I was very grateful to be invited to an improptu meeting of the Port Forum held near my home in North Derbyshire. Everyone brought two wines and presented them blind with cryptic clues.

The first pai of wines were served blind in black glasses so as not to reveal the colour of the wine - a fascinating experiment:

Ferreira 1963 ***

Perfumed but rather confected aromas, touch of barley sugar; very sweet retaining some structure and length, has some backbone but the finish is sweet, confected and slightly hollow.  (The wine revealed itself as pale pink in colour). 15

Ferreira 1863 ****

Liquorice on the nose, quite spirity with a touch of rancio emerging from the glass; tastes very sweet, herbal, anis, mint and a touch of liquorice, not much tannin evident (is this an old white lagrima Port I asked myself), soft, sweet and very long. (The wine revealed itself as pale amber - orange in colour, as if it could have been a White Port)  A fascinating wine, very difficult to give a mark.  17 

Quinta de Vargellas 1996 ***

Deep, youthful colour; ripe but baked on the nose, a touch of marmite, reeks of a hot vintage (even though 1996 was not a hot year); rich strapping wine, lovely bright berry fruit with big gripping tannins, tastes fresher than it smells, quite plump on the finish. I guessed it as a 1995 single quinta and I was very surprised to find I was one year out!  15.5 

Graham 1963 (bottled by Grants of St James) No Stars

Very pale tawny colour; dried out on the nose, gentle, high-toned and fruitless; very dry on the palate, faded, quite ghostly, dried out, a vestige of gentle, milk-chocolate sweetness on the finish. Sad! This is either a bad bottling or the wine has been badly stored.  No mark

Martinez 1985 ***

Good, mid-deep youthful colour, pink rim; not much on the nose initially, a slight smell of cheese, camenbert but opening up to reveal blackcurrent fruit; lovely, gentle, elegant, firm with good balance, firm, tight sinewy tannins, this wine still has a core, with a gentle, dry finish. Drinking well now and with another ten or fifteen years to go.  A very good wine in the context of the oh so variable 1985 vintage. 16

Taylor 1955 (UK bottling) ****

Mid-deep garnet-pink colour, browning rim; very perfumed, floral, rose petals and violets, orange peel too; quite overt, open refined and rarefied on the palate, dry and spicy, not much fruit remaining, candied peel, delicate and still quite fresh, not nearly as powerful as I would have expected from a 1955 of this ilk but a very enjoyable wine nonetheless. Drink soon. 17  

Fonseca Guimareans 1976 ****/ *****

Very deep and still 'black' in colour; first bottle sadly corked, second bottle stupendously powerful, evocative minty aromas, eucalyptus and esteva (gum cistus), it still brings back my tasting note from Wine magazine fifteen or so years ago 'no need to fake your orgasm this Christmas'; very rich, firm, powerful bold fruit, cast-iron tannins, big and bold, bitter-sweet, dark chocolate concentration. Makes up in power for what it lacks in elegance but still an extraordinary wine. Top notch. A Vintage Port that will go on and on and on.  This wine would get five stars for its chutzpah alone!   18.5

Fonseca 1977 ****

Mid-deep in colour with a pink rim; quite dense on the nose, elegant, a touch floral with milk chocolate depth; soft, rich yet  firm and tight-knit round the core, lovely sweet berry fruit, succulent, elegant, absolutely ready now but with plenty of life left. A lovely wine but not as impressive as the 1976 Fonseca-Guimareans with which it was paired. Drink now and over the next 15 - 20 years. 17.5  

Location: Rowley's, Baslow, Derbyshire
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I tasted these in the order they are listed at the London International Wine Trade Fair. The conditions for tasting are far from ideal at this event so my notes are scribbled first impressions.  

Croft Quinta da Roeda 2008 **

 Mid-deep in colour; closed or perhaps rather hollow on the nose; quite light on the palate, simple, soft, sweet and early maturing. Not really a very impressive debut for 2008.  13.5   

 Fonseca Quinta do Panascal 2008 16.5 *** / ****

 Deep in colour; fragrant, floral, still open with lovely, vibrant spicy fruit on the palate and good ripe tannic grip, not a big wine but very charming, for drinking in 8-10 years.  4,000 cases made. 16.5

 Fonseca Guimaraens 2008 ****

 Deep in colour, closed, refined, lovely dense, fine grained tannins rising in the mouth, some power and concentration here, quite rich with good, solid tannic length. A keeper: drink in 15 – 20 years. 2,000 cases. 17.

 Taylor Quinta de Vargellas 2008 ***

 Quite deep in colour; rich, plumy aromas, suave and quite opulent in style (lighter than the Fonseca – Guimareans), soft, plumy and sweet mid-palate with firm tannic length. A wine for the medium-term: 10 years plus. 4,000 cases (there was no Vinha Velha declared in 2008).  15.5

 Taylor Quinta da Terra Feita 2008 ****

 Very deep in colour; dense but overt and plummy, good definition, quite rich, sweet and plump initially with ripe, firm tannins rising in the mouth and long, firm sinewy tannic length with lovely plump fruit remaining on the finish. Impressive and a good all-rounder. 17.5     

 Dow, Quinta Senhora da Ribeira 2008 *** / ****  

 Very deep in colour; still raw on the nose, marked by spirit and needing time to come together yet floral and pure; firm, linear tannins, spicy, berry fruit, still raw and disjointed but should come together well.  16.5 + ?

 Quinta do Vesúvio 2008 ****

 Another very deep coloured wine; again quite raw and spirity, needing tine to come together on the nose; sweet and fleshy in style, quite opulent, succulent fruit with smooth, broad ripe tannins mid-palate and onto the finish. Will be impressive over the medium to long term. 17

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