera to ensure that he had evidence to support his list of vintages which had been declared by Ferreira. Carefully escorted, he spent several happy hours with camera and notebook making a detailed record of all that he found.

It was mid-afternoon when he had finished his visit to Ferreira, and JDAW was feeling a little peckish. However, before he could pause for lunch, JDAW had been offered the chance to enjoy a small tasting of some of Ferreira's ports and table wines. This was JDAW's first opportunity to taste the three Ferreira tawny ports side by side - all were very good but the 20 year old was extremely enjoyable. Enjoyable enough that JDAW decided he should drink the occasional bottle of 20 year old tawny in future and not restrict himself to vintage ports. The tasting meandered into a very fine lunch in the Sandeman lodge, in an oak panelled room that looked unchanged from the turn of the 20th century, with JDAW being watched by George Sandeman and his ancestors. Lunch was washed down with a bottle of the new release of Barca Velha (the 2004) and I am told that this wine is well worthy of the reputation that Barca Velha has to live up to. Finally, lunch concluded with 6 different vintage ports, 4 of which were from the 1955 vintage. JDAW is yet to report which was considered to be the wine of the tasting.

Eventually, JDAW decided it was time to move on. A post-lunch nap was required and it would be discourteous to nap while with his Ferreira / Sandeman hosts - and a little exercise climbing up the hill back to the Yeatman would do no harm. The climb back up the hill was longer and harder after lunch than it ought to have been, but JDAW managed. Exhausted, he arrived back at the Yeatman and collapsed onto his large, comfortable bed and took a quick nap.

4 hours later he woke, feeling peckish. He had had the forsight to reserve a table at the Michelin starred restaurant in the hotel so wandered down to "Dick's Bar" to wait for his guest; while there he had a glass of the youthful and fruity "Yeatman 1992 vintage port". His guest arrived on time and the two of them went through to the restaurant.

The menu of the restaurant was excellent; the quality of the food clearly demonstrated the Michelin star was well deserved and the service was unobtrusive and flawless. JDAW's guest knew of his passion for port and had arrived armed with a bottle of the 1871 from Quinta do Loureiro - a port that JDAW had never tried before. In return, JDAW had brought his own eclectic selection of ports for his guest to try, several of which his guest had not had before despite having worked in the industry for many years. One of those bottles was a late bottled Quinta de Mileau 1958 - which was released by Fonseca at the same time as Taylor were bottling Vargellas as Quinta de Vargellas for the first time in 1958.

Dinner - as is normal in Portugal - was a leisurely and relaxed affair which went on into the small hours of the morning. Eventually, JDAW's guest made his apologies and retired. After a brief stroll around the terrace bar to take in the sight of Oporto lit at night, JDAW also returned to his room and settled down for a good night's sleep. Tomorrow would be another busy day...
Last edited by Alex Bridgeman on 09:34 Wed 12 Sep 2012, 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.
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

Thursday was a more leisurely start for JDAW, his first appointment was not until noon. Since he woke a little before 9am he decided to spend some time exploring the town and get breakfast in a café by the river-side. Mildly hungry, he left the Yeatman and walked down the hill past Taylor's lodge to the waterfront of Vila Nova de Gaia.

It was very quiet when he got there. No-one was about. None of the cafés or bars were open. None of the shops were open. The market café was open - but was full of smoke from the locals enjoying an early morning espresso and cigarette. JDAW decided to look for somwhere else and continued to walk in the direction of the Dom Luis bridge. One café door was ajar, JDAW hopefully pushed the door open and walked inside, only to be rebuffed by the proprietor chasing him out with a wet mop.

So he continued walking towards the bridge. Every café and restaurant was closed but on the other side of the river there was some activity. Some of the river-side cafés on the Porto side were putting out their chairs and tables - it looked hopeful as a source of breakfast. With anticipation making his stomach feel empty and his mouth water, JDAW marched smartly over the Dom Luis bridge and down the stairs to the waterfront.

Imagine his horror when he found that the chairs which he had seen being put out were all still stacked up! The tables being moved, had been moved to allow the floors to be swept. 8 cafés along the waterfront. 8 of them closed. Hunger gnawing at his stomach, JDAW decided a shop breakfast was needed and went into the only store on the waterfront that was open.

The pharmacy didn't have a great deal of choice of breakfast materials, but JDAW did manage to buy a couple of yoghurt drinks. Dejected, he left the pharmacy and felt the rain starting to set in as he walked back over to Vila Nova de Gaia. He was lucky; just as the rain started to get particularly heavy, JDAW came across a smart and clean café that was open. Calling inside, he found that a proper breakfast was on offer. Sticking firmly to his diet (no coffee), he ordered a toasted cheese and ham sandwich and a very fetching pink drink. After half an hour, the rain had stopped and his hunger satisfied so JDAW returned to the Yeatman after briefly getting lost on his way - although getting lost meant that he also had the benefit of an impromptu visit to one of Sandeman's working lodges where a collection of large, stainless steel vats hold the straightforward ruby ports that are ready for bottling.

