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A horizontal of 1991s, some Vintage, some Single-Quinta, on Monday 9^th December 2019, at The Boot & Flogger, as arranged by GEAG.

Links:

• Review of the event as a whole;
• Tasting notes:
  • Dow;
  • Graham;
  • Warre;
  • Quinta do Vesuvio;
  • Smith Woodhouse;
  • Gould Campbell;
  • Cockburn;
  • Cockburn Quinta dos Canais;
  • Taylor Quinta de Vargellas;
  • Fonseca Guimaraens;
  • Croft;
  • Morgan;
  • Quinta do Noval;
  • Quinta do Noval Nacional;
  • Quinta de la Rosa;
  • Niepoort;
• Placemats (and in the list of placemats);
• Planning and arrangements.

Double decanted at 2030 the previous evening. All seems well.

TV91. Dark dark red, 90% opaque. Dark plum, closed, dry. Might end up as excellent, might not, but needs another decade in the cellar before which can be known.

Very dark red, 90% opaque. Nose a bit dumb. Really, really attractive red-fruited port. Drinkable now but still very youthful.

Very dark. Some fruit, but not much development on the nose. Palate - lots of fruit, good balance, nice tannin.
Liked this.

My history with this port perhaps colours my impression on the night.

I am 11 out of 12 down and the biggest impression is alcohol and a hardness that doesn't budge and not really ticking much for me on the pleasure scale.

This bottle showed some of the firmness but not so obvious on the alcohol scale that mine do. I can see why it won lots of votes but my judgement is reserved.

I recall a Taylor Fladgate tasting where they admited poor quality spirit effecting Taylor. Something they got right beginning 2000s. I suspect this is what was going on with my bottles and possibly still leaves a heavy impression in others...

Very dark red colour, slightly cloudy with a little fine sediment and an opaque centre. Ripe black cherries on the nose with a fresh cornflower perfume - really attractive. Smooth entry, poised and restrained. On the palate this is one of the few Ports at this tasting which showed distinct tannins to support the fruit flavours. Some significant restraint on the palate, but the concentrated black cherry wins through in the end. A lovely blossoming of flavour on the aftertaste with delicious complexity and a very enjoyable black liquorice and black cherry finish. This is a lovely Port which is dry, balanced and still quite young. 92/100.