ThePortForum.com

I am staying away for work this week. Last week, I was reasonably prepared and brought some Crusted port; a corkscrew; filter and decanter. But this week, I failed to pack anything and so had to venture out to the nearest Sainsbury’s to see what they had. I wasn’t particularly tempted by a Taylor LBV or 10YOT; the Dow’s Trademark reserve; or the Sainsbury’s Ruby; so 1 litre of Cockburn Special Reserve it was.

I’m not sure when I last bought a bottle of this. My notes suggest maybe 2013 when I was not impressed.

Colour is pretty good. Decently opaque purple, fading a little to lighter purple at the rim.

I’m using terrible cheap glasses and there isn’t much on the nose. Some distant fruits.

In the mouth, I get a decent hit of fruit with some mint followed by sugar and a little tannin. Glacé cherries predominate. The aftertaste has that hollowness I often associate with cheaper Ports which is not great and it’s perhaps a touch spirity, too. But it is not actively unpleasant as many of the older notes on this site suggest and I would happily quaff a bottle with some food without complaining.

I don’t think, when we complained bitterly about this Port a decade ago, we were all wrong. I also don’t think that I’ve become less of a Port snob in the 15 years-or-so that I’ve been drinking it seriously. Is it just a better wine than it was in the past?

I had the chance recently to compare the Cockburn Special Reserve and the Graham 6 Grapes side by side.

I also thought the CSR to be perfectly pleasant, better than it used to be. But it pales in comparison with the 6 Grapes (which, in turn, pales in comparison with the Vilha Velha limited edition version).

Sorry, I got distracted. Yes - I also think the CSR is a better wine these days than a decade ago.

It may be rose tinted spectacles but I do remember the Cockburn Special Reserve being more than merely 'quite pleasant' about thirty five years ago. But then, as I recall, it cost about £6. The equivalent price now would be about £17 rather than the £12 Tesco have it for.

I’m still working my way through this bottle and something I’ve noticed is that after 5 days’ decant, it is holding up extremely well. The nose is not very present but in the mouth, I get velvety-smooth simple fruits, with just enough tannins to make it feel like proper Port, and no excess spirit or hollowness.

I imagine that 99% bottles of this kick around open for far too long. It makes me wonder whether they are blending for that. No idea how you make a Port which is designed to remain open for a long time, though.

In any event, this has grown on me. I am now impressed. It’s not a Graham’s 1955 but as some quaffing Port it is very good.

Alex Bridgeman wrote: ↑10:47 Wed 08 Mar 2023 I also thought the CSR to be perfectly pleasant, better than it used to be. But it pales in comparison with the 6 Grapes (which, in turn, pales in comparison with the Vilha Velha limited edition version).

I’m yet to see a bottle of the Six Grapes VV for sale and, indeed, I think the Six Grapes itself is not quite as available as the CSR. The day I do get a bottle, there will be a decent tasting!