Mon 16 Jan 2012, Croft in The Bunghole

[jdaw1]

The Bunghole hosted us a second time within a week, this time for vertical of Croft, in the presence of Amanda of Mentzendorff. Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 1963 Croft;
• 1966 Croft;
• 1967 Croft Quinta da Roeda;
• 1970 Croft (magnum);
• 1975 Croft;
• 1977 Croft;
• 1980 Croft Quinta da Roeda;
• 1982 Croft;
• 1983 Croft Quinta da Roeda;
• 2000 Croft;
• Placemats;
• Planning and arrangements.

[jdaw1]

A splendid evening. Good company, good food, and great port. The Cr63, Cr66, CR67, and Cr70 were all wonderful. Even the Cr75 was pleasant, which by the standards of 1975 is a great result. And the ’70 was a magnum.

[DRT]

Another great evening at the Bung Hole. None of the ports blew me away but the first four were a class above everything else on the table.

I do recall some debate about the cleanliness of the glasses. Perhaps the management need some gentle guidance from jdaw1 before our next visit?

[jdaw1]

[g-man]

anyone here try the croft 78?

not the Roeda, the actual vp

[DRT]

anyone here try the croft 78?

not the Roeda, the actual vp

I have never seen any reference to an "actual vp" from Croft in 1978. Most Croft vintages in recent times are in fact SQVP from Roeda, but labelled as "Croft". That is perhaps what is causing the confusion?

Here is a note of the Roeda 78: viewtopic.php?p=35607

[g-man]

anyone here try the croft 78?

not the Roeda, the actual vp

I have never seen any reference to an "actual vp" from Croft in 1978. Most Croft vintages in recent times are in fact SQVP from Roeda, but labelled as "Croft". That is perhaps what is causing the confusion?

Here is a note of the Roeda 78: viewtopic.php?p=35607

Oh I have been mistaken, a quick search on the forums noticed it for me!

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3303

[jdaw1]

gentle guidance

from jdaw1

How do these two things fit together? I think that gentle guidance would be good, but that means from somebody else.

[JacobH]

I enjoyed this evening a great deal. Thanks to all who arranged it. I was more impressed by Croft than DRT; they seem to have produced consistently good wines over the last half-century which, whilst perhaps not being block-busters, are very nice to drink. I could easily see myself glugging my way through the 1975 in a somewhat dangerous way, which doesn’t apply to many shippers.

What really struck me about tasting so many Crofts together is how consistent the house had been in taste. Not so much the taste of oranges, as the archetype goes, but a very strong mouth-texture (which I haven’t experienced on many other Ports) of a sweet, slightly citrusy syrup. The difference between full and single-quinta declarations of Croft is also less pronounced than with some other shippers. No doubt this is because Croft often being a single-quinta wine in major years.

Joyously the best wine of the night, by a country mile, was also in a Magnum. Many thanks to Christopher for bringing it. If only we could arrange this every time!

[Alex Bridgeman]

... I was more impressed by Croft than DRT;...

I also thought DRT very unimpressive

Don't you just love being able to take comments out of context

[DRT]

... I was more impressed by Croft than DRT;...

I also thought DRT very unimpressive

I think you are both being unfair. Quite a few of the Croft's were light, lacking body and mature beyond their years. These are certainly not attributes that I have been accused of possessing.

PS: Is it only me who thinks that the title of this thread sounds like a very unpleasant affliction?

[jdaw1]

PS: Is it only me who thinks that the title of this thread sounds like a very unpleasant affliction?

Suggest better. Note that it is good that the title of the review thread include the obvious things by which somebody might scan for a tasting (date, theme, location), perhaps ultimately seeking links to the TNs.

[JacobH]

PS: Is it only me who thinks that the title of this thread sounds like a very unpleasant affliction?

Suggest better. Note that it is good that the title of the review thread include the obvious things by which somebody might scan for a tasting (date, theme, location), perhaps ultimately seeking links to the TNs.

Croft in ‟The Bunghole”? Croft at The Bunghole? The Bunghole: Croft?

[DRT]

PS: Is it only me who thinks that the title of this thread sounds like a very unpleasant affliction?

Suggest better. Note that it is good that the title of the review thread include the obvious things by which somebody might scan for a tasting (date, theme, location), perhaps ultimately seeking links to the TNs.

It was an observation, not an objection.

[RAYC]

I really enjoyed this evening.

With regards to the 60s and 70s ports, I must say i am in the DRT camp, and did not think any were particular blockbusters (though, as Jacob, i did note a remarkable consistency). All made for very pleasant drinking, but i found them rather too soft to really grab my attention. Whilst for me the 70 was joint WOTN, thinking back to the T, W, F, Ck and GC 70s that we have had over the last couple of months, it was a definite grade down.

The 66 did not show nearly as well as other bottles we have had recently, but was still good. I could not get past the horrible nose of the 77 - my (albeit limited) experience of Cr77 suggests this is quite a problematic and variable bottling.

The 80s were curious, and although not unpleasant, were not great wines and already VERY mature when you consider pretty much any of the Symington efforts.

My suprise of the evening was the 75. Ok it was very light and possibly a touch one-dimensional on the palate, but it was really rather drinkable. Its best feature, however, was a wonderfully clean and fresh/pure nose that was my favourite of the night.