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This is the third time Ive heard about a leaker on VPs with the Vesuvio 94 and the third time I heard about leakers on 94 VPs at all.

My 36 bottles of Vesuvio are all fine - at least up to now. Does anyone have an explanation for this. Is it really a matter of the cork?

Axel

Alex,

you never know what will be tomorrow. Maybe your wife is gone, you have diabetes, you get fired or whatever.

Live for the moment and take the best port available.

(you asked for me to vote).

Axel

Julian,

could you please give me an advice about decanting time on this, because the C63 is my christmas-port this year.

Axel

Derek,

I havent bought the ones I intended to buy. Alex offered me to have them send to him.

If you ask him nicely...

Axel

2001 Grahams LBV (bottled 07) I had to open a bottle of the 2001 to see if my impression of the 96 was correct. Almost no change in color compared to the 96. The nose is more flowery with strong notes of rasberries and black currant, some cassic flavor, too. In the mouth this wine appears to be fre...

Actually Alex told me this so it will be his credit.

Majestic is offering Fonsecas Crusted Port for 13,99 minus 4 GBP for every two bottles of Port or Madeira bought there.

Not too cheap but this wine is rarely sold (in Germany)

Best wishes and thanks again, Alex

Axel

1996 Grahams LBV (bottled 02) This was one of my longer term tests concerning filtered LBVs and yes, I must admit that this wine has lost some of its flowery aromas that it used to have earlier. The color is very deep red with nice reflexes. The nose is quite unchanged compared to 6 years ago. Spic...

I experienced the same when having the 95 in the vertical Vesuvio-Tasting 3 weeks ago in Berlin.

Axel

Alex, you lucky guy. I do fly more often than you do, but I never drink whilst flying. Yesterday I had the Grahams LBV 96 (bottled 02) and the 01 (bottled 07) side by side each out of a Literbottle to see how capable of ageing this wine is as it is filtered. Remarkably how intense the 96 still was. ...

Simon,

was that a Colheita?

Axel

Alex,

very interesting. I have halfes of Vargellas 87, 95 and 96 on Death Row presently.

Cheers

Axel

Conky, that's an outstanding idea. Of course, as a small official dealer myself, I do respect Ronnie's argument with the paperwork involved, but as I made it through german customs and taxes, at least on the german side Im happy to support or even lead this project (as the importer) as I already do ...

Thanks a lot, Ronnie. I have just been offered this wine from the official german importer for 60 EUR (without VAT) - and these are prices for re-sellers. So I guess Niepoort will have problems selling this wine for this price. I've had this wine at the Niepoort-lodge this autumn. Though I gave it b...

After 27hrs in the decanter: almost no change. This wine holds very stable its performance. No sign of weakness!

Axel

Out of a half bottle: Decanted 5 hrs in advance. Very nice red colour. Slight traces of age, but very much in limit. The nose showed a fruity layer of red berries (rasberry) whilst the structure appears to be fairly thin. Slight bottle stink. On the palate overwhelming alcohol which kills any other ...

Excellent Intro-Plan. Nothing to add except I would do the following differentiation: Start with the LBV (Late Bottled Vintage) if you like fresh, fruity and strong red wines. Start with a ten year old if you are more a fan of the smoky, woody wines. Or just spend 20 bucks and buy both bottles at th...

Derek,

I had exactly the same experience from your latter notes, because I decanted my LBV 15hrs prior to the first sip. To me the Noval Unfiltered LBV was the closest a LBV ever came to a young Vintage Port of high quality.

Axel

Guys, please don't spread the word too much, but Germany developes to be a cool Port-drinking-country. Having the recent Vesuvio-tasting in Berlin fresh in mind, there will be a privately organized Grahams vertical tasting of the vintages: 2003, 2000, 1997, 1994, 1991, 1985, 1983, 1977, 1975, 1970, ...

Go for it. The Graham's LBV is my favourite concern-breaker, when I try to get people to like portwine (and never failed).

It's a solid, fruity and fairly deep LBV.

Axel

Very deep red colour with a medium structure. The nose is very fruity, fresh with tobacco flavours. On the palate the wine showes an alcoholic sharpness with a good fruit-structure of red berries and liquorice, nicely balanced by the tannins. Average aftertaste. A very pleasant, charming LBV, which ...

Thanks, Alex, for bringing this topic up and discussing it in total again. After all: isn't it good that Port is not Mathematics and that some things are still matter of surprise and luck. It's like in a relationship (if a port lover is still capable to have something like this): the big kick comes ...

Right after opening the bottle I was quite disappointing: the wine appeared to be very flat, the nose very closed with a strong raisinish character. The good, very deep red colour promised a lot though. After 2 hours almost no change, maybe a little more fruity, but the nose was still not good enoug...

I guess we should consult Dr. Vesuvio for this: Alex, what do you think.

Axel

Derek,

I wasnt aware of this, but as Dominic told me that they installed air conditioning around 91/92 a development of the douro bake flavor in the bottle is rather unlikely to me.

Axel

The 2005 Vesuvio Vintage Port does posses all the good stuff, which is needed for a good VP at this stage: a deep black colour with violet reflections and a very good structure. The nose is a fruit bomb (just like the 2003 was two years ago) with very intensive Cassis and black currant notes. On the...