JDAW reached the hotel a little after 11am. To make his lunch date with Her Excellency, Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to Portugal, JDAW was going to have to shower, shave and get changed in record time - he had a taxi booked to take him back to Oporto that was leaving in less than 30 minutes!

Of course, given the importance of the appointment, JDAW was not late. He arrived a little early, introduced himself to the Ambassador (and was reported to have looked distinctly disappointed when she replied to his formal greeting with "Just call me Jill"; he later admitted he was looking forward alternating between "Ambassador" and "Your Excellency"). However, while at lunch JDAW's attention was drawn to an extremely interesting library which, JDAW decided, was well worth some closer attention at a later date as it looked very likely that there may be books, records and other documents helpful to his research into the history of Port. The lunch itself was an excellent affair. The food was good, the company most entertaining and the two ports at the end of the meal were very enjoyable (Graham's 1952 colheita and Dow 1985 vintage port). Lunch concluded about 4pm, with JDAW flagging down a taxi and returning to the Yeatman to prepare for his next appointment at 6pm.
Last edited by Alex Bridgeman on 09:39 Wed 12 Sep 2012, 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.
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by g-man »

note to self: buy adjacent cab, table and hotel with JDAW to ensure same experience and samplings of port.
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

g-man wrote:note to self: buy adjacent cab, table and hotel with JDAW to ensure same experience and samplings of port.
Wait until I have time to write the next instalment!
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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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by g-man »

AHB wrote:
g-man wrote:note to self: buy adjacent cab, table and hotel with JDAW to ensure same experience and samplings of port.
Wait until I have time to write the next instalment!
waaaait, have you've been partaking in the same experience?!?!? :twisted:
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

g-man wrote:
AHB wrote:
g-man wrote:note to self: buy adjacent cab, table and hotel with JDAW to ensure same experience and samplings of port.
Wait until I have time to write the next instalment!
waaaait, have you've been partaking in the same experience?!?!? :twisted:
Obviously I have to have spoken to JDAW to know what to write. So I know what comes next...
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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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

JDAW's next appointment was at Niepoort's Old Cellars. He tucked 5 bottles of carefully selected port into a box and headed out from the hotel on the short walk down and across the hill. Arriving outside the anonymous green door, he politely knocked and waited patiently. After a few minutes, the door opened and Nick Delaforce welcomed JDAW for his first visit to the Old Cellars.

JDAW is a huge fan of old cellars full of mouldy bottles covered in cobwebs and he was thrilled with the chance to look around the old bottle store. JDAW reported that this was a wonderful chance to use up several batteries worth of flash on his camera. He also saw a very modestly sized stock of Niepoort's Crusted Port - not a large supply when compared to the thirst of the world's fanatical port drinkers!

After walking around for an hour and taking many, many photographs, JDAW returned to the tasting table in the small alcove at one end of the cellar. He was joined by Luis Seabra and Nick Delaforce - who had been working very hard to wash and clean several glasses - and they sat down around the table together. JDAW produced his bottles and had an extra bottle added to the line. More photographs followed and then someone managed to gather the courage to pull the cork on the first bottle. This first bottle was quickly decanted, poured and tasted; notes were made and hushed conversation took place. Then the next bottle was opened, decanted and poured. Each bottle was opened in turn, with each one being tasted before the next was poured - no chances were taken with the delicacy of the wines in case they fell apart in the glass...but there was plenty in each glass to allow the more robust wines to continue to develop and grow for some time.

Eventually, the six bottles had all been opened and tasted. JDAW reports that his favourites included the Niepoort 1912 colheita, the Taylor 1912 (which was originally the unknown 1912), the Cockburn 1912 and the Sandeman 1912. He was less impressed by the Real Vinicola 1912 and the Taylor 1912 (which was believed to have been Taylor 1912). JDAW felt extremely privileged to have been able to taste a small horizontal of 100 year old wines, especially in such knowledgeable company and in such atmospheric surroundings. The remains of the bottles were taken to dinner and JDAW was lucky enough to have been able to enjoy fine portuguese steak with century old vintage and colheita ports.

"What a terrific Thursday," thought JDAW, as he headed back to the hotel in his taxi, "I wish all Thursdays were like this one..."
Last edited by Alex Bridgeman on 09:42 Wed 12 Sep 2012, edited 2 times in total.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
Andy Velebil
Quinta do Vesuvio 1994
Posts: 3028
Joined: 22:16 Mon 25 Jun 2007
Location: Los Angeles, Ca USA
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Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by Andy Velebil »

We're waiting, chop-chop.........
Glenn E.
Graham’s 1977
Posts: 4174
Joined: 22:27 Wed 09 Jul 2008
Location: Seattle, WA, USA

Re: June 2012, Portugal

Post by Glenn E. »

I wish all Thursdays were like that, too!

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Glenn Elliott
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