1912 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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jdaw1
Cockburn 1851
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Re: 1912 Cockburn

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jdaw1
Cockburn 1851
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Re: 1912 Cockburn

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jdaw1
Cockburn 1851
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Re: 1912 Cockburn

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jdaw1
Cockburn 1851
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Re: 1912 Cockburn

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jdaw1
Cockburn 1851
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Re: 1912 Cockburn

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1912 Cockburn: more red than tawny. A very impressive colour for its age. Nosing of angostura bitters. Very spicy, very long. Like a sharp Bloody Mary with lashings of pepper and tabasco. Huge, and hugely impressive. Obviously older than a 1977, but could have passed for an overlooked (and impressive) small name’s 1970.

Alex B and I, whilst decanting six hours earlier, had sacrificed ourselves to partake of a small quality-control sip, which we then likened to cherry liqueur.
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DRT
Fonseca 1966
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Re: 1912 Cockburn

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I noted the colour as "dark and bright". Deliciously spicy with an impressive long finish. Unless my memory is playing tricks I think this was my wine of the night.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
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Alex Bridgeman
Graham’s 1948
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Re: 1912 Cockburn

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

A lovely deep rose in colour. Nosing of spices and nutmeg. Very thick mouthfeel, with a surge of spiciness and pepperiness over a large dose of cranberries and redcurrant. Amazing layers of flavour in the mid-palate, cedar wood and some tobacco. Just divine and with a long and lingering aftertaste. Just wonderful and my wine of the night at the Cockburn vertical. Miguel Corte-Real recommended this should be decanted for 8-12 hours for it to show at its best. 94/100.
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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jdaw1
Cockburn 1851
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Re: 1912 Cockburn

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Miguel Côrte-Real sent AHB some of his own notes on the various vintages, some obviously drafted in advance, some from the day itself.
Miguel Côrte-Real wrote:1912

Generic Information
In 1987 Fernando Nicolau de Almeida considered 1912 the wine of the century. Generally declared (from 14 top Port Houses 12 declared) only Niepoort and Noval did not.

Year/Viticulture
The yield was in the short side. Ernest Cockburn on his book ‟Port Wine and Oporto” (1950) remembers that ‟the wines showed a good percentage of sugar, had considerable flavour and they were clean and quite free from rot or disease”

Tasting Notes
It's amazing how it retains a youthful colour, firm tannins and, this is really amazing for a wine with 90 years old, some berry fruit. It's still a remarkable wine, and great tribute to any Port House: elegant, complex, great

Other
Lots of life, plenty of spicy, peppery fruit, and a long earthy finish.

Amaingly alive for its age. Its brickish burnt sienna colour leads to flavours of candied walnut, dried fruit and orange peel with a citrus and pepper finish. Plenty of flavour and a long finish. (L.Murphy)

Last minute notes
Raisins, honey.

MC-R notes
9.5/10
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