ThePortForum.com

Frederick Blais

I did have this a couple of times during the harvest again this year. One was serve side by side with the Secundum. Surprisingly upon opening the Secundum was the favourite of all, and I mean all. We did the same test 24 hour later, it was totally different, the classic VP was more open and become a...

Frederick Blais

When has 1995 been considered a weaker vintage? 1994 was so vaulted, that 1995 relegated to SQ's when it could've been a formally declared vintage. The few 95's I have tried have all been good at minimum. As for Vesuvio 95, I do not think £26 is a deal, but is not robbery either. Maybe the '94 &...

Frederick Blais

This I think from memory was set up when Christian van Zellar left Noval the only bottle I posses is an 83.which I have'nt tasted yet This is mainly the Jose Maria de Fonseca new projects in the Douro. There are famous for their Moscatel in the Setubal area and some other wines. They started to inv...

Frederick Blais

But at the end of the night Tom, we could clearly see the magic out of Nacional. It was so shut when we first tasted it and 5 hours later it was the most exotic and exuberant bouquet on a Port I had not have in many years for such a young wine. For me Nacional et like Romanée Conti of DRC. Never a b...

Frederick Blais

RonnieRoots wrote:It was probably our cleaner (who denies of course).

Then throw his brooms on the floor and see if he likes it!

I'm sorry for you.

Frederick Blais

Nacional 2000 and Taylor 1970... Recently Roriz 70 and Niepoort 70 where in the big leagues!

Frederick Blais

Once I'm on the site it is fine, but to get access to it, it takes me a good 10 secs

Frederick Blais

Received an email today from a grower. "raining hard" for the last 2 days was his words. It did not seem to worried and just said that his harvest start date could be push further.

Frederick Blais

My only concern with Port is the blend. One barrel is just not as good as the final blend, especially for tawnies style. For VP, pipes are huge and still they blend them but would we be able to buy one pipe and sell 10 000 bottles made from it?

Frederick Blais

The reports of uneven ripening are a worry, but not a death sentence - the vintage reports from '94 mention similar problems, but no-one complained about the outcome! Tom Though I think that 94 was way hotter. A grower told me that in August the nights were especially cold, which is unusual. His cr...

Frederick Blais

Champagne is the most lucrative wine market on the planet. There is no such thing as bulk cheap wine. They all sell for premium prices and they produce millions of bottle each year. As Roy pointed out, Axa really raised the consistency and the price of the NN, we should be able to witness the result...

Frederick Blais

BTW, Unless a miracle happens in the next couple of weeks it doesn't look good for a large major declaration, in terms of quality and enough quantity. I would guess and say 2008 will probably have some very good SQVPs. Well even though we have great quality, it is doubtful '08 will be declared for ...

Frederick Blais

Had the 83 quite a few times between 98 and 2004 and I always enjoyed it!

Frederick Blais

I got some news today from 2 sources. One that is mostly coming around small producers and the other one from reputable port house. Both friends are not everyday in the field but involved closely in the market and in touch with growers/producers on a weekly basis at least. So far, the echos of a war...

Frederick Blais

I tend to agree with most of your saying. NN is not immune to Phyloxera, the vines can survives on average 35 years before being replaced by a shoot growing just beside once its start to weaken. We can say that the vector of Phyloxera is slower in those parts of the Douro than other places that grow...

Frederick Blais

Haven't got any exciting news yet on 2008. Normally when I chat with farmers, producers during the year, you can feel the excitement when a good vintage is on the way. So far, I did not notice anything about 2008. I'll try to get some fresh news, or in 2 weeks, we should know more.

Frederick Blais

Yes they're used for the workers, but also for locals who come to the quinta and buy the cheapest table wine. We tasted a sample of this once at Quinta de Baldias. It was horrible! At the vale de mendiz facilities of Niepoort, some left overs of Charme are bottled into this and it is served to work...

Frederick Blais

Gould Campbell 83 for me is a very pleasant, complex and young looking VP at the moment. Liquorice domination on flavour profiles is what I got but I had no impression of corked taint nor muted nose.

