I have a strange soft spot for the 1982 vintage. It was the summer that I was properly introduced to the Douro, spending a month in the region researching my undergraduate dissertation on vineyard micro-climate. I also recall reading Brideshead Revisted among the vines with a glass of chilled tawny so I associate it with a certain about of youthful decadence! Although a handful of shippers declared 1982, the year never had the makings of a great vintage and in general the wines are soft, sweet and raisiny reflecting the heat of August and early September. However I seem to recall that Croft hailed 1982 as ‘the vintage of the century’ when they declared two years later. The story of Croft’s 1982 has been partly told in James Suckling’s book, Vintage Port, but in short it was a wine made by accountants. Croft belonged at the time to drinks multinational IDV and the local management, Robin Reid and John Burnett, were by all accounts overruled by their boss who effectively doubled the size of their intended vintage declaration. At the time Croft refused to divulge just how large the declaration was but I estimate that it must have been between 30,000 and 40,000 cases. Having said that Croft made 36,000 cases of 1963 which turned out to be a long-lived wine but wine making was better I those days and Croft’s vineyards were not being milked for yield in the same way as they were by the early 1980s.

Croft 1982 was not on show in the Century of Croft vertical hosted by the Fladgate Partnership in 2007.  I thought I would never see Croft 1982 again so I am very grateful to Tom Archer of the Port Forum for sending me a bottle to taste and record here.    

Croft 1982 **

Very pale and obviously stretched in colour, almost a deep rosé at the centre and turning tawny on the rim; clean, some fragrance but not much richness or depth, rather hollow and attenuated, soft fruit pastille character both on the nose and palate, still tasting quite fresh, a touch of medicinal raspberry and strawberry character with just a vestige of bitter-sweet tannic grip remaining. Falls away quite quickly on the finish leaving rather simple fruit pastille sweetness. At thirty years old this has held up much better than I expected although it is a long way from being a great vintage Port. 13.5 

Location: The Rookery
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I tasted the following Ports at the Wine Society’s London tasting and thought my albeit rather brief notes were worth recording:

Dow’s Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira 1999 ****

Deep, youthful and demure on the nose, yet rich, fresh and vibrant on the palate, intense, seemingly quite sweet (for Dow), with layers of ripe tannin and a firm finish. Only just ready to drink and will be good for another 15 years at least.  18 

Quinta do Vesúvio 1998 ****

From a small harvest that turned out to be a great year in the Douro Superior: still deep and opaque in colour; open, fragrant with lovely purity of fruit, still young and spicy but fully ready to drink. 17.5 

Fonseca Guimarens 1998 ***

Not nearly as expressive as the Vesúvio, restrained almost minerally, firm and spicy, peppery, leaner but with a lovely long, linear finish. Ready now but may benefit from a bit more time in bottle.  16

Taylor 1980 ****

Mid-deep in colour; open, fragrant, characteristically floral, now gentle with bottle age; sweet and peppery not much flesh but very elegant with  rapier-like focus to the finish. Lovely now and over the next ten years or so.  17.5

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Once again I am very grateful to the Port Forum, especially Rob Coombes, for inviting me to this triple vertical tasting of three second tier houses belonging to the Symington family. All three of these shippers have a reputation for value-for-money Vintage Port and I was interested both to see how the wines from all three houses have developed as well as to compare the style of the wines. At the end of the tasting two conclusions were immediately evident: (1) you generally get what you pay for and while there were some good wines here there were no hidden gems (except perhaps Smith Woodhouse 1977 which was corked). (2) There isn’t much in the way of a house style evident for either Quarles Harris or Gould Campbell, neither of which are attached to a particular property in the way that Dow, Graham and Warre are. I suspect that both QH and GC are an exercise in blending the leftovers after the main wines have been fine tuned and finessed. Smith Woodhouse (which usually sells for a premium) has a more definable house style. It is attached to properties in the Rio Torto, particularly Quinta de Madelena, and won this tasting hands-down although I should emphasise that none of the wines were close to what I would term as ‘classic’.   

The wines below are presented by shipper in the order they were tasted. 

Quarles Harris 1970 ***

Brick red centre with a pink amber rim; either closed or hollow on the nose?, I suspect the latter, vague milk chocolate fruit aroma; light, soft and sweet, still standing up well with good firm spicy tannins rising in the mouth. 15

Quarles Harris 1977 ***

Good mid-deep youthful colour; still quite tight knit on the nose with a character in between milk chocolate and dark chocolate, perhaps with more to give; sweet and peppery, spicy, quite dry but standing up well, attractive, fresh berry fruit character, minerally underneath slightly let down by a rather dry, austere finish. A good ‘77 but lacking length and breadth. 16   

Quarles Harris 1980 ****

Very deep opaque black colour, in common with a number of the Symington ‘80s, thin browning rim; solid, rich plum and berry fruit, quite opulent in style on the nose; rich and fleshy, lovely, sweet voluptuous fruit backed by firm tannins, not big or long on the finish but well balanced. 17

Quarles Harris 1983 ***

Mid deep, youthful colour, pink-purple rim; not much on the nose, rather flat with some underlying minerally fruit; well developed, still firm and spicy with good tannic grip mid-palate (in common with many ‘83s), tight knit towards the finish but rather boney and lacking flesh. Short. 15.5

Quarles Harris 1985 **

Looking more mature than the ’83, mid-deep with a broad browning rim; rather cooked aromas, liquorice both on the nose and palate, full and sweet but now starting to fall apart. Short but correct (given the tendency for this vintage to throw up some volatile, out of condition wines). 14

Quarles Harris 1991 *

Pale to mid deep in colour, pink rim, just on the turn; hot and rather lumpy on the nose, not very well knit together; again rather hot and spirity on the palate, spirit showing right through to the finish, perhaps just a phase (but I doubt it), not a very enjoyable drink. 12

Quarles Harris 1994 *** / ****

Good, deep centre, thin purple rim; still closed with underlying ripeness evident, showing off the heat of the year; soft, sweet and fleshy, just as you would expect from this vintage, rich plummy flavours with good breath and depth, ripe tannins to back it up, looking good now but would benefit from another five years in bottle. 16.5

Gould Campbell 1970 **

Brick red centre, browning on the rim; even more subdued on the nose than the QH 1970, hollow; quite light but sweet and gentle with milk chocolate intensity, some charm but without much depth or power and rather short. 14

Gould Campbell 1977 (bottle) ****

Very good colour, still deep and youthful; dense on the nose, suggests that there may be more to give; still firm with lovely fleshy fruit and ripe, dusty tannic grip rising in the mouth, big, solid foursquare finish, quite dry in style but tight-knit and firm. A good 1977 with more to go at. 17

Gould Campbell 1977 (magnum) **

Deep but surprisingly showing more brown on the rim; oxidised on the nose, loose knit; soft, sweet, ripe but lacking definition, better on the palate than on the nose, liquorice, good grip but not nearly as good as the bottle above. 13.5

Gould Campbell 1980 ***

Very deep, opaque with a thin browning rim; not quite as open or as opulent as the QH, a touch of tar and heat; rich but rather soupy and lacking focus, full, sweet and round, dark chocolate depth and good grip, finishes with a punch. Quite powerful if ill defined. 16

Gould Campbell 1983 ** / ***

Very good colour, still deep with a thin pink/purple rim, deeper than the QH; closed, sullen on the nose but some underlying depth here; firm tight knit, gritty tannins, not big, quite lean and boney, upright but linear. 14.5

Gould Campbell 1985 ***

Mid-deep with a pink-purple hue; attractive, open, clear fruit, a touch floral; soft and sweet, quite light and evolved, creamy fruit with a spike of tannin towards the finish, not very 1985 in style but holding together and drinking well. 15

Gould Campbell 1991 ***

Very good colour, still deep and youthful with a purple rim; tight, sullen and withdrawn, possibly with more to give; firm, linear with gritty tannins rather dominating the fruit, firm, dry finish, rather austere but standing up well. Better than the QH. 16

Gould Campbell 1994 **

Deep centre, just starting to brown on the rim; still closed but rather soupy and stewed underneath; tastes rather coarse too, still young and vibrant, some flesh (in common with the QH) but ill-defined and backed, perhaps just an adolescent phase but flat on the finish. Difficult to mark – revisit in five years. 14+?

Smith Woodhouse 1970 ***

Good, mid-deep youthful colour, the best of the ‘70s here with a pink rim; again quite demure on the nose with none of these wines singing from the glass in the manner of say Graham ’70, just a touch of underlying floral character; soft and mature but a bit simple and one dimensional, firm, quite austere in style towards the finish and, like so many of these wines, lacking a bit of flesh. 15.5

Smith Woodhouse 1977

Very good colour, best of the 77s but this sample was badly corked. Not tasted. No mark. 

