Friday 01 April 2016, Lupulo NYC, Graham

[jdaw1]

On Friday 1st April 2016 Daniel Jewesbury and his friend Mark O., Miguel Simoes and his friend Daniel Ron, Jay Hack, and Arlene and Stephan Bassett gathered in Lupulo (835 Sixth Avenue at 29th Street, NY 10001-4101) to sample some Graham’s vintages.

Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 1955 Graham (Daniel J.);
• 1963 Graham (Daniel J.);
• 1970 Graham (Miguel S.);
• 1977 Graham (Miguel S.);
• 1983 Graham (Miguel S.);
• 1985 Graham (Jay H.);
• 10Y Taylor tawny (Arlene and Stephan B.);
• Placemats;
• Planning and arrangements.

[J a y H a c k]

THE PORT FORUM DOES GRAHAMS VP IN NYC - Lupulo Restaurant, NYC (4/1/2016)

The Port Forum put together a Grahams semi-vertical to welcome Daniel Jewesbury of Belfast, Ireland, to New York City. He carried with him a 1955 and a 1963. Miguel added a 1970, 1977 and 1983, while I managed to snag a 1985 at auction in early March so I could make a meaningful contribution. Conversation varied from fast cars and where to drive a Ferrari in Tuscany to wading through sheep poop it Louth while looking at ancient Druidish mounds, the legal implications of email hacking and the contribution of Irish expats thrown out by the Brits to the Bordeaux wine industry. Where else do you think names like Barton, Lynch, Brown and Becker come from?

Can people please post their decant times on the other bottles? I did on the 1985 in my TN below.

• 1955 Graham Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto
  Outstanding, not only is it not on the downside, but still a tiny bit of bite indicating that it may have a bit more time before it actually reached its plateau. Velvety smooth and sexy/slutty. Fruit driven with the alcohol in check. dark red fruit. No caramel, no nuts indicating oxidation has not yet set in. Just pure and smooth. Consensus WOTN. (96 pts.)
• 1963 Graham Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto
  A bit on the thin and light side. Less than I expected but not a bad wine. I think this was just not the best bottle. Fruit driven and not overly advanced. The bottle looked like it had been through a war, but I do not know what to make of that. In lesser company, this might have been higher rated. but in the company of the other wines we had, this was not notable. (89 pts.)
• 1970 Graham Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto
  My #3. Group #2 or #3. Balance with moderate red fruit, neither especially sweet nor tart. Smooth glycerin mouth feel. This is what a well-matured top of the line vintage port should taste like, but it still has life left in it. (93 pts.)
• 1977 Graham Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto
  My #2. Groups either #2 or #3 against the 1970, which was my #3. They were close. Very good balance but still enough grip to indicate that it has years to go. This one had sweet cherry fruit, but the sweet was not from the sweetness of the port. It was an independent sense of sweetness from the fruit. (94 pts.)
• 1983 Graham Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto
  The most backward of the group. More so than the 1985. Still very tannic, but I do not know the decant regime. I rate this based upon potential, because it is similar in a linear and youthful way to the other Grahams we had tonight. Big red fruit but again with potential for complexity if it breaks out from the tightness, but it's got a long way to go. Definitely over 10 years unless someone forgot to decant. Maybe the guy who brought this can post the decant regime.
  
  I have the 1983 Quinta do Noval, which was from the yuk period at Quinta do Noval. For every ounce of thinness and inadequacy there is in that, this has an equal amount o force and power waiting to break out. (91 pts.)
• 1985 Graham Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto
  My contribution. Decanted at 2 pm. Decanted clean through cheesecloth and then washed out the bottle. Th decant wa clean but the bottle was full of massive crud. Very glad I had left it upright in the bottle for 10 days. Poured back into the bottle at 7 pm. dinner at 8:30 pm. Too young. Enjoyable but still tannic with a bit of bite and astringency despite the sweetness. Pleasurable but when it compares to the 1955, the 1977 and the 1970, it is not up to the best. Needs another 10-ish years at least.
  
  Brought some home and finished it on day two. The tannins were gone and it had lightened up a bit. Lost the bite and was smoother, but less intense. sweet red fruit. (92 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

The bottles:



How did we confirm that the unlabeled bottle from a private cellar that they never bothered to put a label on was actually a 1955? This might do it.

[jdaw1]

Immediately preceding post moved into review thread by jdaw.

