2020 Churchill

[Alex Bridgeman]

The Churchill Port Club pack 6 (summer 2022) contained a half bottle cask sample of the soon-to-be-released 2020 vintage Port. I loved the innovation of being able to present the wine to consumers in the UK market. I tasted the cask sample over a number of days and consolidated my thoughts into the following note:

Kept at cellar temperature for day 1 and at fridge temperature thereafter. Deep red, purple tone; opaque. A baked pine resin tone on the nose, presumably from the choice of spirit used to fortify the Port and which should fade as the spirit fully integrates into the wine. Big and powerful palate with earthy fruit and two-toned tannins - some of those tannins have a lovely green bite and some show to be ripe and toasted. Great fruit driven finish. Made in an old-fashioned style of big and uncompromising young Port. Good promise. 86-88/100. 03-Aug-2022.

[JacobH]

I’m quite interested that they managed to get away with this from a regulatory perspective since I don’t think there is any question of this being a “free” sample as we have seen the past...