Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
Nickolls and Perks with Anthony Symington present a virtual tasting with 6 x 50ml samples to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of Graham’s. £65 gets you a zoom tasting and 50ml sample bottles of the below to enjoy:-
20yo Tawny
40yo Tawny
2008 Malvedos
2000 VP
1985 VP
1970 VP
https://www.nickollsandperks.co.uk/Grah ... ember-2020
20yo Tawny
40yo Tawny
2008 Malvedos
2000 VP
1985 VP
1970 VP
https://www.nickollsandperks.co.uk/Grah ... ember-2020
Last edited by Doggett on 08:49 Thu 29 Oct 2020, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Warre’s Otima 10 year old Tawny
- Posts: 565
- Joined: 20:42 Tue 13 Nov 2018
- Location: Three Bridges
Re: Nicholls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
Cheers for the share - Bought!
I now ask the inevitable follow up - anyone for a post tasting zoom? Unfortunately I don't have an account to host it.
I now ask the inevitable follow up - anyone for a post tasting zoom? Unfortunately I don't have an account to host it.
-
- Dalva Golden White Colheita 1952
- Posts: 3709
- Joined: 13:22 Wed 15 Dec 2010
- Location: Near Cambridge, UK
Re: Nicholls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
Thanks for the heads-up Simon, I will be up for it (and post-zoom zoom if others are too)
Re: Nicholls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
Mrs W. has a pro Zoom.
Re: Nicholls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
I would be up for a post tasting Zoom if someone is able to arrange and kind enough to oblige.
-
- Warre’s Traditional LBV
- Posts: 315
- Joined: 15:40 Sat 23 Jun 2018
Re: Nicholls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
Good stuff, Simon - also ordered.
- Alex Bridgeman
- Croft 1945
- Posts: 16020
- Joined: 12:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Berkshire, UK
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
Please add me to the after party list
Top Ports in 2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2025: Quevedo 1972 Colheita, b.2024. Just as good as Niepoort 1900!
2025: Quevedo 1972 Colheita, b.2024. Just as good as Niepoort 1900!
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
I have secured my tasting pack. Or at any rate I shall have done by 02 December. I likewise have the technical means to set up the afterword. I would invite those interested to send their email addresses to Simon, if he does not already have same; in turn, he will forward them to me and I shall send the link.
- nac
- Taylor Quinta de Vargellas 1987
- Posts: 2326
- Joined: 13:21 Fri 16 Dec 2016
- Location: Kent & London
- Contact:
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
Have also ordered. Yes please.
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
I have lots of your emails but please confirm if you are doing this tasting and want to join the after discussion. To any that are wishing to join that I don’t have an email for, please PM me and I will collate and forward to Will.Will W. wrote: ↑23:43 Thu 26 Nov 2020 I have secured my tasting pack. Or at any rate I shall have done by 02 December. I likewise have the technical means to set up the afterword. I would invite those interested to send their email addresses to Simon, if he does not already have same; in turn, he will forward them to me and I shall send the link.
-
- Dalva Golden White Colheita 1952
- Posts: 3709
- Joined: 13:22 Wed 15 Dec 2010
- Location: Near Cambridge, UK
Re: RE: Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
Confirmed.Doggett wrote:please confirm if you are doing this tasting and want to join the after discussion.
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
Confirmed-assuming my tasting pack arrives in time.
- Alex Bridgeman
- Croft 1945
- Posts: 16020
- Joined: 12:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Berkshire, UK
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
Yes please to the after party.
Top Ports in 2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2025: Quevedo 1972 Colheita, b.2024. Just as good as Niepoort 1900!
2025: Quevedo 1972 Colheita, b.2024. Just as good as Niepoort 1900!
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
I won't be doing the tasting (too expensive to ship to the US), but would love an invite to the after party!
Glenn Elliott
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
I have sent the link/login details to Simon to forward to those of you who are interested. The system runs off your browser (i.e., no download required); and, according to my IT guys, there is no "monitor" needed and I cannot screw it up. We shall see, insha'allah.
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
I have sent the link to those that I know are coming out to play. Let me know if anyone else would like to join.Will W. wrote: ↑21:38 Mon 30 Nov 2020 I have sent the link/login details to Simon to forward to those of you who are interested. The system runs off your browser (i.e., no download required); and, according to my IT guys, there is no "monitor" needed and I cannot screw it up. We shall see, insha'allah.
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
There is a small download and installation (BlueJeansLauncher.exe) but it went smoothly for me. I'm now connected and waiting for the rest of you to arrive!Will W. wrote: ↑21:38 Mon 30 Nov 2020 I have sent the link/login details to Simon to forward to those of you who are interested. The system runs off your browser (i.e., no download required); and, according to my IT guys, there is no "monitor" needed and I cannot screw it up. We shall see, insha'allah.
Glenn Elliott
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
No idea why my camera doesn't work with BlueJeans - it works fine with Zoom. But it was great seeing everyone again! I'll make sure to get my work done so that I can join everyone on the 15th, too.
Glenn Elliott
- Axel P
- Taylor Quinta de Vargellas 1987
- Posts: 2037
- Joined: 07:09 Wed 12 Sep 2007
- Location: Langenfeld, near Cologne, Germany
- Contact:
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
Hi Guys, could the participants of this tasting with some experience of the wines tell me how the 85 and 70 were from the smaller bottles?
