DWWA 2025 - High Scoring Ports

[Alex Bridgeman]

One of the bits of fun about being a judge for the Decanter World Wine Awards is that you taste all the wines blind. Wines are put into flights so that similar wines are grouped together and judged in context. Judges are told the style and vintage but not the producer or the name of the wine.

So, for example, you might be told that you are tasting a flight of 8 10YO Tawnies. That's all you're told. Judging is done in panels of three or four, led by a senior judge. Each individual judge will work their way through the flight in silence, making notes and scoring as they go. Any judge can call for a second (or third) bottle if they consider the first to be flawed.

DWWA uses a 100 point scoring system that has some nice descriptors assigned to bands. These descriptors really help when the panel comes to discuss and compare scores at the end of each flight. I forget what the exact descriptors are, but they are roughly:

• Bronze - 85-89 - a well made wine within its category which can be drunk with satisfaction and enjoyment
• Silver - 90-94 - an excellent wine in its category, bringing excitement and pleasure when drunk
• Gold - 95-96 - an outstanding wine in its category, a wine which delivers considerable presence and command

At the end of a flight the judges discuss their impressions of the wines and their scores. Any significant differences of opinion are mediated by the senior judge, but if the differences remain unresolved a Regional Chair can be called over to give some guidance and/or make a final determination. A call to the Regional Chair doesn't happen often - maybe two or three times a day (out of 120+ wines).

At the end of week 1, any and all wines which have been awarded a gold medal by the panels are retasted by the regional chairs and competition co-chairs. The chairs will decide whether to confirm the award of a gold medal, whether to demote the wine to a silver medal or whether to promote the wine to a platinum medal (97+). At the end of week 2, all platinum medal wines are retasted once again and a Best in Show selected for each wine category / region (but any categories / regions where no wines were awarded platinum will not have a Best in Show!).

But the bit I really, really like is that after the competition results are released, you get a copy of your tasting notes so you can actually find out what you tasted and what you thought of it. I've just gone through my notes and been surprised by a few of the wines, especially ones I'd not tasted before.

In a day or two, I'll post a little table of the Best in Show, platinum and gold medal winning Ports I tasted together with my personal scores. (And if anyone is interested in a similar table for the Madeira, Sherry and Setúbal scores then let me know.)

[winesecretary]

I am interested in the madeira as well as the port ones… so do post that in the appropriate place.

[MigSU]

This is excellent, thank you.

[mosesbotbol]

That's cool. Must be an honor to be invited to judge. Just fortified wines?

[Alex Bridgeman]

That's cool. Must be an honor to be invited to judge. Just fortified wines?