Smith Woodhouse 1980 ****

Very good colour, dark, opaque centre, just starting to brown on the rim; lovely pure berry fruit aromas, still tight-knit with plenty more to go at; rich, dark chocolate intensity, firm, solid and tight-knit with a slightly rustic foursquare finish. [Voted best wine of the night]. 17 

Smith Woodhouse 1983 ***

Another very good colour; closed on the nose, austere and / or hollow (?); firm initially, yet with some richness and depth mid-palate, plumy fruit backed by dusty tannins, a little coarse but still standing up well with another 20 years life left at least. 15   

Smith Woodhouse 1985 (Berry Bros & Rudd) ****

Mid-deep youthful colour, pink rim; fragrant, attractive, floral, showing the ripeness of the vintage; soft, sweet and fleshy with a firm tannic backbone, ripe tannins, still a relative youngster and much more ‘85 in style than the GC above. [Voted second best wine of the evening] 17

Smith Woodhouse 1991 *

Quite pale and fully mature in colour, broad browning rim; hollow on the nose and on the palate, soft mid-palate but going nowhere fast, drying out. 12

Smith Woodhouse 1994 ****

Very good colour, thin purple rim, the darkest of the three ‘94s; dense, closed, underlying ripeness; big, rich and fleshy, quite dense and still a youngster, firm, ripe tannic superstructure followed by good length. Good now but better in five years. [Voted third best wine of the evening] 17.5

Location: RAF Club, London SW1
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This is the second time I have been invited to the Manchester Tennis and Racquet Club to lead a Vintage Port tasting. The first dinner three years ago was organised by  the Chairman of the Wine Committee, Arnold Smith, who provided wines from some of the best vintages of the twentieth century, going back to 1927 (see entry for 13^th May 2008). Given the supremely high standard all the wines, it was one of the finest Port dinners that I have attended. Arnold asked me to come back this year to lead a tasting of (mainly) 1970s from the club cellar but very sadly he died suddenly this summer.  The dinner took place in his memory. 

Croft 1970 ****

Turning quite pale in colour; open milk chocolate aromas, still attractive and floral (violety); now very soft and sweet, quite with a vestige of tannic grip, smooth totally ready to drink with good balance and finesse. Drink now and over the next five years. 17

Dow 1970 *****

Much deeper in colour, restrained, demure on the nose with underlying intensity; lovely firm tight knit fruit with a drier edge in the Dow style, bitter-sweet, dark chocolate character, very Dow and very good. Still with amazing vitality for a wine in its 42^rd year. Drink and enjoy now by all means but this will open up with age and will last a lifetime. 19.5

Graham 1970 **** / *****

Retaining a lovely deep colour; typically rich, sweet and opulent in style, smooth dark chocolate concentration with fresh, sweet cherry fruit (I got in to trouble for describing it as medicinal but I like Benylin!), long and fine, delicious. This was just pipped to the winning post by Dow for the majority of members attending the dinner, myself included. 18.5

Taylor 1970 *****

This was bottled by Thomas Baty, once a well-known Liverpool Wine Merchant on North John Street whose former premises are now occupied by the Hard Day’s Night Hotel. I make mention of it because it was a particularly good bottling of this wine, the best Taylor 1970 that I have tasted: not quite as dark as the Graham; lovely bitter-sweet character, very concentrated and intense dark chocolate character retaining wonderful freshness and life. A very fine example, long and fresh on the finish, just beating Graham on this occasion. 19     

Graham 1963 (no label, embossed on the seal) **** / *****

The last two bottles in the club’s cellar which we drank at the end of dinner: good mid-deep youthful colour, open, fragrant, floral but still showing its power and depth on the nose; rich and opulent in style retaining a lovely dark chocolate core. Fine and fresh with good gripping tannins and lovely gentle length -, just as a top 1963 should be. 18.5

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This tasting of single Quinta vintage Ports was organised by the Symingtons to showcase wines from their family estates back to the 1950s. It includes wines from the ex-Cockburn properties bought by the Symingtons in 2006, many of which were on show for the first time. The tasting began with a horizontal of 2006s from all the estates followed by wines from a number of family properties dating back to 1950. I found a series of very well made high-scoring wines with the differences in marks among the horizontal of 2006s is determined more by my personal preferences than any major qualitative difference in the wines. The character of each of the different quintas shows through and, where relevant I have added background notes on the vintages.  

Graham Quinta dos Malvedos 2006 ****

Very good deep colour; big, ripe heady aromas with rich dusty tannins underlying, still wild and headstrong; very rich, sweet and fleshy in Graham style (3.8 baumé), liquorice, mouthfilling ripe tannins, opulent all the way through to the finish, rich yet well-defined. Very promising – for drinking in another ten years. 17

Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim 2006 ****

Very similar in colour but slightly less crimson on the rim; closed-in on itself with a suggestion of  heat (burnt rubber) on the nose, heat very evident; rich and quite fleshy for Dow (3.3 baumé), firm peppery tannins leading to a big peppery finish. Very impressive. Needs more time to show at its best. Drink in 15 years. 17.5

Warre Quinta da Cavadinha 2006 ****

Very deep, opaque colour; lovely pure berry fruit aromas, mountain fruit character; soft and sweet initially with that lovely purity showing through again on the palate and a touch of bitter chocolate concentration, considerable finesse here (from relatively late-picked fruit) yet quite powerful on the finish with berry fruit all the way through . 17

Graham Quinta do Tua 2006 *** / ****

Bought by the Symingtons in 2006, this ex-Cockburn property has been re-branded ‘Graham’. A thousand cases of this wine were made in robotic lagares at Quinta dos Malvedos: very, very deep and opaque in colour, crimson rim; lovely aroma, restrained and pure, ‘violets’ evident from the 24% of Touriga Nacional that make up the blend; similarly pure peppery blackcurrant fruit on the palate, firm, dense tannins, leaner than some of the others but leading through to a fresh, pure finish. Lovely now but better in a decade. 16.5 +?

Dow Quinta Senhora da Ribeira 2006 ****

Deep, opaque; lovely rich, dark chocolate aromas, open and opulent, floral (Touriga Nacional very evident), with minty ripeness; initially this seems very rich and sweet for Dow (a characteristic of this vintage perhaps), fleshy and opulent with a big tannic backbone and bitter-sweet length. Impressive for the medium to long term. 18

Cockburn Quinta dos Canais 2006 ***

From the flagship Cockburn quinta which was extensively replanted in the early 1990s. Just 350 cases made at Sra. da Ribeira as an experiment, none of which will be put on sale: deep opaque and dense, rich and ripe but still closed on the nose; very full, sweet and rich, fleshy and quite opulent initially with a touch of mint and eucalyptus (esteva), firm tannic finish and overall quite suave. Lacking the weight of its peers but good middle distance wine for drinking within 10 years. 16

Quinta do Vesúvio 2006 ****

Deep and opaque in colour; very opulent, floral with minty ripeness, overt and heady; similarly sweet, rich and opulent on the palate (3.7 baumé) but backed by dense, gritty textural tannins which rise in the mouth, sweetness and opulence returning on the finish. Lovely texture and length. Drink in ten years and for another twenty years beyond that.   18

Graham Quinta dos Malvedos 1999 ****

Good, mid-deep colour, still nearly opaque; lovely open floral fruit with a touch of esteva (gum cistus), classic; sweet, minty ripeness with a touch of dark chocolate at the core, already quite suave with a peppery finish, not especially big or structured but lovely to drink now and over the next ten years. 17

Dow Quinta do Bomfim 1999 ****

Paler and showing more maturity on the rim, starting to brown; closed, not showing very well on the nose, perhaps still to emerge from its adolescent phase, just a hint of violets; much more expressive on the palate, fine linear fruit, well-knit with lovely purity showing through mid-palate, firm tannins. Not big but charming. Ready now throught to 2020 + 17

Dow Quinta Senhora da Ribeira 1998 *****

Still very deep and youthful, opaque; not very expressive on the nose, closed, sullen (just a phase I suspect); fine, dense and tight-knit, some flesh yet with characteristic Dow austerity (2.95 baumé), dark chocolate core and cast-iron tannins, overall big and solid with a fabulous, explosive finish. Top notch single estate Port.  19

Quinta do Vesuvio 1998 ****

Similarly deep and opaque; slightly more open and opulent on the nose, mint and eucalypt ripeness showing; soft and fleshy with lovely purity and sweetness backed by good grippy tannins mid-palate, tails off on the finish leaving pure berry fruit. 17.5

Warre Quinta da Cavadinha 1996 ***

Mid-deep maturing colour; evolved, truffley and slightly soupy on the nose (lacking definition); rich soft and quite loose-knit in style, especially alongside the 1998s, quite big and round, fully ready to drink and not a long-term keeper. 15.5

Graham Quinta dos Malvedos 1979 ****

Brick red centre, amber rim; fine, mature, open floral character, very beautiful on the palate, soft and fleshy with milk chocolate depth and length. Really lovely now but not one to keep for any length of time.  17

Dow Quinta do Bomfim 1979 ***

More youthful in appearance than the Malvedos; fine and focused yet gentle on the nose, dry and lacking some fruit both the nose and on the palate, now starting to look a bit frail, peppery tannic backbone leading to a rather austere finish. Good now but drying out. Drink in the next 5 years. 16

Warre Quinta da Cavadinha 1979 ****

Brick red centre, broad amber rim; fine, perfumed, nicely evolved floral, esteva (gum cistus) aromas, open but possibly with a bit more to give; soft, sweet and fully mature, beautifully balanced cherry fruit. To be enjoyed now. 17

Graham Quinta dos Malvedos 1965 ***

Mature brick red to amber colour; open but looking dry and fragile with a touch of roasted coffee bean on the palate, characteristic of a very hot, dry year, roasted nuts too with affinity to an old tawny, fine and delicate, still sweet but drying towards the finish. 16

