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winesecretary

A lot of 5 bottles was purchased at an advantageous price at auction before Christmas but I forgot to take delivery until this week. Lead capsule rather than plastic capsule. One was starting to seep - level still BN so I suspect an artefact of transport - but that meant swift condemnation to openin...

winesecretary

I see Alex, in forty years, living in a sort of lodge* at Vesuvio, being held out daily to visitors as an example of the health-giving effects of three pints of port a day.

*One with 13 guest bedroom suites, not called ‘The Blue Room’ etc. but instead The Wiseman, The Archer, The Wakely etc.

winesecretary

Ham hock terrine
Chicken supreme
Welsh rarebit

Much appreciated

winesecretary

Pop and decant and pour from a bottle which has been in the ‘fridge for an hour. The colour of membrillo; a sort of singing light red. Very attractive - a colour that gets your hopes up. Nose has poached quince, star anise, a hint of walnut. Palate has an attractive cherry note but primarily a sort ...

winesecretary

Damn. I am mandatorily away all of that week at a conference. Ironically it will be taking place at the Port Forum (in Barcelona).

winesecretary

Interested, but need to check date

winesecretary

I am tonight drinking some 2011 Sloe Gin, and reflecting on how much slightly elderly port (e.g. Dow 1960) tastes like it. Alas, it is the end of the magnum.

winesecretary

To echo Alex’s comments on the 1977s, 1977 Warre here, and it is a joy, and a wine one can simply toss back too.

winesecretary

I strongly suspect it was a combination of samples left over from a tasting, taken home by one of the staff for later consumption.

winesecretary

Welsh rarebit starter
Crab linguini main
Lemon tart pudding

Much appreciated

winesecretary

Paging Doty to the thread…

winesecretary

1973 Quinta da Devesa Finest White Reserve Colheita bottled 2022 Pale rim, the centre a sun-baked mahogany. Nose has nut, candied greengage, a little candied lemon. Palate has an enveloping sweet honey note but then fans dramatically on the palate to more candied greengage and then fades gently fai...

winesecretary

I am, by the kindness of CPR1, able to bring 1977.

winesecretary

On the approved TPF model, the correct amount of port to own is an amount that your descendants unto the fourth generation will not be able to get through at the same rate. So, for your 75 bottles a year, somewhere around 9,000 will see you through.

winesecretary

Ooh, goody, Neil's bringing the Butler Nephew. We had a very toothsome bottle of that at 67 PM about 5 years ago.

winesecretary

Still working through this. The cardamom is very marked. A little orange peel oil, late.

winesecretary

It really does look like a sort of fortified wine paradise. I could spend a happy month drinking the Madeira selection.

winesecretary

Moderate amount of sediment Two hour decant Mid-garnet wine with a very pale rim but a nice glint to it Cardamom and cinnamon on the red boiled sweet nose. Smooth sweet palate - strawberry jam, then rhubarb jam, then echoes of the cardamom. A little cinnamon, very late. Not hugely complex, but still...

winesecretary

Lovely deep colour. Big rich nose. Pontefract cakes. Deep flavoured and powerful port. Bravo.

winesecretary

Pale rim. Really very nice port on the palate but to my taste a little light in this august company.

winesecretary

Good rich colour. Hint of the Graham rubber on the nose. Rich palate redolent of ripe strawberries. Very good.

winesecretary

Pale rim. Warm honey rather than red fruit. An off bottle.

winesecretary

Paling, but the palate was still lively, albeit tertiary, with a lovely long warm finish.

winesecretary

Pale rim, but the port is a good colour. Nose promising. Nice rich red fruit on the palate. Possibly suffered by being paired with some smashers. i'd like an evening in on my own with a bottle of this very much.

winesecretary

Yellowing rim. Distinctly orange port. Orange and coffee nose. Orange and honeysuckle palate. Croft 1966 is notoriously variable now, and this is towards the wrong end of that spectrum.

winesecretary

An excellent colour. Good crunchy licorice-infused palate. Almost brutally full at first - needed air and a fair bit of swirling. Flowering later, with lovely spice.

winesecretary

A perfect pigeon's blood ruby. Great exuberant currant nose. Big rich fruity palate. Lovel black cherry finish.