Mostly fortified, but sometimes also Spanish and Portuguese table wines.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Wine	DWWA Score	My score	My comment
Kopke White Colheita 2006	Gold - 96	95	Some gentle fruit on the nose leads to a palate which is soft, round and well balanced - the residual sugar shows as a sweetness in the wine but is well balanced by the acidity. The dried mango on the palate is generous and confident and lingers a long time on the finish. Very satisfying.
Kopke White Colheita 2002	Platinum - 97	94	A wonderful nose on the golden-amber coloured glass; rich and inviting. Balanced on the palate with the residual sugar being nicely matched by the acidity. The dried yellow fruit emerges on the mid-palate, a mixture of pineapple and mango. The aftertaste is impressive, sweet jellied fruits which are fabulous.
Quinta do Ventozelo Colheita 2014	Gold - 95	95	An attractive nose with a little freshness to the fruit. The freshness shows on the palate with a gentle grip holding the dried fruit flavours in check. Good freshness to the wine which manages to hold the residual sugar in check with finesse. The elegance of the wine combined with the generosity of fruit makes this a winner for me.
Kopke 30YO Tawny	Gold - 95	95	Sweet caramelised orange on the nose; sweet but slightly lighter in texture than most 30YO tawnies. More of an elegant style, the wine does not compromise on flavour or intensity. Very, very impressive.
Calem 30YO Tawny	Gold - 95	94	What is not to love about a 30YO tawny? This displays glorious caramel and orange on the nose, with a big and rich palate full of intense and concentrated flavour. Nicely balanced with a lovely persistence on the finish. An excellent wine.
Quinta do Tedo Colheita 2006	Gold - 96	93	Given the age of the wine, the nose is surprisingly fresh with generous levels of dried fruit. Good concentration without sacrificing the balance in the wine, full of flavour and very attractive. Slightly sticky at the end, but well focused and thoroughly enjoyable.
Dalva Colheita 1985	Platinum - 97	96	Elegant on the eye the wine is just as elegant on the palate with wonderful citrus reduction and caramel flavours. Generous lime acidity cleans the mid-palate and prepares you for the next flood of flavours. The aftertaste is stunning, so full of complexity with one layer after another. Remarkable.
Kopke Colheita 1976	Platinum - 97	92	Warm toffee and orange on the nose, light bodied on the palate with a delicacy that belies the acidity and sugar in the wine. A lovely citrus aftertaste and long, persistent finish.
Kopke Colheita 1966	Gold - 95	95	Deep chestnut brown in colour showing considerable aging in wood. A glorious nose, packed full of layers of flavour. Thickened in texture on the palate, with the acidity intense and carrying a complex set of molasses and every imaginable form of citrus across the palate - each one demanding attention. Stunning.
Quinta dos Malvedos 2018	Best in Show - 97	95	Sweet perfumed nose. This wine has a lovely balance with the chalky tannins sitting comfortably in the ripe black cherry fruit. The three critical components (fruit, tannins and acidity) are harmonious and promise a lovely future for this wine - although it is delicious to drink now in its "fruit bomb" phase.
Menin Estates 20YO White	Gold - 96	93	Expressive nose, sweet honeysuckle perfume on a cool morning before the heat of the midday sun. Balanced palate with lots of ripe peach and a hint of pineapple. The finish is a little shorter than I would like, but the wine is a big step up from the 10 year old white Ports.
Kopke 40YO White	Platinum - 97	96	Subdued fruity nose of dried mango. Nice texture, a little thicker than the younger wines. Surprisingly chewy on the palate with the fruit having a touch of tannin to provide a little freshness. Lots of fruit, good acidity, full in flavour - what more could you want from a 40 Year Old White Port!
Menin Estates 50YO White	Gold - 96	94	A golden brown colour, suggesting some significant age. A little sous bois and bletted medlar on the nose. Wonderfully acidic on the palate delivering a huge mouthful of wine, with delicious fresh and ripe mango all over the palate. Big and bruising, so acidic that the high level of residual sugar is (almost) entirely hidden. Great blend.
Graham LBV 2019	Gold - 95	95	Sweet and ripe blackcurrant nose with that wonderfully judged balance point showing on the palate as well. That first impression of sweet ripe fruit is then backed up by very grippy tannins and a lovely fruit-led acidity. Big and fresh — and absolutely delicious.
Sandeman 30YO Tawny	Gold - 95	94	Nutty nose with a little VA (in a good way). Complex palate with caramel, nutskins and mandarin. I love the interplay of flavours on the palate. Vibrant acidity and a little hint of tannins completes this wonderful and satisfactory wine. Lovely.
Ferreira 30YO Tawny	Gold - 96	96	Delicious rancio on the nose, sweet fruit. Fabulous mouthful of concentrated fruit, some burnt sugar but dominated by the sweet apple fried in butter. Great acidity, full and rich. Such a satisfying wine.
Maynard 30YO Tawny	Platinum - 97	95	An unusually clean nose with no rancio character - a little unusual in the 30 Year Old Tawny category. Crepe suzette and caramelised orange on the nose and the palate. Smooth with acidity that grabs the attention and demands focus. So much fruit in the wine, on the palate and on the long aftertaste. Really very good.
Graham 40YO Tawny	Gold - 96	95	Amazingly expressive nose, full of vinagrinho. Such a lovely texture with the powerful acidity cutting through the residual sugar leaving a fabulous melon melange. Such a crazy long finish. Really very good wine.
Menin Estates 50YO Tawny	Best in Show - 97	96	Dark chestnut brown colour. Rich vinagrinho nose. Thick in texture with burnt caramel the first impression — and then a huge wave of grapefruit acidity washes over the palate and sucks the moisture out of the cheeks. This is a huge wine, made from a treasure trove of old wines and pulls off the power superbly.

[Glenn E.]

• Bronze - 85-89 - a well made wine within its category which can be drunk with satisfaction and enjoyment
• Silver - 90-94 - an excellent wine in its category, bringing excitement and pleasure when drunk
• Gold - 95-96 - an outstanding wine in its category, a wine which delivers considerable presence and command

Gold seems like a rather narrow score range compared to Bronze and Silver. And compared to Platinum for that matter, which is presumably 97-100. But those are very close to what I call Very Good (87-89), Excellent (90-93), and Outstanding (94-96).

I enjoyed reading your notes and scores. I must admit that your scores seem a little higher than normal for you? Those are approximately what I would expect to score those wines, so I would have expected your scores to be a couple of points lower.

[jdaw1]

Very interesting. In zero wines did Alex score more than the consensus vote. Exactly none.