Dow Quinta do Bomfim 1965 ****

Slightly darker and blacker in hue than the Malvedos; scented but seemingly hollow on the nose and a touch roasted; firm and dry in the Dow style, powerful tannins retaining the purity of fruit at its core, big. peppery tannins lingering on to the finish. 17.5

Graham Quinta dos Malvedos 1958 ****

Now very pale pink-to-amber; fine, delicate, more than a touch of tawny character (more so than vintage) with almonds and a soft creamy element to the nose and palate, very elegant and linear, sweet fruit backed by peppery tannins, still fresh and expressive on the finish, long and delightful. 17

Graham Quinta dos Malvedos 1950 **** / *****

Excellent colour for a wine now 61 years old, pink centre with a thin browning rim; seemingly quite dry on the nose, a lovely rose petal scent with an underlying vestige of chocolatey intensity still evident; fine, delicate, still firm and very much alive with a stream of freshness running all the way through, delicate sweetness and supremely elegant on the finish. 18.5

Location: Chandos House, London
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I celebrated a significant birthday this year and with the help of some enthusiastic members of the Port Forum (click on ‘links’ for more information) we uncorked some splendid wines including the oldest Vintage Port that I have ever tasted:

 Noval 1961 Crusted Port ** / ***

I have drunk this on a previous occasion and it was great to see it again. Just to clarify any doubt, written on the that we uncorked are the words: ‘Noval 1961 Crusted Port. This unblended wine, produced at the famous Quinta do Noval and bottled in 1964, should be carefully decanted before serving.’ Now brick-red to tawny in colour; fruit fading with cough mixture aromas; firm, still focused with some lovely cherry fruit mid-palate, still sweet but medicinal in style, not big but quite well balanced.   14.5

Fonseca Guimaraens 1961 ‘Reserve’ ***

A wine from my vintage that I have never tasted before: slightly more mature and tawny in appearance but fresher on the nose, similar sort of Benilyn aromas and sweet cherry flavours, still retaining some dark chocolate concentration and depth with grip and length. 16

Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas 1961  No stars

This is the last bottle from a case that I bought at Christies 12, years ago I suppose as I have been opening one a year ever since. All the bottles have been high-toned, nay volatile. This was quite badly ullaged: the palest of the three 61s, cloudy; VA, nail varnish nose, no fruit, dry and fading fast, just a vestige of bitter-sweet grip on the finish. 8

Dalva Golden White 1952 ****

Dalva are making a name for their white Ports, helped by Export Director Jim Reader who used to head Cockburn’s: mid-amber with a distinct green tinge to the rim; pungent rancio character on the nose seemingly quite dry with a woody –tawny character; much sweeter on the palate, marmalade and spice with a lovely, long, tawny marmalade finish. 17

Graham 1977  mark withheld

Good youthful ruby colour if quite pale; rather ugly on the nose, still quite tight with spirit showing, more to give; lovely soft fleshy fruit on the palate, not big but firm and let down by a rather woody finish. A poor bottle, possibly slightly corked?

Warre 1970 ****

Good mid-deep, youthful hue, thin browning rim; touch of coffee, torrefaction on the nose; firm, tight-knit and focused, fine and linear, bitter-sweet mid-palate, quite dry in style, almost austere, without much flesh on the bones, but in this case the bones are very elegant. Despite the lack of fruit this will make old bones! 17.5

Niepoort 1970 **** / *****

There are two bottlings of this wine, one in a short dumpy bottle, the other in a tall bottle. This is the latter. Still very youthful in colour, mid-ruby with a pink rim; surprisingly light on the nose, very fresh, fragrant and floral but doesn’t give much impression of power or depth; firm, seemingly quite lean to start with but beautifully focused, tight knit with linear rapier like tannins that go on and on and on. Gentle berry fruit. Near perfect poise. This was voted the wine of the evening.18.5

1851 Vintage Port, shipper unknown *****

This is the oldest Port I have ever tasted, produced from pre-phylloxera grapes. According to Michael Broadbent  this was a vintage tainted with mildew although oidium only made its presence felt a year later: still deep and amazingly youthful in the centre of the glass, browning on the rim; subdued, a touch high-toned and slightly soily but still fine and focused; dusty cherry fruit still evident, a touch of coffee, firm and focused, bitter-sweet cherries with some sweetness coming through again on the finish. Still retaining its youthful grip, amazingly fresh if quite dry in style. Astonishing wine, almost impossible to mark without putting it into context but it deserves top marks just for surviving the way it has. 19    

Location: Rowley's, Baslow, Derbyshire
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This selection of wines from the Fladgate Partnership was presented by David Guimaraens and Natasha Bridge in the tasting room at the Fonseca lodge during a recent visit to Porto.

It includes a re-taste of the recently declared 2009 vintage as well as a number of single estate wines from the three houses that make up the Fladgate Partnership. 

The wines are presented in the order they were tasted.

Taylor

Quinta de Terra Feita 1999 ***

Very deep youthful colour, purple rim; dense initially, surprisingly closed but some fragrance eventually opening up in the glass; something slightly earthy / minerally, soft, sweet and fleshy, just about ready with a firm grippy finish, perhaps a touch lean. Now – 2020 15.

Quinta de Terra Feita 2001 ****

Again, deep and youthful, purple rim; again not very expresive initially, hint of floral perfume and a touch of dark chocolate underlying; full, fleshy, broad and sweet, ripe broad tannins keep rising in the mouth. Chunky finish. Now – 2025  17

Quinta de Vargellas 2001 ****

Very deep, closed and dense, solid and foursqaure; full and fleshy initially with lovely pure berry fruit mid-palate, solid tannin structure rising towards an explosive finish. A keeper 18.

Taylor 2007 ****

Very deep, opaque and closed, sullen with underlying density; rich, lovely weight and texture, fine-grained tannins with lovely pure berry fruit showing through mid-palate and rapier-like tannins on the finish.   17

Vargellas Vinha Velha 2007 ****

Not quite as deep in colour as the Taylor 07, a trait that I have noticed previously; very elegant, pure and refined on the nose, berry fruit; same on the palate, fine, pure, elegant with firm tannins, not big but already refined and beautiful. 17.5

Quinta de Terra Feita 2008 *** / ****

Deep black, opaque, youthful, still raw and peppery, spirit not yet married, lovely sweet fleshy fruit, ripe tannic structure, dense with peppery tannins on the finsh with something minerally about it. 16.5

Quinta de Vargellas 2008 ****

Not quite as deep in colour as the Terra Feita; lovely aromas, rich, ripe and minty, bigger than the Terra Feita, rich and structured, broad shouldered wine, big broad tannins, dense. Very promising. 17.5   

Taylor 2009 (cask sample) ****

Very deep inky, opaque colour; youthful opulence on the nose, full, big; very ripe, opulent fleshy fruit, soft and broad, muscular, solid yet broad tannic finish. 18

Vargellas Vinha Velha 2009 *****

Again, not quite as deep as the Taylor (above), closed, a touch green with some hedgerow character on the nose, aromatic rather than opulent; dense, tight knit with lovely ripe yet pure berry fruit and forceful rapier-like tannins on the finish. A long term wine with a brilliant future ahead.   19

Fonseca

Fonseca Guimaraens 1996 *

Mid-deep colour, broad, purple rim; not showing well on the nose, hollow, oxidised?, soft but similarly hollow and flat, broad and ripe but lacking dimension and fruit. A poor sample? 12

Quinta do Panascal 1998 ***

Mid-deep, youthful purple rim; open, fragrant and floral, lovely, just as it should be; soft, supple, sweet not big but elegant, quite loose-knit, firm tannic length, nicely balanced mid-term wine. Drink over the next ten years. 16

Quinta do Panascal 1999 *** / ****

Slightly deeper in colour; rich and ripe on the nose, fleshy, full, more tight knit than the 98 with broad ripe tannins and sweet plum-like fruit. More of a keeper. Now – 2025 + 16.5

Quinta do Panascal 2008 ****

Very deep in colour; big and spirity on the nose, still raw, needing time to marry and meld together; heady and rich, suave and fleshy, big, ripe dusty tannins rising in the mouth leading to a chewy, meaty finish. 17

Fonseca Guimaraens 2008 ****

Deep, closed and dense, giving very little away on the nose as yet; rich, ripe and quite powerful like Panascal (above), broad and fleshy with big spicy, peppery tannins and a big finish. Very impressive. 17

Fonseca 2007 **** / *****

Deep colour, tight knit, closed, restrained with very pure fruit underlying; quite full, fleshy initially, dense, restrained and focused, beautifully so, long linear tannins on the finish. This has settled down very well in bottle.18.5

Fonseca 2009 (cask sample) ****

Deep, ripe and opulent, a touch of hedgerow character on the nose, more restrained than Taylor 2009; full, rich and big, sweet and quite hefty (more so than the 2007), ripe, raw tannins, big, bold and peppery, long and supple. 18

Croft

Quinta da Roêda 1997 **

Very good, deep colour, just browning on the rim; slightly jammy fruit on the nose, a touch stewed but open mature and rich, soft, ripe and jammy in style, blowsy and full, not much grip. Not much of a keeper: drink now – 2016. 13.5

