1977 Cockburn

[RonnieRoots]

Tasted at the July 2 1977 horizontal.

Light colour with a reddish core. Some caramel on the nose. Dark, maybe somewhat tarry and silty nose, with some light red fruit. Very elegant (but a bit on the light side) in the mouth, with a spicy backbone. Coffee, caramel and a touch of tar on the finish. The port grows to be somewhat darker after a while in the glass. The finish is definitely the most interesting and keeps on building for a long while. Lovely port, that could have been declared with pride. This bottle was not blind for me, so no guess. 90 points.

[RonnieRoots]

Close-up of the bottle, clearly showing "not officially declared", and "Cockburn's private collection".

[Alex Bridgeman]

As requested by Ronnie, here is my note on the Cockburn.

The unreleased vintage port, with a great label that says as much. Clear colour, pale red with brown hints. Caramel and balsamic vinegar on the nose (but no VA), very floral in its complexity. Sweet on entry but not much else initially. Simple in the mid-palate with little development. The aftertaste is the strong point of this wine and is very pleasant with a long length and many layers - a very secondary wine that should be sipped, swallowed and then the aftertaste enjoyed with relish. 87/100.

[RonnieRoots]

To make searching easier, I've copy/pasted LadyR's tasting notes of this port, as originally posted here:

Cockburn ‘77
Light brown colour, silty nose with some strawberries, and overall relatively fresh and light. There’s more in the taste than expected from the nose, though it takes time to take off. Slightly one dimensional taste, with some sweetness combined with coffee and tar tones. Its spicy backbone makes it interesting. The aftertaste is most promising, with lots of layers and long lasting dry finish. Very pleasant and delicious port, ready to drink now.
91 pts