Thanks in advance
Axel
Thanks in advance
Axel
worldofport.com
o-port-unidade.com
o-port-unidade.com
-
- Dalva Golden White Colheita 1952
- Posts: 3709
- Joined: 13:22 Wed 15 Dec 2010
- Location: Near Cambridge, UK
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
Hi Axel, I did also wonder how the wines - particularly the '70 - would hold up to being decanted at least 48hrs ahead; I needn't have worried. The G70 (which I understand was decanted/bottled with Argon) showed very well, and the G85 was the best showing of G85 I've had. The GM2008 was ok, while I pleasantly surprised by the potential for the G2000 once more mature, and the G20yr and G40yr showed typically.
There was a wide range of experience levels within the audience, from new to port to experienced. The initial presentations were well pitched to include interesting details for the more knowledgeable as well as the basics for the more novice, though at around 40-45min were perhaps a touch long before starting to taste the port - I know I started early. however the content of the presentations was interesting, and I meant to ask if copies of the slides might be available afterwards, which I should do. The tasting and subsequent informal discussions was great and went on for some time; everyone seemed happy to be there. Nickolls and Perks did an excellent job preparing/organising the tasting, and it was a very enjoyable evening.
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
Agree with all Phil has to say on the evening, apart from the G70. My sample unfortunately had a touch of TCA. So not a fault of the small bottle but a flawed bottle it was taken from. It wasn’t enough to not drink it, but there was enough to make it a touch disappointing and not even close to G70s I have enjoyed before. As Phil says the 85 was drinking superbly, the 2000 was a highlight and I would love to get some to try in a decade or three! The 20YO was surprisingly lovely as I normally favour other 20YO tawnies, and although the 40YO was beautifully complex, I have enjoyed better examples of this Port.
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
For me, G70 is top 3 from 1970 and G85 is top 2 from 1985. Actual position varies by bottle in both cases, but neither one really ever leaves the top. They're just fabulous Ports.
So I'm curious how the 2008 Malvedos held up in that company?
So I'm curious how the 2008 Malvedos held up in that company?
Glenn Elliott
- JacobH
- Quinta do Vesuvio 1994
- Posts: 3300
- Joined: 15:37 Sat 03 May 2008
- Location: London, UK
- Contact:
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
This is a very fair write-up.PhilW wrote: ↑14:36 Tue 08 Dec 2020Hi Axel, I did also wonder how the wines - particularly the '70 - would hold up to being decanted at least 48hrs ahead; I needn't have worried. The G70 (which I understand was decanted/bottled with Argon) showed very well, and the G85 was the best showing of G85 I've had. The GM2008 was ok, while I pleasantly surprised by the potential for the G2000 once more mature, and the G20yr and G40yr showed typically.
There was a wide range of experience levels within the audience, from new to port to experienced. The initial presentations were well pitched to include interesting details for the more knowledgeable as well as the basics for the more novice, though at around 40-45min were perhaps a touch long before starting to taste the port - I know I started early. however the content of the presentations was interesting, and I meant to ask if copies of the slides might be available afterwards, which I should do. The tasting and subsequent informal discussions was great and went on for some time; everyone seemed happy to be there. Nickolls and Perks did an excellent job preparing/organising the tasting, and it was a very enjoyable evening.
The long presentation before the tasting bit drives me mad every time. I remember having one at a nameless quinta in the Douro where the chap spoke for over an hour before letting us drink anything! (And that wasn’t even to a group of devoted Port fans). It’s like running a restaurant: delays in getting people’s first courses to them are rarely a problem as long as you give them all a drink promptly when they ask. I think the way to do it is to include a cheaper wine and start on that right at the start of the presentation.
Anyway, beyond that I thought the speakers were really engaging. I haven’t met anyone from that generation of the Symington family before I really appreciated their views. Following on from a recent thread on the main board, I thought it was interesting that they were at pains to tell us they were Portuguese: I am not sure their parents might have put it in quite the same way.
I asked a question about house styles, and was quite interested that Anthony answered in respect of the tawnies and Tom in respect of the vintages. I felt that said a bit about how there isn’t a particular aim to match the Graham tawny house style to the VP one! They said that they think the Graham’s tawnies have a bit more age than the other Symington brands which was interesting. Their description of the VP was very much as expected (something like being a fruitier than Dow).
I thought all the samples were fine, condition-wise. I do wonder about the use of argon though, and whether it can linger in the glass or somehow constrain the nose? The reason for this is at the TFP tasting the 1970 Colheita had no nose whatsoever for the first hour before suddenly opening up and whilst there wasn’t anything as dramatic as that here, they did seem initially a bit more subdued than I might have expected. I wonder if the argon tends to pour out of the bottles with the Port and then sits in the glasses?
I posted my notes on

Of the Vintages, I agree that the 1970 was perhaps just a touch under its usual world-beating performance but still very enjoyable. The 1985 and 2000 were both excellent. I was really impressed by the latter which I don’t think I have tried before.
I certainly thought the 2008 stood up to the classic blends. It’s obviously not from a classic year but you don’t get a sense than it is anything less than a Graham’s Vintage Port made in a lesser year. That is why I have always liked Malvedos: I just think it represents stupendous value for money.
-
- Warre’s Traditional LBV
- Posts: 315
- Joined: 15:40 Sat 23 Jun 2018
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
I really liked the G85, too - I’ve only had it on a couple of occasions prior (via a Coravin) but it seemed to me that this G85 showed *considerably* better.
- Axel P
- Taylor Quinta de Vargellas 1987
- Posts: 2037
- Joined: 07:09 Wed 12 Sep 2007
- Location: Langenfeld, near Cologne, Germany
- Contact:
Re: Nickolls and Perks - Graham’s 200th Anniversary Virtual tasting 2nd December 2020
Thank you for the excellent feedback, gentlemen. "See" you tomorrow.
worldofport.com
o-port-unidade.com
o-port-unidade.com