Quinta da Roêda 2008 ****

Very good youthful colour; lovely fresh aromatic aromas, still a little raw; soft, sweet and plumy, quite big and round with good, broad tannic grip. A good mid-term wine. 2018 – 2030   17

Croft 2007 ****

Very deep, opaque; lovely plum and cherry fruit aromas, quite rich, a touch of dark chocolate, full, dense bitter-sweet character with firm peppery tannins. Developing well in bottle with the purity of the vintage showing on the finish. 17.5

Croft 2009 (cask sample) *** / ****

Very deep, opaque; plummy, big, ripe and heady on the nose; big broad, fleshy sweet plummy style, broad and flattering. Undemanding wine for the medium term. Made entirely from fruit grown at Quinta da Roêda. 16.5

Location: Fonseca, Vila Nova de Gaia
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As soon as I stepped from Piccadilly into the lobby of the RAF Club I smelt the quality of the Port. This tasting of 26 wines spanning over a century was put together by members of the Port Forum (www.theportforum.com/) who had been decanting the wines all afternoon. The most striking aspect of the tasting is the strong family resemblance of the wines through most of the twentieth century, at least up to 1970. George Sandeman, who attended the tasting, attributes this to the company buying in wines from the same farmers in the Rio Torto up until the end of the 1960s when they dismissed a large number of long-term growers. These wines impress with their restraint, elegance, gentleness and purity (words that appear regularly in my tasting notes) rather than their size and power. From 1970 onwards there is a sea-change in the style and character of the wines in common with a number of Port shippers belonging to multi-national companies at the time. It certainly illustrates the power of the accountant who took control of so many Port houses in the 1970s and 1980s. Sandeman, like Croft, Cockburn and Delaforce, lost their reputation for Vintage Port during this period and from this tasting it is easy to see why. Thereafter Sandeman had a quirky declaration policy with a wine called Vau vintage. Named after their principal estate (but not all from it) this was a vintage Port made to drink young and up to ten years in age. Sandeman’s vintage Ports have really only come back to classic form with the 2007 vintage (see relevant notes on this website). 

I am very grateful to the members of the Port Forum, especially to Axel Probst and Alex Bridgeman, for inviting me to this outstanding tasting of Sandeman Vintage Ports. The Ports are presented in the order they were tasted as follows:  

Sandeman 1873 *****

Lovely pale amber tawny colour; gentle, scented, still fresh, with more fruit coming out with time in the glass, still quite rich and aromatic, caramelised oranges; creamy intensity, sweet, soft rich and smooth with the merest vestige of tannin remaining. Lovely length, in no way dry, with a tawny marmalade character on the finish. An amazing wine made at the height of phylloxera when yields must have been very low. Difficult to score but it deserves 19  

Sandeman 1904 

Pinkish brick-red colour, still looking quite fresh but badly corked. Not tasted. No mark.

Sandeman 1911 ***

Very pale amber colour, quite brown on the rim; lifted, high-toned with an unusual autumnal scent of decaying flowers (jasmine), not without charm; very sweet, almost unctuous, intense sweetness and not much else, showing a dusting of tannin on the finish. Unbalanced. 16

Sandeman 1927 ****

Mid amber-tawny; not all that attractive on the nose, slightly dusty (not a bad sign) but stewed (unusual for a 1927) but still quite rich, sweet with some stuffing and a hint of dark chocolate concentration, lovely firm spicy length, not the finest 1927 but still very good. 17.5

Sandeman 1934 ****

Mid-deep centre, browning rim; not giving away a great deal on the nose, slightly dusty (a good sign) with a touch of rancio; firm, quite tight knit with lovely rich spicy-peppery focus and some fine pure berry fruit on the finish. 18

Sandeman 1935 *****

Lovely colour, still very youthful in appearance, garnet centre, thin browning rim; beautiful aroma, tight-knit scented fruit, still amazingly youthful, lovely, probably with more to give; rich, dark chocolate and liquorice flavours, good purity of fruit, fine, ripe broad tannins and a long broad finish Very fine indeed. My second favourite wine of the tasting. 19

Sandeman 1943 *** / ****

Pale amber-tawny; dry, dusty nose; slightly hollow after the 35, touch of burnt sugar; again quite rich in style, perhaps more so on the palate than on the nose, lovely bitter-sweet depth and concentration, well developed wine from an unusual declaration. 16.5

Sandeman 1945 **** / *****

Quite light in colour retaining a youthful hue with a broad, browning rim; ripe yet restrained and gentle on the nose, touch of dark chocolate; rich, ripe, tight-knit, bitter-sweet fruit, very fine, firm and still very fresh with lovely length and depth. To drink now but with some way still to go. 18.5

Sandeman 1947 ****

Very good colour, deeper than the ’45; attractive restrained aromas with lovely berry fruit underlying; rich, sweet and quite full, bitter-sweet berry fruit, still fresh and youthful with purity on the finish 17.5 

Sandeman 1948 *****

Another wine with a good youthful hue; lovely pure, tight-knit fruit on the nose and palate, firm bitter-sweet flavours, still quite powerful, more so than the ’47 with grip and a long fresh, firm finish. Very impressive. This was voted the favourite wine of the evening by members of the Port Forum although I put it n third place after the 1935 and 1955. 19

Sandeman 1950 **** / *****

Still very youthful in appearance, mid-deep garnet with a thin pink-brown rim; lovely, fresh scented aromas, seemingly with more still to give, bitter chocolate fruit underlying; rich, bitter-sweet, youthful cherry fruit, fine and intense, long and lovely. 18.5

Sandeman 1955 *****

Still very youthful, amazingly so, mid-deep ruby just turning on the rim; lovely pure, fresh berry fruit aromas, elegant, quite restrained but intense; rich and focused on the palate, quite big for Sandeman, tight knit with dark chocolate depth, long full and very fine, amazingly fresh for a wine that is 56 years old! This was my favourite wine in the entire tasting and was voted number two by members of the Port Forum. 19.5  

Sandeman 1958 ** / ***

Mid-deep colour, browning on the rim; rather flat and oxidised on the now, showing its age; soft, sweet and rather lacking in freshness with some grip and depth underlying but lacking in vivacity and focus with a slightly soupy finish. Possibly a poor example. 14.5

Sandeman 1960  ***

Still youthful in hue but rather cloudy; soft, loose-knit and rather soupy on the nose; still quite fresh but lacking focus, some minty fruit remaining with tannic grip rising on the finish which redeems it.  15.5

Sandeman 1963 ****

Not very deep but with a good bright, youthful colour; not giving away all that much on the nose, still young and restrained with underlying dark chocolate fruit; firm, quite dry in style and tight-knit on the palate, bitter sweet with now characteristic purity of fruit, long and fresh with plenty of life remaining. This was voted the third favourite wine of the tasting. 18  

Sandeman 1965 ****

Still quite youthful in colour, browning on the rim, lovely rich, open aromas soft and fleshy initially, full still quite youthful with firm tannic grip rising in the mouth, well defined, with firm, fresh, grippy finish. A rare example of a 1965. 17

Sandeman 1966 **** / *****

Good youthful ruby-pink hue; still closed, underlying tight-knit fruit, firm, foursquare but developing very well, lovely gentle, firm berry fruit, still amazingly young and fresh, very elegant, long and lovely. This wine will last for a lifetime or more. 18.5    

Sandeman 1967 ****

Even deeper and more youthful in appearance than the ’66; still closed on the nose with more to give; lovely richness and depth, quite fleshy and mouth-filling, big and broad, a lovely wine and almost certainly the best 1967 that I have tasted. 18

Sandeman 1970 ***

Quite pale for a 1970, broad browning rim; hollow on the nose, not very expressive and lacking underlying power; sweet, quite soft but lacking the power and depth characteristic of the 1970s, some lovely pure berry fruit, elegant mid-palate but lean and pinched on the finish. Just a three star wine in the context of this great vintage. 15.5

Sandeman 1975 ***

Pale pink-red, just turning on the rim; hollow on the nose, correct but attenuated; soft, fully mature, retaining fresh fruit and grip, dryish quite good for the vintage so deserves some credit. 15  

Sandeman 1977

Mid-pale colour, slightly muddy with a thin pink rim; musty on the nose, corky?, some fresh fruit underlying, corked on the palate but some grip evident. Huge declaration: 10,000 cases. No mark for this wine but it has shown much better in the past..

Sandeman 1980 **

Good colour, slightly youthful, mid-deep with a pink rim; ugly nose, woolly, touch of wet dog, unlikely at this stage to be just a phase in its development; sweet, still sappy and quite fresh on the palate, firm but rather lean and one dimensional on the finish. Weak. Drink soon. 13.5

Sandeman 1982 * / **

Quite pale, brick red, broad, browning rim; Hollow on the nose, soft sweet and simple, now smooth, one dimensional, some dry tannic grip towards the finish but flat and drying out. Drink soon. 12.5

Sandeman 1985 *

Mid-deep ruby colour, browning rim; again hollow but lifted (VA), slightly roasted; light on the palate, distinctly edgy, some fruit evident but disjointed and short. Going nowhere. 11

Sandeman 1994 ***? 

Good, deep opaque colour, thin purple rim; rich, ripe, quite hot on the nose, stewed fruit, soft, broad but in an ungainly phase. Gritty tannins. May come round.  15

Sandeman 1997 *** +?

