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Cynthia J

This is wonderful and well-deserved, and I am gutted I missed seeing all of you parade down the street. Agree with the rugged good looks and well chosen setting for the photo comments! Saúde!!

Cynthia J

Spoke with a Douro viticultor circa 30 July who said likely quite early - one week if not two - he was seeing pintor end June vs normal mid-end July. Yes, last week July and first two of August are the typical holidays for wine firms and especially the viti and winemaking teams. This week is the usu...

Cynthia J

I cannot imagine the circumstances in which I could do a side by side tasting of Stone Terraces, Noval Nacional etc. I have no rich elderly relatives and I don't do the lottery. :wink: sigh ... me either. If you do discover such a relative, I would like an introduction please. Personally, I'm drink...

Cynthia J

Also, aren’t some of the other Portuguese regions divided up? Like vino verde? Or I might just be imagining that? yes, vinho verde is, less certain about others off the top of my head, but I believe some may be. Regarding your further point about the example of France... ummm... you really think th...

Cynthia J

I cannot think that I have ever compared SQVP of the same vintage and shipper but from different Quinta, I would have thought this possible. For 2000, 2003 and 2007 (maybe others, but those I know) both a Cockburn's and a Quinta dos Canais were made. Also Martinez in each of those years. Might be i...

Cynthia J

Hi Jacob (et al!) Provesende is a village north of Pinhão, up beyond Quinta da Cavadinha, which is at around 600 metres of altitude. I have never heard references to a "Provesende style" per se, but the distinction to be made between any wines and ports made up there versus the usual suspe...

Cynthia J

What Alex and Andy have said. Miguel Potes is doing a great job on the Malvedos Blog and in the latest post again makes the point about micro climates and the incredible differences in conditions across quite small distances - close to 1100 mm per year in Vila Real, half that at Malvedos 15 miles aw...

Cynthia J

...Vilarica. But where exactly is this weather station? The name is familiar and I'm pretty sure there's a Quinta by that name or something similar, Shame on you Tom!! You just flunked Symington 101!!! Vilariça is the valley in the northeast of the Douro where SFE have 3 quintas which were part of ...

Cynthia J

As I type it is raining again here in Gaia - we have had intermittent showers, many pretty heavy, generally overnight or early morning, with mostly clear or at least dry afternoons the past few days. If you go to the ADVID site http://www.advid.pt meteorologia / dados climáticos ... it's worrying. T...

Cynthia J

10mm reported at Vila Real, so hopefully not too much. I wouldn't recommend trying to extrapolate from Vila Real as a rule - they get thoroughly dumped on by any and every passing rainstorm being in the middle of the Marão. I think they get rain that no one else does! Their annual total rainfall is...

Cynthia J

A friend tells me they began cutting Monday at Tua and Malvedos. Elsewhere, others have decided to wait a few days after rain last weekend in their area. And this evening I'm having a few heavy showers here in Gaia, hopefully this wont get up to the vineyards. http://www.ipma.pt/pt/otempo/prev.local...

Cynthia J

Jeff, New York / Newark (that's roughly your 'hood, isn't it?) are at 40Âº North latitude (roughly same as Douro), Belfast is around 54Âº north...

Daniel, this sounds like a wonderful project, good luck!

Cynthia J

smells of car fumes and dog poo

That would be cheap Merlot... Car fumes + cat piss = sauvignon blanc...

Cynthia J

Are you really in Belfast? It's a lovely concept, but aren't you much warmer and more humid with Gulf Stream effect? For example, rosemary and lavendar, which are part of the Douro landscape like dandelions and nettles in England, do smell different to me here, growing on schist soil in baking hot d...

Cynthia J

I have a Nez du Vin - the 54 bottle set - and I have to say I find the scents consistently a bit metallic. I may have had a duff kit, but... As it happens, I am also interested in aromatherapy and have a pretty full set of essential oils - floral and herbal oils and not necessarily wine related! On ...

Cynthia J

Just to clarify - updated photo of Stone Terraces label corrects the bottle count to final bottling - 250 cases / 3000 bottles - original photo was a draft label before we knew final numbers.

Cynthia J

You know that at the Vinum Restaurant every table has a little arrangement of schist as a centrepiece? I'm not sure how much more stone we can spare right now...

Cynthia J

Are the Symingtons willing to give estimated optimal drinking windows for their 2011 declarations? Which will be at peak first, and which will take longest? No, they do not do this. I don't think I have ever heard or seen SFE put "drink by" dates on their wines! The only call we ever make...

Cynthia J

No Gould Campbell? No, nor Quarles Harris nor Martinez. These ports are typically made with the grapes bought in from Douro farmers, primarily in the PinhÃ£o and Rio Torto valleys. For 2011 Symington was focussed on the opportunity to make creme de la creme ports from our own quintas - and when Cha...

Cynthia J

The Big Fortified Tasting will be showing samples of the following: Vesuvio Capella I wondered whether this was a re-brand or a mistake in the BFT catalogue! It is a mistake - That should read Capela da Quinta do Vesuvio 2011. You can also now satisfy a little of your curiousity about Graham's The ...

Cynthia J

Has anyone ever thought of doing a '40 days in the wilderness'-themed tasting? I think we should.

lol... Would that be a 40-day-long tasting? And applauding your wildly creative multitasking, well done!

Cynthia J

Thank you!! See you (and y'all) then.

Cynthia J

Hello Gentlemen (gentle cough... sorry, tickle in my throat!!) Would there be room for one more at the table by any miracle? If so, let me know what sort of wine I should bring, or I am happy to chip in financially to the general good. Thanks.

