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Our next virtual tasting is on Thursday 30 April. I’m going to limit slots to 9 people again.

The format will be as before, we will combine the verbal delivery of a tasting note, with guesses from the others. This should allow us to cycle quickly through the guesses and spend more time chatting.

When: Thursday April 30, 7pm London time

People:

1. MPM
2. BMHR
3. CPR
4. PW
5. AHB
6. TC
7. SCD
8. JDAW
9. Will W

Reserves:

1. NAC
2. Justin K

May I join you this time please?


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Yes please

Oh, alright then.

I'm in.

Yes please.

Yes please

Yes please

Yes please.

Yes, please, should a spot remain.

benread wrote: ↑13:39 Sat 25 Apr 2020 May I join you this time please?

Of course!

I can't make it this Thursday regardless, but it looks like you're all full up already anyway. Have a great time!

Please put me on the reserve list.

Justin K wrote: ↑22:12 Sun 26 Apr 2020 Please put me on the reserve list.

Done!

Just realised that I’d planned to partake (with Mrs NAC) in 67 Pall Mall’s virtual Mas de Daumas Gassac tasting at 2000 on Thursday, so will have to reluctantly relinquish my spot. Over to you Will...

The bottle I’d planned to open survives for a couple more weeks.

Please inspect www.jdawiseman.com/2020/20200430_virtual.pdf.

I pulled the cork from my bottle at 10.00 and decanted it at 16.00 today.

6pm decant. Looking good so far!

JDAW: Lovely dark red rim, 90% opaque. At decant massive nose of blackberries. Now palate has good mass, concentration, some dry roughness. Blackberries still very strong. This has power and fruit and structure. I like.

Actually Symington’s Wine Society bottled 2013.

AHB: Dark red with black tone to it. Smells nice, full of plums, dried figs, Christmas Cake, fruit cake rather than Christmas. Lots cherries. Palate gorgeous, full of fruit, good structure, ghost of tannins. Lots and lots of acidity, sweet but balanced, on finish, like sucking a black wine gum, long fruit dark-fruit finish. I know this wine quite well. This is a good bottle of this wine.

Opened at 10.00 and decanted at 16.00 before being drunk at 20.00.

Deep red with a black tone to it; opaque in the centre but with a wide rim. Strawberries and plums on the nose, fruity and warm. Smooth and fruity entry, nicely balanced with good acidity. Pleasantly youthful sweet plum and dried figs on the palate with some nice cracked black peppercorn on the late palate. Some heat from the acidity on the aftertaste, which quickly settles to leave a long, fine and delicious black fruit gum finish. Showing very nicely. 90/100. Tasted 30-Apr-20. Decanted 4 hours.

CMAG: Very dark, starting to lose the colour at the edge. Weirdly, a bit tanky on nose. Some summer pudding. Taste of blackcurrant, grapefruits and spearmint. No tannins on this at all. Acidity goes on for some time then just syrupy. Not to my taste. Bit of dark chocolate.

Actually: Niepoort 2009 LBV.

Red brown colour. Clean decant – no sediment in the glass. Just able to see through the glass.
Young – smells younger than I expect or the eye leads me to expect. Not very obvious on the nose, bit no obvious faults either, albeit a very slight stewed note.
not much tannin. Possibly slightly too acidic. Plenty of black fruits but quite light weight in the mouth.

Actually Martinez 1994.

CPR: 40%–50% opaque, deeper and darker red than I was expecting, Mid shoulder bottle. Cork was sunken. Wine shows no effects from that. Soft nose, gentle fruit, longish finish, good balance. Nice acidity. Some subtle cloves. Got the balance; got the acidity; very nice glass of mature port.

Actually Warre 1963.

MPM: Bottle was bottom-neck. Copper-amber, 20%–30% opaque. Rich nose. red fruits, Christmas cake, cherries, explosion of scents all of them lovely and sweet. Smell and taste about 15 years older than the wine is. Oranges, marmaladey nose. Nose massively rich, sweet fruits, apricot. Palate really silky, lovely balance, tannins gone, soft sweet palate. Not tawnified, just a Port that is maturing retaining massive structure fruit and body.

Actually Graham 1970.

WHW: I apologise for not typing earlier. Lots like an older Burgundy, semi opaque hint of brown, clear rim. decanted 09:30 this morning. Notes as of 18:30. In the sitting room. Beautiful chocolate smell, still a youthfulness to it, no tannins, not tired, at its peak. On nose lemon, red cherry, still touch of chocolate some ginger, maybe a sprinkling of cinnamon, On mouth honey and dark chocolate came together. Mid way chocolate become more pronounced, then acidy came in, sweet chilli pepper orange peel. On back palate not so great, astringent. Finish real nice, medium long length, starts not astringent, lovely. Lingered for a while with mint or maybe spearmint. Relatively dry port, very gentle, not a Ferreira, not a Fonseca fist to the face, beautifully balanced, tannins gone, balance remains. Really at the top now. medium weight.

Actually Sandeman 1977.

SCD: starting to show a bit of early maturation, ruby red, slightly glassy rim. Nose blackcurrant, red fruit, some plums. Maybe a touch baked. Palate light weight, black fruit, prunes, short finish, sharp shock of acidity on the finish, youngish, but showing early signs of maturing. Not spectacular. Good as a cellar defender.

Actually Sainsbury’s taste The Difference 1998.

#4 was my first virtual tasting. The format worked much better than I expected. The hats were entertaining. Perhaps a dress code should be part of the theme next time?

I love the idea of an ‘event’ like this where we all taste the same wine if that can be arranged.

I was intrigued by those trying to discretely eat and taste. Perhaps next time bringing some food should be encouraged with the intent of using the food pairing as part of the clue? Another idea, moving away from our traditional ‘describe, guess, be embarrassed’ approach, could be prepare a series of clues (cryptic or descriptive in nature) in a series of rounds until the port is guessed? Somewhere between tasting and quiz?



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What was Alex’s?

benread wrote: ↑05:13 Fri 01 May 2020 I love the idea of an ‘event’ like this where we all taste the same wine if that can be arranged.

I'm planning to do this for the May/June Sammamish Port Club meeting. I will likely spend most of the day on the Friday of the tasting doing decanting and portioning, and then hand delivering of the samples. (60ml glass bottles because the most suitable 75ml bottles that I could find were both more unwieldy and ridiculously more expensive.) This obviously doesn't work as well if your tasters aren't all in the same reasonably local area.

GST '11, '15, '16, '17
G '11, '16, '17
possibly one surprise; still TBD

Tasting will be blind and should be fun. Last year's iteration certainly was!

nac wrote: ↑05:29 Fri 01 May 2020 What was Alex’s?

I brought 1991 Morgan Brothers