Very deep opaque colour, crimson rim; closed, tight-knit with lovely pure fruit underlying, soft, ripe and minty, still raw but has potential. Jammy finish. 16 

Location: RAF Club, London SW1
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It came as quite a surprise to hear that the Fladgate Partnership had declared 2009 across the board. Although 2009 was a very good year in the vineyard, it comes very soon after 2007 and it is the fourth fully declared vintage for Taylor, Fonseca and Croft this decade. The Symington family have decided not to declare 2009 (apart from a very small quantity of Warre) and the only other declaree that I am aware of so far is Niepoort. Not for the first time, Dirk Niepoort has stated that his 2009 ‘is the best vintage I have ever made’.

The 2009 growing season began early with budburst in Pinhão in the first week of March. Yields were low from the start and the early part of the summer was cool and dry. A hot August accelerated ripening and picking began as early as 9^th September at Croft’s Quinta da Roêda. With no rain from July onwards, the grapes were small producing dense, concentrated musts, rich in colour, tannins and sugar. The declaration is smaller than 2007 (see quantities below). Taylor’s 2009 is based on a blend of Ports from Quinta de Vargellas and Quinta de Terra Feita.  Quinta do Junco (ex-Borges) has made a small contribution since 2000 and does so again in 2009.  Fonseca 2009 is drawn from Quinta do Panascal and Quinta do Cruzeiro with a small proportion of wine from Quinta do Santo António, recently converted to organic viticulture.  Croft 2009 is drawn entirely from Quinta da Roêda.   

The following wines were put on show by Adrian Bridge, Managing Director of the Fladgate Partnership, in London on 6^th May closely following their traditional declaration date, St George’s Day.

Taylor 2009 ****

Deep, dark opaque; lovely opulent aromas, refined, scented and very pretty (not often I say this about a wine), in its first bloom of youth; broad, sweet and rich with fine peppery tannins, quite powerful yet gentle at the same time with a lovely sinewy, firm finish. Complete. (9,000 cases declared) 18

Taylor’s Vargellas Vinha Velha 2009 **** +

Deep in colour, but not especially dark and not as Taylor (above); still raw, touch of tobacco and hedgerow, not nearly as showy as Taylor; lovely ripe fleshy fruit backed by firm, fine-grained, tight knit tannins, rising in the mouth, long firm, powerful finish, quite big and structured but elegant too. 18.5  

Fonseca 2009 **** +?

Very good colour, deep and opaque; closed on the nose, much more restrained than Taylor, underlying tight-knit cassis-like fruit underlying, just a touch roasted perhaps; again very elegant, gentle initially, firm with peppery tannins rising in the mouth, quite dry in style, lovely suave cassis fruit showing through on the finish. More my style than Taylor. Very promising. (7,000 cases) 18.5

Croft 2009 ****

Again, very good colour; lovely plummy aromas, minty, quite showy for a young VP; very sweet, still a bit raw with some firm tannic grip rising onto the finish, soft and flattering, very much in the new Croft style. A lovely wine for the medium term. (5,000 cases) 17

Skeffington 2009 ***

Another very deep coloured wine; closed and not that expressive on the nose, perhaps a touch hollow in the assembled company; soft and fleshy, quite up front with firm, grippy tannins, but leaner than the previous wines in this line-up. Fresh finish, good integrity. A wine for drinking in 10 – 15 years. 16

The tasting provided an opportunity to look at Fladgate wines from the three earlier declarations in the noughties. Brief notes (without scores) follow:

Taylor 2007

Deep colour; hedgerow and tobacco, entered into that ugly phase; lovely fleshy fruit, firm, ripe tannins but still very disjointed.  

Taylor’s Vargellas Vinha Velha 2007

Not quite as deep as Taylor; very pure, lovely cassis fruit, dense tannins leading to an explosive finish. Very profound.

Fonseca 2007

Close, dense, sullen; lovely pure fruit on the palate, quite broad and fleshy, tight-knit, big and dense on the finish.

Croft 2007

Graceful plumy aromas, not yet closed in; very soft, fleshy and attractive, sweet and flattering with a broad spicy finish

Skeffington 2007

Closed; soft and gentle initially, firm tannins, spicy-peppery length. Balanced but a bit lean. 

Taylor’s Vargellas Vinha Velha 2004

Again, not that deep in colour, opulent and open, minty; lovely sweet, pure succulent fruit, seemingly quite simple at this stage but with lovely spicy tannins to back it up. Very refined and pure. 

Taylor 2003

Upfront, opulent, scented, open; fleshy, ripe, super-ripe, soft with big ripe hot country tannins.

Fonseca 2003

Opulent, open, talks from the glass; strawberry fruit, rich big and fleshy, big, ripe tannins, very unusual wine at this stage in it development

Croft 2003

Scented, open, plums and cherries; very soft, sweet and rich, a touch roasted and lacking definition. Some dark chocolate. Nearly ready to drink.

Skeffington 2003

Restrianed, a touch jammy, soft initially with firm tannins on the finish. Drink now – 2020.

Taylor 2000

Deep, youthful colour; bit sullen but with underlying mint, esteva (gum cistus) and eucalypt; lovely focused sweet spicy fruit, tight knit and peppery, evolving very well indeed. Needs another 5-10 years.

Taylor’s Vargellas Vinha Velha 2000

Not quite so deep in colour, still youthful; stewed and/or oxidised on the nose, not showing well; better on the palate but flat, firm ripe tannins with a bitter-sweet finish, going through an odd phase

Fonseca 2000

Good youthful colour, still closed but showing underlying cassis-like purity; full, rich and dense, dark chocolate concentration, just as it should be at this stage. Georgeous wine. Needs another 10 years.

Croft 2000

Hollow or closed? Probably the latter. Full, mid-weight with lovely firm black cherry fruit, much more traditional in style than more recent vintages. Start to drink in five years.

Location: Quo Vadis, London W1
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I was asked to lead a tutored a tasting of Vintage Ports in aid of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust. All the wines were generously donated by William Harrison and Michael Hurdle from their own cellars. Forty guests supped on the wines, followed by lunch and a blind tasting. We eventually rolled out of the door at Tissington at around 6pm. Thanks are due to Sir Richard Fitzherbert for his tolerance!

Dow 1994 **** / *****

Deep, dark and still dumb. This probably needs another five years plus to open up. Opulent on the palate, characteristically sweet and succulent, fine and focused with broad, well-structured tannins on the finish. Will be very impressive to drink from 2016 onwards. 18.5

Fonseca 1992 *** / ****

Mid-deep colour, pink on the rim; awkward on the nose, not yet giving its all; some depth on the palate, rich and fleshy, not that big but not as big but this wine has balance and elegance and it has a core. Quite powerful tannins, still needs another least two years in bottle at least. 16.5

Taylor 1983  ***

Not especially deep in colour; open, quite loose knit on nose and palate, firm austere tannins, lovely pure berry fruit but overall quite austere, verging on lean with lovely purity of fruit on the finish. Ready to drink. Not a long term wine.  16  Now - 2025 1

Warre 1977 ***

Now looking quite pale, browning on the rim, perhaps a bit hollow on the nose, soft, quite sweet, elegant, fruit drying up and light dry tannic finish. Not a keeper. Now -2020 16

Graham 1970 *****

Still deep for its age, rich, classic nose, extra dark chocolate, very sweet in the Graham style with dark chocolate concentration of flavour, lovely grip, broad tannins and a rich broad finish. Outstanding wine for the long term. Drink with pleasure for the next thirty years or more! 19

Quinta do Noval 1966 ****

This corresponds to the end of an era when Noval were making outstanding wines, which only recommenced in 1994: good deep centre, browning rim; not giving than much away on the nose but showing underlying intensity; firm, tight knit with bitter chocolate intensity, this has a core, perhaps a little lean on the finish, firm bitter-sweet length. 17.5 

Cockburn 1963 ****

Mid-deep garnet, thin browning rim; one stinky bottle but otherwise lovely open, floral aromas, aromatic and fine; well balanced black cherry and bitter choc flavours, quite powerful and well knit but not as opulent or showy as the last time I tasted it (2002). Still a lovely wine. 17.5 

Croft 1960 ****

Still very deep and youthful in appearance, still very fresh, open, ripe, some opulence weight and depth, quite sweet in style which rather flatters the wine but there is still plenty of life left in Croft 1960. Now – 2020 + 17

Location: Tissington Hall, Nr Ashbourne, Derbyshire
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Quinta do Noval is perhaps the most emblematic estate in the Douro. Since the property changed hands in 1993, Christian Seely has been, in his own words, ‘putting things right’. He is candid about the past. From 1920 until the late 1960s under the ownership of Luís Vasconcelos Porto the property was subject to ‘very good vineyard management’ but it suffered in the 1970s and 80s and this is reflected in the quality of the wines. ‘Since we took over we have changed 100s of details’ he declared, right down to relaying all the stones in the hallowed lagares, swapping schist for granite. From 1994 onwards much of the vineyard has been replanted and Noval’s domain has extended over the hill into the Roncão valley (‘roasted Roncão’ as it is known by shippers due to its meso-climate). But Noval’s Vintage Ports (including the legendary Nacional) are products of the quinta bearing the same name. There are still plenty of plots of old vines including 80 year old vines that go into making Nacional where the average age of the 2ha of ungrafted vineyeard is around 40 years. Declarations are much smaller than they were in the old days with just 900 cases of 1994 produced compared with 5,000 cases in 1985. But perhaps the most fascinating revelation to accompany this tasting is the so called ‘Secret Nacionals’. The last Nacional to be declared was 2003, prompting the question what happens to the Nacional from other vintage years (for example 2004, 2007 and 2008 which Noval also declared)? I had always assumed that the Nacional wine from these years went into the vintage blend but Christian Seeley explained that these wines have been retained, with the intention of releasing some of them in 20 years. Interestingly he suggested that there might even be a Nacional Colheita in future!

