A DIY Kopke Tawny + White Tasting

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JacobH
Quinta do Vesuvio 1994
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A DIY Kopke Tawny + White Tasting

Post by JacobH »

At some point last year I acquired a pack of samples from Kopke. I think it was for a Vintage Wine and Port virtual tasting which I couldn’t attend. In any event, I decided to open them on New Year’s Eve & today.

The tasting contained 4 colheitas: the 1957, 1966, 1981 and 2003 (white), together with the white + regular 20-year-olds. I hadn’t tried any of these wines before.

The quality of all these Ports was really high. I enjoyed them all. There were a few things that surprised me, though. Firstly, whilst there was a 24-year difference between the 1981 and 1957, they came across as being more similar in age. I didn’t get a sense that the very old tawnies were worth the huge premium they cost. Secondly, none of them had much on the nose which was a bit of a disappointment but was pretty consistent over the whole range. They could also be a bit spirity, too, particularly the 1966 which has quite a high ABV at 20.5%. In terms of a “house style”, I though the sugar and acidity is quite balanced compared to some houses, including in the whites. Also, even the younger ones had long, elegant aftertastes.

I think it is worth noting that the prices of these Ports is pretty steep. The 1957 is £325 a bottle; the 1966 is £229; the 1981 is £129; the 2003 is £48.95; the 20-year-old white is £70ish; and the 20-year-old tawny is £80ish. I’ve calculated those last two by doubling the prices of half-bottles. At those prices, I’m afraid I think I would pass on everything except, perhaps the 2003.

1957 Colheita

Bottled 2021. Quite similar colour, again, to the younger colheitas. Still no green. Second most expressive nose after the 1966. A bit fresher and less nutty. The mouth is more sprightly than the 1966 on first tasting with a decent hit of popping acidity. Caramalised oranges follow into a long aftertaste which finally concludes with some nuts. Very good, although I might just take the 1966 over this one, if offered both.

1966 Colheita
Bottled 2021. Again, similar colour to the 1981 but deeper brown. No hint of green, yet. The nose is more prominent than the others from this tasting—some nuts come through—but still quite subtle and spirity. The mouth has a wonderful initial sweetness with a thick mouthfeel of caramel backed up by the smallest amount of lemony-acidity. The aftertaste is immensely long; not particularly tawny but dominated by the caramel. Wonderfully drinkable.

1981 Colheita

Bottled 2021. Very similar colour to the 20-year-old but a touch darker and, perhaps, a touch less brown. Nose is, again subdued and a bit spirity. The initial hit is sweeter than the 20-year-old and with some fresh fruit, too. Oranges perhaps? A touch less acidic, too. The aftertaste is less nutty and fresher. Perhaps a touch shorter. I really like this: it is really quaffable. Drunk: DIY Kopke Tasting, NYE 2021 (Date: 2021-12-31)

2003 White Colheita
Quite light: golden straw colour. The nose is subdued, which seems to be a feature of the Kopke style: it gives me very little. In the mouth, there is good sweetness. The acidity is a bit brighter than the 20 year old. Perhaps the merest trace of a fresh tropical fruit is present, but this is subsumed by a long aftertaste dominated by vanilla. The overall feel of this Port is remarkably light. It is dangerously drinkable.

20 Y/O Tawny
Transparent orange-brown fading a little. No red. Nose is subdued. A bit spirity. The taste is of a much older wine than a 20-year-old. Initially quite dry with no fresh fruit but a touch of acidity, it is followed by a very long nutty aftertaste: hazelnuts in particular. For those who like their tawnies tawny and old this is really good. Would love to compare to some others like the Churchill or Kranemann.

20 Y/O White
A measure darker than the 2003 White Colheita: light caramel, fading to nothing on the edge. Good nose: a little dark sugar. Perhaps some speculoos? The mouth is reasonably sweet: certainly no drier than the tawny. There is a little orange followed by a long caramel aftertaste. This is really good, although not as quaffable as the 2003 White Colheita.
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