Frederick Blais

Michael, you are correct, Beaujolais has its gem and they are not too expensive.

If you want to pay a little more, dig for the wines from Chamonard, Foillard and Guy Breton especially. They are among the very best producers.

Guy Breton Vieilles Vignes 2005 is my favourite Beaujolais to date.

Frederick Blais

For me this was sweet and raisinny, fresh dates, but way too much alcohol showing!

Frederick Blais

Balance, concentration, mass of tannins, acidity, the lenght on the palate and the Backbone!

Frederick Blais

Here what it looks like on grapes at harvest time...

http://www.frederickblais.com/pics/disp ... =67&pos=21

Frederick Blais

This bottle was opened with Luc side by side with Niepoort 2003 : http://www.theportforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=1839 I really wanted to have this bottle since I got it in my cellar as I did not have the chance to taste it in the Douro. Still Luc never had such a young VP so it would be interesting to ...

Frederick Blais

Sunday with Luc I did open this to celebrate is first experience with Niepoort VP. I think that on that day I could not open a more perfect bottle, it was shining. The nose was so expressive, with mixing essence of dark ripe plums, black cherries and current, not to forget the fragrance of sexy flor...

Frederick Blais

Looking forward to a good fun with DRT. I've been in touch with him since the early days of the vintage port site. Hopefuly he will not bring his ghost in the Douro for my photos (inside) I'll make sure Derek got his feet well clean before jumping in the lagares too, just for our own health after al...

Frederick Blais

I am reading DIRT

Frederick Blais

Niepoort Garrafeira never get filtration, while the Tawny can probably do a llittle. You can always decide the size of the particle you want to stop with the membrane you choose.

Frederick Blais

I like this wine too and I agree that it is young and more will come in the future from this.

I got 3 bottles of this and always with the same conclusion. I think it is a matter of taste that some thinks it won't evolve well, because there is quite a few that don't like this Port.

Frederick Blais

Happy to read that you look excited with this port. I like it a lot too and don't understand why some say it is underachieving...

Waiting to read more

Frederick Blais

Thank you, just the kind of news I need to know what country I'll be moving to

Frederick Blais

There is nothing like tasting. Even if books talk about it, you may not taste the same way as the author. At least taste a few, if you can associate what you taste with what the authors taste for your palate, then you are on a roll! Everyone has his own palate and tasting profile, get yours and know...

Frederick Blais

Granted, this probably should go under a different headliner, but the theme is relevant: Niepoort decided to forego their renowned dry wines 'Batuta' and 'Charme' bottlings for 2006 as well. Apparently quality was a bit evasive in 2006, something I detected amongst many Douro wines at ProWein a few...

Frederick Blais

I did opened SW Vintage 1994 Today. Gratfully the 94 I tasted back in November was probably and early evolving bottle. Though the one I had today was fresh and young on the nose, it was overipe and short on the palate. The wine is clear ruby showing little tawny edges. The nose is really atractive w...

Frederick Blais

If your memory does not have more ... I guess it was one of those full of wine dinner at Passadouro

Frederick Blais

After a disapointing bottle 2 years ago, I wanted to drink this 2nd bottle. This time, it was a winner. It is always surprising to buy from the same source 2 bottles of Port that are finally totally different. Clear ruby color with a slight tawny rim. It took around 30 mins to wash the heat noticeab...

Frederick Blais

Tom, anytime you want to trade some 92 Taylor's for any 91, anytime!!! For me 92 Taylor is the most perfect young port I have ever tasted with Nacional 2000. That it is showing so young right now is just one proof of its quality to withstand time. The balance and the depth in this wine is huge. I ag...

Frederick Blais

It was described to me as the combination of oxidative followed by reductive ageing - being a minimum of 7 years in wood followed by 8 years in glass. The other difference is that Garrafeiras are not filtered at any stage. This means that they are unlike VP because the spend 5 years longer in wood ...