The focus of this tasting was Noval´s Vintage Ports from 2007 back to 1963 with a large gap from 1994 – 1967 which corresponds to the bad old days. I had tasted most of these wines before individually but not the Nacional 1964 which must now be as rare as hens teeth!

The wines that follow are in the order in which they were tasted, leisurely, in Berry Bros and Rudd Cellars. Never have I given so many wines a 5 star award in a single tasting as well as a theoretically impossible 5 star +! 

Quinta do Noval 2007 **** +?

Very deep, opaque; ripe, raw with touch of tar and mint on the nose, coming together; very fine, powerful and concentrated, still raw and peppery, firm and focused with the purity of fruit characteristic of the 07s showing through on the finish. ‘Atypical’ according to Seely and ‘defined by its year.’   2,000 cases declared     18

 Quinta do Noval 2004 ****

 If anything deeper than the ’07; not yet closed in on the nose, fine, rich, shutting down but still with youthful perfume, dark chocolate emerging, perhaps slightly burnt; big rich and fleshy initially with a powerful cast-iron fist of tannin underlying, forceful tannic finish. An ‘eccentric declaration’. 1,200 cases     17.5

Quinta do Noval 2003 **** / *****

Very deep youthful colour, crimson rim; very fine, dense, closing in on itself on the the nose, heat of the vintage just in evidence?; big, fine fleshy tannins building in the mouth, very rich dense and powerful, broad tannic structure with a wonderful peacock’s tail of a finish. This was the first vintage from the vines replanted in 1994. 6,000 cases, described by Seely as ‘extravagant’.  18.5

Quinta do Noval Nacional 2003 *****

Very similar colour to the ’03 above, more purple on the rim and if anything more closed in on the nose, dense; lovely soft, fleshy pure fruit, fine grained peppery tannins, not so massive as above but building up layer upon layer. Very refined. ‘Great wine from a small space says Seely’. 19 

Quinta do Noval 2000 ****

Very deep in colour, if anything deeper than the Nacional below; very attractive, open berry fruit character on the nose, ripe and well defined with a touch of gum cistus; lovely sweet, open black cherry flavours, very pure in character, firm peppery – spicy tannins and a long linear finish, not that big but focused and fresh. 17.5

Quinta do Noval Nacional 2000 *****

Colour as above but in contrast completely closed-in on the nose, underlying density and depth just about evident but giving almost nothing away at the moment; very rich and opulent, complete, dense fine-grained tannins building in the mouth with a powerful flourish to finish. Much more powerful than the Noval 2000 – a brilliant wine for the long haul. 19.5

Quinta do Noval Nacional 1997 *****

Still deep, youthful purple rim; lovely nose, very pure fruit evident, quite opulent for a 199, mint and herbs, herbal but not herbaceous; fine, firm,quite linear, tight-knit but not as powerful as some Nacionals, focused, very pure with lovely cassis length. In case you were wondering Noval have no ’97 Nacional left – ‘not a bottle!’ 19

 Quinta do Noval Nacional 1996 **** / *****

 Deep, youthful and opaque; lovely aromas, young, pure floral fruit, cassis and cherry;Fine liquorice-like intensity, very pure in flavour backed by firm tannins, fine, not big but beautifully focused with a linear finish. A very pretty wine. Something of a one-off as no Noval was declared in 1996, just the Nacional. 300 cases in total. 18.5

 Quinta do Noval 1994 ***** 

Very deep opaque ‘blue’ colour; very fine, open opulent aromas, perfumed, floral; very fine, rich dark chocolate character, full bitter-sweet and focused, quite elegant and not at all fat like some 94s were at the start, in fact quite dry and rapier-like on the finish. 19    

 Quinta do Noval Nacional 1994 *****

Much more youthful in character than above, still raw, closed and giving very little away on the nose, sullen but with underlying depth and opulence; very rich, dense and quite fleshy initially, more characteristic of ‘94 than above, dark chocolate (the very best), lovely ripe, broad fine tannins, massive finish, very sweet and opulent too! Only 90 cases made. 19.5

 Quinta do Noval Nacional 1967 **** 

A bit of a jump back in time here to the good old days of the 1960s when Noval was performing at its best, but an unusual vintage in that this is a year that was not widely declared: still looking surprisingly youthful in colour; lovely nose, honeysuckle, sweet not especially dense but opulent with a crystallised fruit character; rich, dark milk chocolate intensity, again opulent, sweet, lovely depth and weight with peppery tannins rising in the mouth, still quite full if just a little loose-knit on the finish. 18  

 Quinta do Noval Nacional 1964 *** / **** 

Quite pale, pinkish hue, pink rim; fine, fragrant, delicate aromas, perfumed violets, milk chocolate and icing sugar; very elegant, lovely gentle, sweet succulent fruit, still quite rich with just a vestige of tannin, still very fresh but falling away on the finish. Not powerful but elegant. 16.5

 Quinta do Noval Nacional 1963 ***** +

Very deep youthful colour with a mid-deep purple/pink rim; fine, dense dark chocolate and bitter-sweet fruit quality to the nose, very concentrated and focused; lovely rich, dark chocolate concentration of flavour, reflecting the nose, very pure bitter-sweet fruit, firm tight-knit tannins, offset by fresh acidity, perfect balance. Outstanding wine which will go on and on and on… I am not often as effusive about a wine as this but Vintage Port does not get better! If I could give it 6 stars I would. 20

Location: The Cellars, Berry Bros & Rudd, London SW1
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I have never tasted a wine from this vintage before - at least I don't think that I have, 1896 being the closet that I can find in my notes. Michael Broadbent who goes back much futher than I do describes 1897 as  'very good' but it  had to take a back seat coming 'hard on the heal's of the 'heavily marketed 1896. 1897 coincided with Queen Victoria's  Diamond Jubilee but only seven shippers declared a vintage. Apparently there was a shortage of spirit following the 1896 vintage and Sandeman fortified their wine with Scotch Whisky! This wine, bottled in Bristol by Harveys was served blind at dinner following the Taylor - Graham comparative tasting. Despite the august company present at dinner not one person was close to guessing the correct year, all of us putting it well into the twentieth century. My guess for what it's worth was 1934. There is no record of who produced this wine for Harveys.

Harvey's 1897 ****

 Pale amber-tawny colour; high-toned, lifted but still susrprisingly fresh with a rather lovely tea leaf character on the nose, not maderised despite its age; still sweet and fresh on the palate, delicate, verging on fragile with a dry finish and a candied citrus tang. A touch of mustiness on the finish perhaps but lovely and still very drinkable. 18  

Location: Bonham's, Bond Street, London
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Taylor 1970 ****

 Graham 1970 *****

 Graham 1977 ****

Taylor 1977 *** / ****

Graham 1985 ****

Taylor 1985 *** / ****

Graham 1994 **** / *****

Taylor 1994 *****

Graham 2000 **** +?

Taylor 2000 **** / *****

Graham 2007 **** / *****

Taylor 2007 **** / *****

Location: Bonham's, Bond Street, London
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It’s been quite a week for tasting Port with two 19^th century wines that I hadn’t tasted before (see below and next posting). This tawny port ‘masterclass’ led by the Fladgate Partnership’s MD Adrian Bridge was a useful vehicle to demystify the origin and blending of an aged tawny Port. Adrian started by explaining that wine is put aside for 10 and 20 year old tawny every year whereas the wine for 30 and 40 year olds is set aside every 3 or 4 years.  The wine for Taylor’s 20 year old comes from their own quintas whereas the wine for the 10 year old is more likely to come from some of the 72 independent growers who now supply the Fladgate Partnership. The wines are mostly foot trodden and start out as those lotes that didn’t quite make it onto the vintage blend (this is illustrated in the tasting below) . The wines selected for tawny are aged in lodge pipes (approx 630 litres in size) which give a greater ratio of wine to air than the large vats (balseiros) used to mature vintage and LBV. Traditionally the wines would be matured in Vila Nova de Gaia but shippers are increasingly moving their maturation to the Douro where they have temperature controlled warehouses with levels of humidity comparable with the traditional lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia. Since 2007 Taylor’s main tawny lodge has been re-located alongside their main production facility at Quinta de Nogueira near São João de Pesqueira. This is at an altitude of 700 metres and the humidity is controlled by a sprinkler system which maintains evaporation rates at around 3% a year and prevents the so called ‘Douro bake’ that used to be a characteristic of many Douro-aged wines. It is still worth pointing out that at these rates of evaporation 100 litres of wine at the outset is reduced to just 55 litres after twenty years – a significant cost factor for aged tawny. An oxidative racking takes place once a year. Taylor’s have a stock of roughly 9,000 pipes (casks) of tawny, the age of the wood being around 40 years old. There is an increasing shortage of 630 litre lodge pipes and Taylor’s are currently experimenting with 250 litre barricas, thoroughly seasoned with Douro wine before being filled with Port.