What should be made of this? That Alex doesn’t sufficiently like Port?

[mcoulson]

Thankyou Alex for taking the time to do this ... Very interesting indeed ....

[Mike J. W.]

This is a great, fun read, thank you Alex. I've heard of Menin, but have never seen any of their Ports in the U.S. The 50 year-old sounds very enticing.

I would be interested in reading your notes on the Madeira, Sherry and Setubal that you scored if you have time. Thanks.

[Alex Bridgeman]

• Bronze - 85-89 - a well made wine within its category which can be drunk with satisfaction and enjoyment
• Silver - 90-94 - an excellent wine in its category, bringing excitement and pleasure when drunk
• Gold - 95-96 - an outstanding wine in its category, a wine which delivers considerable presence and command

Gold seems like a rather narrow score range compared to Bronze and Silver. And compared to Platinum for that matter, which is presumably 97-100. But those are very close to what I call Very Good (87-89), Excellent (90-93), and Outstanding (94-96).

I enjoyed reading your notes and scores. I must admit that your scores seem a little higher than normal for you? Those are approximately what I would expect to score those wines, so I would have expected your scores to be a couple of points lower.

It's an interesting discussion. It seems that the 100 point scale used by DWWA is actually 80-97. No wine in 2025 or in 2024 received more than 97 points. The focus of the discussions I've been involved in at the judging panels are very much on whether or not to award a medal, and if so what the appropriate colour of the medal would be. There is infrequently discussion about whether a gold medal wine should be 95 or 96 points. 97 points is only awarded by the first week panel (ie. the junior judges) if we are completely blown away by a wine and want to poke the senior judges in the eye with it when they get to retaste the next week. I have never awarded 98-100 points while judging, perhaps unfairly but I don't think so.

I've used the DWWA Results Search Engine to look for high scoring wines and can't find any since 2021 which scored more than 97 points.

I like the system that is used by DWWA, it's simple and easily understood, and visually uncomplicated with the simple message of:

• Best in Show
• Platinum Medal
• Gold Medal
• Silver Medal
• Bronze Medal

[Alex Bridgeman]

Without realising it, I have just undertaken a sense check of my "normal" scores against my "DWWA scale" score.

One of the wines I tasted at the DWWA was the Ferreira 10YO White. On 9th May, I gave this a score of 88/100 - which was a silver medal - categorising it as a wine which can be drunk with satisfaction and enjoyment.

Today I opened a bottle of the same wine at home and wrote a tasting note using my personal scoring scale. I gave the wine a score of 87/100 - which is also a wine which would be drunk with enjoyment and pleasure.

My conclusion is that the DWWA scale probably does push me a point or two higher than my normal scoring system, as Glenn suggests, but I'm happy with that - different purposes so (slightly) different scoring interpretations.

[jdaw1]

Today I opened a bottle …

My conclusion is that …

I have long grumbled that financial markets have an epidemic of over-fitting. Which, I agree, sometimes happens from a sample size of 1.

[Andy Velebil]

Without realising it, I have just undertaken a sense check of my "normal" scores against my "DWWA scale" score.

One of the wines I tasted at the DWWA was the Ferreira 10YO White. On 9th May, I gave this a score of 88/100 - which was a silver medal - categorising it as a wine which can be drunk with satisfaction and enjoyment.

Today I opened a bottle of the same wine at home and wrote a tasting note using my personal scoring scale. I gave the wine a score of 87/100 - which is also a wine which would be drunk with enjoyment and pleasure.

My conclusion is that the DWWA scale probably does push me a point or two higher than my normal scoring system, as Glenn suggests, but I'm happy with that - different purposes so (slightly) different scoring interpretations.

Though you tend to be a bit conservative in your personal scores. So a bit higher may actually be more in line with other reviewers.

[rich_n]

I'll be keeping an eye out for the Grahams 2019 LBV based on both Alex's and the consensus score! I'm not sure which year is generally in the supermarkets at the moment, is anyone aware?

[Alex Bridgeman]

I'll be keeping an eye out for the Grahams 2019 LBV based on both Alex's and the consensus score! I'm not sure which year is generally in the supermarkets at the moment, is anyone aware?

I think it's the 2019 I saw in Waitrose earlier this week.

[mcoulson]

I'll be keeping an eye out for the Grahams 2019 LBV based on both Alex's and the consensus score! I'm not sure which year is generally in the supermarkets at the moment, is anyone aware?

I think it's the 2019 I saw in Waitrose earlier this week.

Yep I got a bunch of bottles from them last week ...

[rich_n]

Good to know, thanks gents!