Frederick Blais

Casal dos Jordes Anyone ever heard of this ??? I have talket with the owner/winemaker - he`s a serious great, old man and he makes a top nice product. This Port house along with Quinta da Seara D'Ordens are making easy SQVP style. Easy to drink with great fruit purity for cheap prices. Volative are...

Frederick Blais

Derek, how did you like Pacheca wines and port? I really think think they are a secret kept in Portugal.

Frederick Blais

Axel P wrote:Frederic,

I do have the same problem at home with all the computers at home. Try first to log in to:

http://anonymouse.org/anonwww_de.html

and then type theportforum.com in. That will do. No idea why it is blocked since no naked girls appear there.

Axel

Thank you Axel, it does work

Frederick Blais

Hi guys, just to say that I just can't browse the internet on the job as much as I'd like to. I got cought at my previous job :? I've changed job since but this one is more serious... I have to behave. I don't know why, but since a few months, this site seems to be blocked somewhere between my house...

Frederick Blais

I've amended my definition of Garrafeira due to most recent information I could share with Dirk over the last week-end.

Frederick Blais

I'm lurking

I've drink a few things recently, but not posted any tasting notes anywhere. But yes the next couple of weeks will be quiet for me.

Frederick Blais

It was great to meet some for the first time and others for a 2nd. I did chear Luc about the silence on peanut butter and he was quite a serious guy enjoying every sip of port. Here are quick impression, I did not take any notes. Ferreira 1980 was from a bottle that stand upright during 20+years bec...

Frederick Blais

You don't do 200 cases of a wine to make huge profits out of it. It is your passion for quality and distinction. The ex-cellar price of this wine is around 100 euros.... Guess who makes the most out of it! Anyway what I find very interesting is that it is really distinct and a big step above the Var...

Frederick Blais

I had the 99 from Magnum last year and it is definitively not my type of wine. But I can see why some likes it, it is a style famous in Napa especially. For me it is just pushing it too much. If it was sweet, it could be port

Frederick Blais

So far, commercial release are 1995,1997,2000,2004. 1997 Was tricky to get. It was released in a very limited velvet box trio with 95 and 2000 only sold in USA and UK with high publicity in magazines :cry: Tom is right, when I visited Taylor in 2004 there was a couple of vat of 2003 that was planned...

Frederick Blais

I got this 2 weeks ago and was very disapointed to have bought this wine. The clerk was trying to convince me that it was a great wine in a great vintage but then I told him he was looking too close at vintage index :) It was thin, evolved, dry and unbalanced. It had been decanted for 3 hours. Serve...

Frederick Blais

that is interesting, with wine in heat, I personally figured the change in taste due to improper storage would be when port turns into madiera. so instead of a lush fruit, you get a more sharp acidic profile... or does douro bake impart a different kind of taste? G-Man, the temperature for madeira ...

Frederick Blais

For me you can't speak of Douro Bake once the port is in bottle. Once in bottle, I'd say that the Port has been damaged by the heat of the Douro creating faulty flavors in Port. Calling it Douro Baked Vesuvio is a nice word to hide a flaw in my opinion. Normally big companies should transfer all the...

ThePortForum.com

Search found 170 matches

Re: 2003 Niepoort Vintage Port

Re: Advice please Gentlemen

Re: help with a label Van zeller?

Re: Nacional - Myth or Magic?

Re: GRRRRR!

Re: Best Port You've Ever Rated?

Re: Speed of site response

Re: 2008 vintage - The countdown

Re: A port wine society?

Re: 2008 vintage - The countdown

Re: Nacional - Myth or Magic?

Re: 2008 vintage - The countdown

Re: Ramos Pinto 1982 / 1983?

Re: 2008 vintage - The countdown

Re: Nacional - Myth or Magic?

Re: 2008 vintage - The countdown

Re: A Good Nose

2004 Noval Vintage Port

2003 Niepoort Vintage Port

1992 Niepoort Vintage

Re: By what process does a garrafeira become a garrafeira?

Quick hello