winesecretary

Orange rim. Mi-cuit figs on the nose, a big rich fruity palate, and more figs on the finish. I liked it. Obviously not worth the current preposterous retail price, (and my sincere thanks to the generous provider for its provision) but let the price not obscure the fact that it is interesting, distin...

winesecretary

Glorious deep garnet colour. Interestingly bitter, with nose and palate of pontefract cakes. A bit of a burn at the end. I liked this.

winesecretary

Orange rather than red. Nose has lots of fruit, but the palate is dirty. Not right.

winesecretary

Nice colour for sixty years, with an orange rim. The palate had opened out after the morning double-decanting, and had become a rich, rounded dark fruited port with a hint of the Taylor heat on the finish. My only bottle, but I'll look out for more.

winesecretary

Deep colour. Splendid rich palate, still with proper fruit. Finish at the drier end of things. This is excellent port.

winesecretary

@ Mike J.W. - apparently a blend of 5 of Sandeman, 5 of Fonseca, and 1 of Taylor. I am sure there was Taylor in it, as the heat is an unmistakable characteristic.

winesecretary

This was a delightful evening with a significant number of very good ports many of which could have been WOTN in other tastings. While the Fonseca AHB and Fonseca PW were predictably strong, I particularly enjoyed the Avery and Ferreira, both of which were new to me, and the Sandeman, which was a pa...

winesecretary

Indeed. Does anyone have a spare?

winesecretary

Wine double decanted at 0750.

Lots of fine sediment.

Cork came out in one piece.

QA sample: colour, aroma and taste all excellent.

winesecretary

Double decanted at 0740 on 17/3.

Huge quantities of lumpy sediment, as much as I've ever seen in a port.

Cork largely crumbled on extraction.

Port had good colour, but QA sample was a bit more equivocal. Let's see.

winesecretary

I plan to decant the Avery and Warre at about 0800 into screw tops which will then be sealed and refrigerated before bringing along in the evening.

winesecretary

I am happy to buy in 1977 / 1994 as required / make equalisation payments. (Accepting that for the 1977 I might have to pass silver into the palm of CPR1 as there appears to be none for sale in UK.)

winesecretary

Thank you. It is fated in the stars… I shall be delighted to attend.

winesecretary · Re: 60 @ 66 - Tuesday 14 April 2026 @ nac - very much obliged

@ nac - very much obliged

winesecretary

@idj123 - added

winesecretary

@ Glenn - taking bottles of 47 vintage and 68 Colheita with you to the lecture seems mandatory, right?

Julian’s just written a thriller all about Dow 1878, especially for your next visit, on the same basis.

winesecretary

Carrots (broadly, 1 per kilo of meat; same 1 per kilo ratio for stick of celery and brown onion) do appear to be standard. For me the key seems to be getting onion, celery and carrot down to a mirepoix and then cooking with the oil VERY slowly (1/9, max 2/9) lid on for circa 30 mins before going nea...

winesecretary

Pop and decant and pour. Red rim but 95% opaque. Hint of blueberry in the largely black cherry nose. Palate is not too rich or sweet, with the star anise and South African plums characteristic of this port still holding their own. Good grip on the finish. Never a blockbuster, this is extremely pleas...

winesecretary · Re: Sighted somethings, Wed 25 Feb 2026 To whom should I donate the pound?

To whom should I donate the pound?

winesecretary

One of His Majesty’s finest English pounds.

winesecretary

I’m prepared to bet money that the winners are on the left side of the place mats…

winesecretary

My Noval 1960 is hereby downgraded to a ‘believed Noval 1960’. It has no label, the capsule is not marked with the brand, and on removing the capsule I can’t make out the lettering on the cork. I’d better adopt, if adoption is a possibility or, if there’s something missing that is commercially avail...

winesecretary

18 hour decant A deep red, almost 85% opaque. Reserved nose of sous-bois, like a really ripe but no longer young pinot noir. Glycerine smoothness on the front palate. Then rich plum crumble, complete with hint of Birds' custard, on the mid palate, some nice cinnamon notes thereafter, and very dry, l...

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