[g-man]

mm the host didnt give you guys the bottle i dropped off???!?

[jdaw1]

Yes, she totally did. It was a delicious 2009 Quinta do Vale Meao! Sorry been so quiet. Recovering yesterday and driving around all day today w the kids.

[g-man]

ah good to know

thanks!

[J a y H a c k]

mm the host didnt give you guys the bottle i dropped off???!?

Yes. We got it. Very nice. My wife, who was not there, would have loved it. She's big on not-ports from Portugal. I just never got a photo of the bottle so I did not remember what it was and couldn't write a note about it.

[Miguel Simoes]

ah good to know
thanks!

Thank you, Jeff!

Next time we have to make sure you're able to participate. It's two tastings in a row that you weren't able to make and to which you contributed great wine.

Your 2009 Vale do Meão was great. Still young but not crazy fruity. It was the perfect match for the rotisserie rib-eye

Thank you again

[djewesbury]

ah good to know
thanks!

Thank you, Jeff!

Next time we have to make sure you're able to participate. It's two tastings in a row that you weren't able to make and to which you contributed great wine.

Your 2009 Vale do Meão was great. Still young but not crazy fruity. It was the perfect match for the rotisserie rib-eye

Thank you again

I echo this - Jeff, this was above and beyond the call of duty - twice! Thanks for the bottle, we've still not managed to drink one together in person. Next time...

I loved this evening, Jay's description is very accurate. We had a wonderful time, despite the late start and the delay getting to the table. The food was superb, and plentiful, and the wines were really good. Conversation was very easy and very interesting. A great group of people; and Miguel, that Uber was worth it!

[djewesbury]

[J a y H a c k]

Since there were a variety of complaints about how Jeff did not show up, I will give him another chance, or perhaps give you another chance to meet him if he shows up. We will be having a massive wine gathering the weekend of Memorial Day including Sunday May 29 in my back yard. It will be a wine free for all so how much Port depends on how much you want to bring, but you are all welcome. I will cook lots of food, and then more food usually involving smoked brisket and pork shoulder, and then we will grill lots of meat and then more meat, and when it is all over we might do something really silly like last time when we made fresh dipped chocolate covered bacon for dessert.

Info is here:

http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/vie ... 7#p1976007

[jdaw1]

Since there were a variety of complaints about how Jeff did not show up

Jeff sent a bottle even though he could not show up. Which should buy him some indulgences.

[djewesbury]

Since there were a variety of complaints about how Jeff did not show up, I will give him another chance, or perhaps give you another chance to meet him if he shows up. We will be having a massive wine gathering the weekend of Memorial Day including Sunday May 29 in my back yard. It will be a wine free for all so how much Port depends on how much you want to bring, but you are all welcome. I will cook lots of food, and then more food usually involving smoked brisket and pork shoulder, and then we will grill lots of meat and then more meat, and when it is all over we might do something really silly like last time when we made fresh dipped chocolate covered bacon for dessert.

Info is here:

http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/vie ... 7#p1976007

This sounds quite amazing. A shame that I'll be up to my eyes in work at that time... Chocolate-covered bacon sounds up the street of very many people here.

[jdaw1]

fresh dipped chocolate covered bacon for dessert.

Did you know that fresh-dipped chocolate-covered bacon for dessert protects against smallpox? Very healthy indeed — should be part of every child’s immunisation program. And I need a booster shot.

[J a y H a c k]

fresh dipped chocolate covered bacon for dessert.

Did you know that fresh-dipped chocolate-covered bacon for dessert protects against smallpox? Very healthy indeed — should be part of every child’s immunisation program. And I need a booster shot.

The proof is here:

http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/vie ... 0&start=71

Scroll down. I am the one in the Jets jersey with the bowl of crispy bacon and the other photos show the depraved participants.

[Miguel Simoes]

Jay,

Can people please post their decant times on the other bottles?

Mine were cheesecloth filtered into decanter around 9pm the night before and poured back into their cleaned bottles around 6am the day of the tasting.

Had some of my leftover 1983 last night and it was still rocking. In this quirky stage bw vanilla and wood flarors showing up and fading fruit still present. Had forgotten it in its bottle since Friday night and wont be forgetting it anytime soon. Felt better than on Friday!

and Miguel, that Uber was worth it!

Totally worth it!