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winesecretary

Deep dark red. Massive fruity nose. Still showing very young. Blueberry and cherry. Big, big, port. I gave it an HM.

winesecretary

Rather odd nose, slightly sewer-like. Possibly a glass issue. Palate much better than nose with ripe fruit. Unready.

winesecretary

Also unfeasibly dark, with big rich ripe fruit. Marginally, the best of the four 1980s wines on offer tonight, the extra ripeness giving it a lip-smacking quality. Very good port.

winesecretary

Even more unfeasibly dark than those around it. Big rich palate, a touch better than the 1982. Really fine finish of baked blackcurrant and black cherry. I found the sinewy quality attractive.

winesecretary

Dark as anything here. Fine rich port with dark fruit but barely ready. I liked it. Is this, possibly, the best 1982 port?

winesecretary

Deep dark colour. Big rich port, arguably not yet ready. Possibly a bit boot-faced. Licorice note later.

winesecretary

A kind donation to me from Charles. Thank you.

Deep red. nose a little warm. Palate was sweet and lovely with rich red fruit. Very attractive port - but possibly lacked a little of the class that it showed on first opening that morning. Third on the night and that was not unfair.

winesecretary

A deep garnet red. Pleasant sticky port with some tinned strawberries. Slightly less oomph than those around it.

winesecretary

Pale red centre, yellow rim. Strong pine nose with congruent palate.

winesecretary

Orange wine with yellow rim. Pungent nose. Orange, orange, orange. I thought this had a lovely texture. Possibly not really port as we know it but still attractive drinking.

winesecretary

Lovely deep garnet, orange rim. Long, elegant, middleweight palate of red fruit with long finish. Gorgeous port. I thought it perhaps faded a little later, but remained very attractive. I gave it a port and I can understand why it was the crowd favourite. Again, a kind donation, by someone who was s...

winesecretary

Reddish centre, pale rim. Smells vaguely of port. Palate, however, offered more, being elegant and attractive, although it faded later. I am very pleased to have tried this wine from a rare vintage, and grateful to its donor.

winesecretary

Incredibly dark. Huge nose of fruit cake. Palate almost brutal in its strength and richness of black fruit. Minutes-long finish, again with figs. This is powerful port, still fully alive. I was extremely impressed, and was and am grateful to its donor.

winesecretary

Browning with a watery rim. Indeterminate nose. Bit of cigar smoke. Palate an attractive mix of cigar and cherry brandy. Long spirity finish. Maybe fortified with cognac? Some fruit, late.

winesecretary

A good red. Big pungent, almost brutal, nose. Big spine-tingling port on the palate with a strong balsamic note. Very distinctive. I rather liked it and, again, am very grateful for its donation.

winesecretary

Centre orange, rim pale. Nose and palate indeterminate. Persistent but unexciting.

winesecretary

A garrafeira bottled 1932. Reddish centre, yellow rim. Very attractive nose of baked plum. Palate is rich and powerful and still very discernibly port. Beeswax. Later, some orange suet pudding. This was wine well worth consuming and I am grateful again to its provider.

winesecretary

Lovely deep colour- browning but still full - like Vintage Oxford Marmalade. Pine very clear on the nose. Richard and sweet palate with some very attractive poached yellow plum. Long, long, long finish with some attractive fig, late. Really lovely wine. I am extremely grateful to those who provided ...

winesecretary

1926 bottled Bom Retiro. A muddy yellow. Tastes as it looks. Not a lot going on.

winesecretary

Colour a warm marmalade, paling rim. Piercing nose. Very much a colheita. Palate warm with some eucalyptus and pine. Grapefruit, late. Very long finish. Not at all unattractive. Even some apricot, later. Got a point from me - I enjoyed it.

winesecretary

To echo @flash_uk - many acts of generosity involved in the provision of these startling rarities, gratis and for nothing, probably more new-to-me ports than I have ever before tasted in a single night. So, thank you.

winesecretary

A rare thing, this. 2.5 hour decant. A well stored bottle. A good mid red. Nose has the Taylor violets but none of the Taylor heat. Palate has some poached red fruits and a little tickle of structure on the finish before the orange warmth. As a port, probably fifteen years past its best, but still a...

