Hello from London

[winesecretary]

Hello. I've been lurking here for many years, deriving enjoyment and knowledge from the discussions, and have decided to emerge from the shadows.

My primary vinous collecting and drinking interests are burgundy and madeira, but I have had the pleasure of drinking some admirable port over the years, starting with the Cockburn 1967 my father bought me for my 14th birthday (in 1987).

By profession I am a lawyer but enough about that. This is a port forum so better in credential terms to start by mentioning recent port drinking highlights than the type of law I practice.

The last decade's port highlights have been a violet-scented Martinez '45, a pretty Cockburn '50, a marvellously figgy Noval Nacional '60; splendidly pristine bottles of Dow '63, Croft '63, Noval '66 and Taylor '66 all courtesy of old friends who laid them down when first bottled (looking back on them, I rated the more powerful '66s more highly, but find '63s that haven't spent the recent years moving from saleroom to saleroom can be lovely); and Smith Woodhouse '70. I have hitherto found the '77s unready although I have enjoyed Dow '77 and Graham '77 in half recently. While I have a very good memory for wine, these have all been consumed individually at the end of dinners rather than in a tasting setting, so comparative port tastings will be a new departure for me.

I look forward to interacting with you all.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Welcome Winesecretary, and thank you for out of the shadows - and I love the Port credentials! That's a fabulous selection of Portious highlights you've drunk.

I hope you can join us at one of our London based tastings in the not-to-distant future. We've had a few people come along to their first tasting in the last couple of months and it's been fun to welcome some new faces. We have a couple of places at the dinners on both 21st May and 23rd May so please feel free to add your name to the thread of either (or both).

Alex