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@ Alex - I am sorry if I came across as grumpy, I was attempting gracefully to resign my seat to those who enjoy this stuff (even) more than I do. I will enjoy reading the tasting notes.

@ Rummy - MigSu is right in his interpretation of what I was saying. What you tasted was not consistent with this forum’s notes on Calem 1985, basically. Your suspicion that the bottle you tasted might not be ‘right’ is accordingly almost certainly correct.

I should say - your note on the Calem sounds very much like a note on something else. The Calem is consistently, dry, plummy port and fully mature. See tasting notes index.

Rummy, thank you for those tasting notes - which are, in my view, excellent because they evoke the wines for us - which is what tasting notes are for (which some professional critics forget).

He sent me an email the other day checking whether I had anything to pick up from the recent Straker Chadwick sale. So he is clearly still around. I have to say that the service I have had from him over the past 15 years or so has been perfectly decent, if a bit idiosyncratic. I should say - i don’t...

@ MigSu - it is! @ Alex - Quinta Penha Franca in Funchal. Single beds, ‘local’ food - Madeira has cooking rather than cuisine, but sometimes what you want really is a tuna steak the size of your head for 15 euros - seawater pools, truly fabulous laundry, excellent location, and a barman who knows ho...

Each time I come to Madeira I go to the Pingo Doce supermarket in town and buy a bottle of this excellent and highly characteristic wine as pre dinner drinking. 75 euros which is probably as cheap as it is anywhere. Anyway a glass of this vibrant mahogany liquid while sitting watching the sunset is ...

I might be about to commit heresy, and I am certainly suffering from pre-holiday-blues, so you may put this down to that. My attendance at this tasting now becomes less likely, not only because I have little port from before 1960, but also because the older it is the more I worry that other people w...

Yes please

Confirming my reserve place. Lovely event. Lovely people.

Would love to attend. I have 1992 and 2003 I think. Possibly 1985, probably 1977.

A perfect port tasting note is one which leads another port aficionado to open a bottle of the same port. Thank you Phil, you have made me very happy.

+ 48 hours

Maybe I was right the first time. Still very nice drinking but after two days has begun its slide towards the generic.

+ 24 hours in the fridge in a decanter

I think I was a little unfair yesterday. This is now a darker, grapier port, if a touch sweet. If someone told me it was a slightly advanced 1985 Fonseca, I might believe them.

1 hour decant A mature garnet Nose of red licorice, herbs, and a whiff of warm rubber Sweet, fully resolved, jelly baby, with star anise late. Very pleasant wine indeed, but with nowhere further to go on this showing. I am going to drink up the remaining bottles of this case over the next couple of ...

A truly lovely bottle of Bel Air Marquis d’Aligre 2010 this evening. Claret as she was made 75 years ago. No oak, 5 years in vat, about 30% petit Verdot. An exercise in restraint and balance. Joyous with leftover cassoulet.

Work tomorrow. Alas.

St Aubin 2020 1er Cru Murgers de dents de chien domaine Henri Boillot was a high class pairing with the lunchtime smoked trout salad Cote Rotie Bernard Burgaud 2019 was a perfect pairing with the cassoulet recette Elizabeth David (damn that woman could write) Chassagne Montrachet 2020 Domaine de la ...

Yep

The penultimate festive entry for me… reward for having spent an afternoon throwing rubbish in a skip again. 2014 Exton Park BdB reserve - still crisp but with enough age to make it really interesting. 2016 Roy Piper Cabernet Sauvignon - packed with matiere, a sipping Cabernet of the highest quality...

@nac - how are the 1997 GCs coming along? You are probably the only person I know who may have multiple recent reference points…

A fine dinner with friends on 27/12 NV Tarlant (2015 base) - serious, but evaporated somehow 2022 Aligote Domaine Sylvain Cathiard - lovely white flowers 2004 Pontet Canet - two hour decant. Absolutely belting bottle of this over-achiever for the vintage. Fruit in abundance but secondary structure t...

Opened 24 hours, decanted 12 hours, a lovely delicate red.

Glorious red fruits.

Fully resolved.

Delicious.

Opened 24 hours, decanted 12 hours

Spice and red fruit

Lovely toffee apple note

Sweet and delicious

Being shared with Julian now (together with W85 and Mz85).

A rather lovely cranberry note.

Splendid.

A Durand (Port Version) is a very fine present indeed, however, even if prompted!