Cynthia J

Hi Julian, You will have Cynthia blind #1 and Cynthia blind #2, or however you want to name them! Not magnums, alas...

Cynthia J

Rob, Alex - these can, I think (crossed fingers) be handled on a pop and pour basis, no need to worry about decanting early in the day (and I will trust all of you to render your candid opinions of that approach when you taste them!) Worst case, we hang out, let them breathe, and try again over brea...

Cynthia J

It looks as if there might be one more space available? If so, my friend Nicola Thomson would like to come along - is that possible? Let me know. Thanks.

Cynthia J

Duly noted, thank you! Rob - are you out there? Please bring along those bottles to the tasting for me, will you? Thanks!!

Cynthia J

To be honest, I'm not busting a gut to get more vintages of Dow in magnum for this tasting. I'm happy with 6 vintages with consistent provenance but if something happens to turn up that's easy to buy and mature to drink then I'll add. Otherwise it will be just the 6 magnums, which will keep down co...

Cynthia J

Please may I add that to the placemat manual page?

Absolutely. Wonderful tasting last night too - congratulations again to Rob on his birthday as well as organising a great event, it was great to see everyone again. Thank you!

Cynthia J

The placemats are a thing of beauty and joy... I am impressed! My two bottles of mystery port and I have arrived safely in London - I assume we will be tasting those off-piste? Or if you choose not to open them tonight someone can put them in a cellar somewhere for another occasion. See you tonight!

Cynthia J

yes please!! If not available 13 November, I will pick up in Jan with Dow's magnumiwhatsis Thanks!!

Cynthia J

Hmm! Tried to PM but was told you don't exist, Rob... is this whole tasting a figment of my imagination then? Give the bunghole my regards and ask them to save me an artichoke starter and the pavé rump, as well cooked as they can do it in good conscience, which I realise is still pretty rare-ish. I ...

Cynthia J

Glad to see from the notes it showed well at least to some palates! When I purchased that from BBR (long before I came to Portugal) I was told by the BBR salesman that it was fundamentally a Warre wine, but NOT the identical blend to what Warre did under their own brand that year.

Cynthia J

I just happen to have been reading my Richard Mayson on this very subject this evening... according to him, the industrial alcohol incident affected 1972, 1973 and 1974, and although harmless the Casa do Douro bought up large quantities of the affected wines. He also says the state monopoly on aguar...

Cynthia J

Count me in, financial arrangements via pm. thanks!

Cynthia J

Well that just took the blind out of blind tasting! Enjoy!! I can't remember what the Burgundy was though... did I give you the Anne Gros Chambolle Musigny Combe d'Orveaux? Couldn't find it when I was emptying the cellar here...

Cynthia J

Hi, yes, the BBR-supplied-by-SFE bottle and the bottle of Burgundy were left in Derek or someone's care when I was there at the bunghole, I think last October? Can't recall too precisely myself. You folks have carte blanche to use the port for any tasting where it will fit into the theme of the even...

Cynthia J

If I can possibly get there, I would love to sit in on this one... and you know how little I drink, so I won't upset your calculations at all! At this stage, any date is do-able.

Cynthia J

Very pleased to say I am in, with bells on! I have offered a couple odd bottles for tasting, neither graham's nor malvedos nor good red herring (which is a good thing!), so not sure if they will fit with this event, otherwise I will leave them with Derek for the future. Also still hoping to dredge u...

Cynthia J

I tried it... it is entertaining and informative via translator but maybe not quite in the way the author intended... it was the line about the grapes traditionally choking the lagar that got me!

Cynthia J

Hello All! Just wanted to let you know The Vintage Port Site http://www.thevintageportsite.com/ has just gone live with some upgrades. More information, more searchable and navigable was the idea behind this. On the Site and on the Graham's Blog are news items with a full list but the features I thi...

Cynthia J

I hadn't ever thought about that before... I suppose that would make sense but I'd always thought (for no apparent good reason) that the sensation of dryness had little to do with how much sugar was in the wine and more to do with flavours of the grapes. Does terroir really have nothing to do with ...

Cynthia J

but you have 30 megs of email in case you want to disagree. Careful what you wish for... !! Just this minute home from Douro not sure I can face 30mg of Julian at this hour, but thank you very much, and look forward to reviewing them tomorrow morning!! Wine list looks not too shabby, I have to say!...

Cynthia J

Oh you poor darlings!! we were forcing ourselves to drink bottle after bottle of 40-50 year old mature port. If anyone has a good clear photo of the gang, the bottle, and Johnny and Richard, please send to me - blogadmin at grahams-port dot com This evening if possible - I would like something for a...

Cynthia J

Have fun tonight - wish I could be there too!

Cynthia J

Thank you all once again for a wonderful evening, good company and good ports!

Cynthia J

Cynthia's middle letter is H Sorry to hear RAYC will be late and Jacob trapped in the midlands (shudder).

Cynthia J

You guys are the best, I can't wait to see all of you! And this time I wil not be empty handed, though I will let Derek judge the state of the bottles and whether they should be opened or held for future tastings after a no doubt traumatic trip in my luggage. Have a great weekend, but go gently on t...

Cynthia J

Do you mean brand or really just one quinta? Brands, yes, some do have clear recognisable styles I think. Even with my pretty limited experience I have gotten pretty good at spotting Graham vs Dow vs Vesuvio - and also being able to accurately rule OUT those three as possibilities when tasting blind...

Cynthia J

I dont think there is any full size reproduction of the Forrester map. There are small repro copies of Forrester's maps for sale at the Solar here in Porto - I think they are a metre or two long, and I dont think they are expensive, perhaps €25. They may be available at the IVDP shop too - you might...

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