Adrian Bridge explained that one of the main challenges of producing aged tawny is that you have to plan for sales 10, 20, 30 and 40 years ahead. Twenty years ago no one could have predicted that total worldwide sales would have risen from 200,000 cases in 1990 to an anticipated 500,000 cases plus in 2010. Many shippers have had to trawl the Douro in search of more stocks which accounts for some of the Douro bake character that has entered some 20, 30 and 40 year old wines.

The tasting illustrates the progression and the blending process of a Taylor’s tawny from 3 to 20 years old followed by a tasting of the 10, 20, 30 and 40 year old wines currently on the market:

3 year old tawny:

(from a single year [2007] with 3 years in large wooden vats and a year in pipe): deep crimson ruby in colour, still closed, quite spicy and raw; soft, full and broad with tight peppery tannins, sweet and focused, falling not far short of a young vintage. This is in fact a so called ‘Reserve’ wine from Taylor’s own quintas left over after making up the 2007 vintage blend.

5 year old tawny:

(from a single year [2005], a potential vintage lote from Quinta de Terra Feita): deep garnet centre just starting to brown on the rim; open cherry and Demerera aromas, slightly roasted and pruney, already quite evolved any showing some tawny character; lovely rich spicy flavour but quite forward and softening up.

7 year old tawny:

(still from a single year [2003], a potential component of Taylor’s vintage Port from Quinta de Vargellas): not quite so advanced as the wine above, looking younger too; big, ripe, bold, powerful and quite rich, both on the nose and in the mouth, firm tannins still very evident, not greatly marked by 5 years in pipe.  

 11 year old tawny:

(this wine is now a blend, mostly wine from the 1998 and 1999 harvests with some 2005 added): brick red centre, thin amber brown rim, starting to look like a tawny; fine rich aromas with some secondary nutty-woody character; smooth, sweet a touch woody but with quite pronounced firm, dusty tannins on the finish.

15 year old tawny:

(a blend of 1997, 1999 and 1985): turning distinctly tawny in colour, broader amber rim; lovely nose, dried fruit complexity, apricots, honey and nuts; by now silky smooth, round, showing some of the sweet concentration that comes from evaporation, rich, clean, very fresh with just a vestige of tannin on the finish. Very fine and clean. 

19 year old tawny:

(a blend of blends, by this time the wine’s pedigree has been lost): wood, citrus (candied peel) , much more complex with secondary nutty-toasty character, very fresh, elegant, attractive, smooth with lovely crisp citrusy length of flavour 

20 year old tawny PY:  

(no one knows what the letters ‘PY’ mean but they stand for the finely tuned finished blend awaiting bottling): true amber tawny colour; fine evolved, the components are melded together, dried fruit, toasted almonds, fresh yet with a dry edge on the finish. Delicate, gentle and very finely poised.    

This tasting was followed by a comparative flight of the finished wines (I have refrained from awarding a score to these wines as the idea was to compare one level with another rather than like-with-like): 

Taylor’s 10 Year Old Tawny

Mid-brick red colour, thin browning rim; rich, plumy, fragrant, fruit cake character; soft, smooth but still very much fruit driven, smooth silky-spicy finish retaining some tannic grip.

Taylor’s 20 Year Old Tawny:

Pale amber-tawny with a broad amber rim; very fine, delicate, honey and dried fruit character, complex, citrus (candied peel) too; lovely delicate flavour, still very fresh and with real poise, just as a 20 Year Old should be, still a vestige of tannin but long, velvety and overall very fresh. Near perfect balance.

Taylor’s 30 Year Old Tawny: 

Mid-deep browning tawny; not quite as fragrant as the 20 Year Old, Demerera nose, nutty, a touch casky (inevitable at this age), no vinagrinho (volatility); well developed on the palate, deliberately drier in style than many wines at this level, very refined and delicate with toasty length.

Taylor’s 40 Year Old Tawny:

Pale amber tinged tawny; quite subdued on the nose, caramelised aromas, very clean with little or no vinagrinho; rich, round, quite sweet in style, much more so than the 30 Year Old (though still drier and fresher than many 40 year olds), lovely dried fig and apricot character, rich but just stops short of being unctuous on the finish. This wine alone accounts for 48% of worldwide sales of 40 year old!

Taylor's Scion:

The piece de resistance of this tasting (and perhaps the raison d’etre too) was the release of Taylor’s Scion, a one-off bottling of a pre-phylloxera Port dating back to the mid–nineteenth century, probably 1855. It comes from a quinta belonging to the late Irene Viana Pinto in the village of Prezegueda in the Corgo valley near Régua. Two pipes were acquired by Taylors with a view to blending it in to the 40 Year Old Tawny lote (they still have stocks of 1900, 1908 and 1934 for blending) but they considered this wine so exceptional that they kept it apart and bottle the wine as it is. It is being sold in a hand blown crystal decanter, set into a wooden case with a book telling the story of the wine. There are 1,400 bottle of Scion available which will retail for around £2,500 a bottle.

Tasting note:  Deep mahogany in colour with an olive-green rim; fragrant, high-toned vinagrinho aromas, exceptionally clean and fresh, not maderised or baked; intense, concentrated, liquorous, very powerful, the essence of tawny, quite unctuous but offset by a streak of fine acidity, caramelised yet ethereal on the finish retaining considerable poise, leaving an aftertaste of Elvas plums. Truly remarkable for having kept so well in wood for over a century-and-a-half. The vital statistics are 19.72 % abv, 10.3 baumé and pH 3.47           

Location: The Westbury Hotel, London W1
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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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I am very grateful to the Port Forum (www.theportforum.com) for laying on this, possibly the most comprehensive tasting ever to have taken place of Graham’s Malvedos from 1957 to the present day. The tasting was held at The Royal Airforce Club in London where members of the Port Forum were joined by Paul Symington, joint Managing Director of Symington family estates who bought Graham in 1970 and Quinta dos Malvedos in 1982. Graham’s Malvedos was first released as a brand in 1950, named after the quinta of the same name. Declared in good years - in-between classic vintages - the wine came from a number of properties around the Malvedos estate at Tua. It only became a single quinta wine in 1998 following extensive replanting of Quinta dos Malvedos between 1982 and 1984. The tasting was punctuated with fully fledged vintage declarations of Grahams and is presented in the order the wines were tasted.

[The last similar tasting of Graham's Malvedos took place in 1991 at the Naval and Military Club (the old 'in and out') in London and included a vertical of Graham's Vintage Port from 1927 - 1985. Where relevant I have posted my abridged tasting notes for the same wine in square brackets.]  

Graham 1955 *****

 Good, mid-deed colour, amber rim, wonderful nose, still remarkably fresh and rose scented, classic; very rich opulent style (3.6 baumé), milk chocolate intensity, soft, supple and sweet, seemingly drier on the finish bitter-sweet length. Very good now, this wine will go on and on. 19

[Good colour, wild berry fruit aromas, sweet cherry fruit and a lovely long fresh finish] 

 Graham’s Malvedos 1957 ** / ***

Very good colour, brick red and amber rim, slightly earthy aromas initially, smoky, quite withdrawn; bitter-sweet fruit and touch of dark chocolate concentration, still with plenty of life but skinny and one dimensional after the 1955 14.5

Graham’s Malvedos 1958 *** / ****

 Quite pale and pinkish in colour; still with a bloom of youth on the nose, very pretty, gentle, fragrant and floral but without much richness or intensity; more powerful on the palate, lovely full, gentle richness and still quite fresh on the finish. 16.5

Graham’s Malvedos 1962 ***

 Mid deep colour, browning rim; soft, creamy aromas, still alive if a bit simple, a touch of cigar box emerging; soft, sweet, supple strawberry fruit, backed lovely peppery, dry tannins and a dry finish. 16

 [Turning tawny, drying out but firm. spicy characater lingering on finish] 

Graham’s Malvedos 1964 ***

 Mid-deep youthful centre, thin brown rim; attractive roasted aromas characteristic of a hot vintage, toasted, dusty, opening up to reveal some floral scent; soft, fleshy, some dark chocolate intensity, lovely grip, leading to a bitter-sweet finish, rather short but still very much alive. 16

 [Minty fruit remaining on the nose, soft minty flavours and a touch of liquorice on the finish] 

Graham’s Malvedos 1965 ****

 Good mid-deep colour, thin brown rim; quite dense, opulent with scent emerging, suggests this wine may have more to give; rich, opulent and mouthfilling, lovely sweet, spicy fruit with good tannic grip, figs and prunes on the finish. 17

 [Pale colour, a rather casky smell, dry intially with a delicate mint and cherry-fruit finish]

Graham 1966 *****

 Very good youthful colour, still dark garnet and only just beginning to brown on the rim; dense, solid, foursquare aromas, fine, rich and scented with lots more to give; similarly dense and rich on the palate, remarkably youthful, wonderful multi-dimensional bitter chocolate fruit, solid backbone, lovely structure and ripe tannins. Goes on and on in the mouth. UK bottled. 19.5

 [Dark, black centre, closed, tight-knit on the nose, solid berry and dark chocolate flavours, very fine]

Graham’s Malvedos 1968

 Good mid-deep, youthful hue, thin brown rim; smell of brown sugar, medicinal but not especially scented or aromatic; moderately sweet and rich but quite hard by comparison with most wines so far. Stops short. From a wet vintage. The last Malvedos until 1976. 