winesecretary

To our multiple organisers, and our many hosts, thank you, but particularly to Harry.

winesecretary

Opened 0740, decanted into screw cap at 0940 and sealed. Deep garnet colour, lovely scent of violets during decanting. A QA assessment of the dessertspoonful of dregs revealed a full rich port still with considerable strength and power. Really looking forward to trying this alongside its peers this ...

winesecretary

CPR’s Ramos Pinto 1977

winesecretary

Apologies for the short notice, but I can no longer attend this tasting, having mistaken the day. I have a series of meetings through until after six in Birmingham.

Hang on a minute - it’s the planner that’s wrong. This tasting is on the 17th after all! I can still attend! Hurrah!

winesecretary

Alex’s tasting notes and my tasting notes are usually two sides of an isosceles triangle - part of the same whole but his are longer (and much more useful).

winesecretary

@cem - on the list, as, happily, will be the 1947...

winesecretary

That is a convincing representation. 2 February now looking more likely.

winesecretary

We have the choice of 2nd or 9th February 2027. I propose to go for the 9th unless there are convincing representations as to why 2nd is preferable by COB Thursday 28th May.

winesecretary

On 6th August 2026 I am up a hill in Chamonix, but an August zoom this year might not be a bad thing.

winesecretary

All noted with thanks. As set out at top of first email, who attends may be somewhat rejigged from strict volunteer order to maximise coverage.

winesecretary

@ jdaw1 - right. So, in other words, we've never had a long vertical of just Dow. We should fix that. Given the well-publicised issues with Dow 72, 77, 83 & 85, and the indifferent experiences with 50 and 75 (I note in passing that no-one has written up notes of last year's 1975 horizontal, the ...

winesecretary

Hello. It seems to be a very long time since we’ve have had a Dow vertical. Venue will be B&F. Date 2 February 2027 Expressions of interest are being filled in with available bottles as we review our cellars. Some preference is being shown to those with bottles others cannot provide. 1. Winesecr...

winesecretary

@jdaw1 - it is that near-neighbour who I am here channelling.

It does seem to be a long time since we’ve had a serious look at Dow. I’ll ask for expressions of interest.

winesecretary

I am not available on the evenings of the Burmester, Feuerheerd or Hooper tastings.

winesecretary

@ Alex - the horizontals rather than verticals focus over the last 7 years is partly my fault as I find horizontals more instructive than verticals so have arranged a good few.

That is not to say I find horizontals more enjoyable than verticals!

winesecretary

V92 - Mr Charlton, you are a man of taste and discernment.

winesecretary

Goats cheese salad
Burger with bacon, no bun, no salad, no mayonnaise, [updated to add] with fries and sweetcorn.
Welsh rarebit

winesecretary

If Glenn’s gateway to port was Tiki bar cocktails, a whole load of his preferences immediately make sense, including the insistence on all port tastings being conducted while wearing a grass skirt.

winesecretary

To be fair to the Commercial Director, he did say ‘will’ and not ‘is’.

winesecretary

Goat’s cheese salad
Roast lamb
Welsh rarebit

Much appreciated

winesecretary

@Phil_W - Thank you for reminding me. 6th October is good then!

winesecretary

I have 'Fonseca v Niepoort Vertical' in my diary for 6 October.

winesecretary

Agreed a great idea for a tasting.

Cockburn 1967 for me. There’s one somewhere in the cellar. Or Warre 1970. There’s a fair bit of that!

winesecretary

1887!

This tasting is becoming ever more mad/fabulous/hilarious.

winesecretary

@ Harry - that is absurdly gratifying. Hurrah!

winesecretary

Reconfirming for 17th.

winesecretary

If I had Taylor 77 of the quality and vif of the last bottle of Harry’s I drank, I’d happily drink Taylor 77 with pork of any description. Or indeed, with any foodstuff whatsoever. Or without.

winesecretary

Ooh, Lake Isle Wines in Uppingham. Blast from the past.

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