[Turning pale tawny in colour, drying up on the nose and palate, delicate finish] 

Graham 1970 *****

 Mid-deep centre, thin browning rim; rich, dense, elegant, scented, lovely opulence with more to give; rich, sweet, gripping dark chocolate and medicinal cherry fruit, wonderful length with flesh and breadth. Tight knit and very harmonious 19

 [Dark, youthful colour, closed, touch of coffee bean on the nose, quite sweet, backed up by solid liquorice characater. Very fine.]  

Graham’s Malvedos 1976 

 Mid-deep pinkish brick red colour; musty, possibly corked, tastes musty and slightly corked though underneath is some soft, sweet fruit and good length. No mark

 [Open minty aromas and flavours, good balance and a lovely fresh finish] 

Graham’s Malvedos 1978 

 Good mid-deep colour, pinkish rim; sadly another musty, corky wine with firm fruit underlying. No mark

 [Still closed up, tight knit on the nose, firm minty fruit with good grip on the finish] 

Graham’s Malvedos 1979 (half-bottle) **

Mid-deep in colour, showing more maturity than the 1978; warm, ripe raisiny fruit on the nose, pruney flavours, tastes roasted with a coffee bean character and a baked finish. Still alive but stewed and hollow. 13

 [Quite lean in style, lacking fat, high toned]

 Graham’s Malvedos 1982 *** (+?)

 Very deep, dark colour, youthful pink rim; lovely, ripe scented fruit, tea leaf aromas, surprisingly fresh; rich but rather dusty on the palate and not especially fine (doesn’t live up to the expectations on the nose) but this wine still has some way to go, it’s still young and will get better. Solid finish, needing time to open up. 16

 [Rich, minty aromas, quite soft in style, dry finish, rather hollow]

Graham’s Malvedos 1984 *** / ****

 Another good, deep coloured wine, lovely aromas, tea leaf (again), very similar in style to the 1982, ripe, fresh, not quite as hefty, lovely succulent fruit with a very sweet succulent finish, still very fresh and elegant. 16.5

Graham 1985 ****  

 Showing a very good youthful colour, still purple on the rim; surprisingly closed on the nose, not giving much away; firm, dry tannins not as succulent a wine as I would expect from this vintage, good grip on the finish, still tight knit. A good wine from a problematic vintage 17.5

 [Dark and unyielding, very rich and winey, minty berry fruit, tight and very intense, round, rich but still green and raw]

Graham’s Malvedos 1986 ****

 Very deep, youthful colour, still black and darker than the 1985; not a great deal coming off the nose but very sweet, opulent and youthful on the palate, still a young strapping wine with good grip and peppery tannic length. 17

Graham’s Malvedos 1987 ****

 Another very deep, youthful looking wine with a thin purple rim; closed, dense, still with more to give; rich, opulent offset by solid tannic backbone and grip, broad, ripe tannic finish and good length. Good enough to count as a full declaration? 17.5

 [Closed, tight-kint, good grip and a firm green finish]

Graham’s Malvedos 1988 ***

Deep centre, thin purple rim with a hint of browning; rich and opulent on the nose and in the mouth, a consequence of very low yields, big solid, foursquare tannins, impressive but lacking in elegance. 16

 [Dark chocolate intensity, spicy and spirity, firm and raw, full of puppy fat]

Graham’s Malvedos 1990

 Deep colour; stewed and volatile on the nose, tastes stewed and dusty, oxidised. No mark.

Graham’s Malvedos 1992 **

 Mid-deep colour; off-putting hint of Bovril on the nose; hot, rich, quite fleshy initially but dry and dusty in style, may still improve with age but this has a hot, baked character that I do not particularly like. 13

Graham’s Malvedos 1995 (half bottle) *

 Deep centre, thin purple rim just starting to brown; rich but somewhat baked and rather soupy on the nose, lacking in definition, a touch of Bovril again on the nose and palate, meaty but rather coarse. 12

Graham’s Malvedos 1996 ** / ***

 Very deep in colour, thin purple rim; ripe, minty on the nose but still quite sullen, needing time to come out; quite ripe and opulent but not that sweet in style with a dusty finish. There was a huge crop this year and the wine does seem slightly stretched as a result. 14.5

Graham’s Malvedos 1998 ****

 This was the first single quinta Malvedos i.e. all the grapes came from the Malvedos estate: very deep, black colour, thin purple rim; dense, meaty eucalypt and esteva (gum cistus) aromas, needing time to develop; lovely, solid foursquare style, ripe fruit with bitter-sweet dark chocolate concentration reflecting the very low yields this year (0.67grams per vine). 17.5

Graham’s Malvedos 1999 ***

 Very deep youthful colour, crimson rim, attractive berry fruit on the nose with more still to give; rich, quite dense, seemingly quite dry in style but with fresh acidity and ripe tannic length. Not that big but well balanced. 16

Graham’s Malvedos 2001 ****

 Very deep black colour, thin purple rim, lovely opulent nose, surprisingly open and forward but with underling concentration; lovely opulence on the palate, very pure and well defined fruit, sweet, luscious, dense. Very good indeed, combining balance and succulence. The first Malvedos to be made in robotic lagares. 17

Graham 2003 *** +?

 Very deep, opaque; closed but with something rather hot and baked underlying (maybe just a phase in its evolution); rich, round and luscious on the palate, dense, ripe chewy tannins but showing the heat of the vintage, rather hot and dusty towards the finish. 16+?

Graham’s Malvedos 2004 *** / ****

 Very deep, opaque, thin crimson rim; vibrant aromas, still open, youthful, amazingly in its first bloom of youth; rich, full of puppy fat, ripe gravelly tannins, rich and opulent, still raw but should re-emerge as a very fine wine in ten years plus. 16.5

Graham’s Malvedos 2006  ****

 Another very deep, dark, opaque wine; still open, very opulent with mint and esteva (gum cistus) evident; powerful gripping wine, rich and opulent with broad, chewy tannins. Complete. Showing great promise for the future. 17.5

Graham’s Malvedos 2008 (cask sample – trial blend) ****? 

Again black - crimson in colour; very aromatic and floral (violets), reflecting Touriga Nacional which makes up 60% of the blend, a very happy wine; rich, balanced and beautiful, very fine with some dark chocolate depth. Early days: 17+?

Location: Royal Airforce Club, London
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Adrian Bridge, the Managing Director of the Fladgate Partnership which includes Taylor, Fonseca and Croft, came to the annual portfolio tasting of their distributors, Mentzendorff to present a selection of Vintage Ports. Taylor’s have always been rather circumspect about the size of their declarations but on this occasion Adrian Bridge was quite open about this and, where relevant, I have noted the quantity of wine declared by the shipper.   

The following wines are presented in the order they were tasted apart from Taylor 1985 which was included in the general portfolio tasting.

 Fonseca 1985 ****

 Very good youthful colour, still deep with a red rim; youthful on the nose too, gently perfumed floral character with the spirit just showing through; sweet, fleshy with gentle, fresh berry fruit backed by peppery tannic grip, dry finish. Drinking well now but with plenty of life left. This is probably the best wine from a very patchy vintage. A huge declaration: 20,000 cases. The only year in history to produce more wine was 1927, a remarkable vintage and a much better year overall than 1985. 17.5

 Taylor 1992 ****

 Still deep and opaque, thin ruby rim; open, ripe, opulent, floral – rose petals and those characteristic violets; rich, quite hefty, full and fleshy with ripe tannic grip, good length, with a touch of dark chocolate concentration on the finish. Ready to drink and will evolve well for another 20 years or more. Just 6,200 cases declared after a long gap between declarations. 1991 / 1992 were what is termed a split vintage i.e. some shippers declared the latter (notably Taylor and Fonseca), others the former. With the benefit of 16 years in bottle, 1992 was undoubtedly the better year. 17

 Taylor 1994 **** +?

 Deep, opaque centre, thin ruby rim; very ripe, still quite hot and jammy but rich, dense and impressive with further to evolve on the nose; similarly dense on the palate, still with characteristic flesh and broad, ripe tannins, dark chocolate concentration but still slightly raw around the edges. Needs another five years to soften. 18.5

 Taylor 1997 *** / ****

 Mid-deep colour with a broad ruby rim, by no means as deep in colour as some of the wines in this tasting; fine, open, floral character but a touch smoky with more to give on the nose; rich, sweet, quite opulent in style, firm, dry tannins, some dark chocolate leading to a foursquare finish. Needs time to round off, approach in another three years. 10,500 cases declared. 16.5

 Croft 2000 ***

 Croft belonged to Diageo in 2000 only came into the Fladgate fold in 2001 (on the day before 9/11). This wine is partly made from the residual wines from the Taylor and Fonseca blend as well as some wine from Croft’s own Quinta da Roeda: Very deep, opaque colour, thin ruby rim; open, fragrant aromas, rich and fruit driven with more to give; intense, dense, quite rich and fruit driven, big, sweet plumy style, backed by firm gripping tannins. Drink fairly early but still needs five years to show at its best. 7,000 cases declared.  16

 Fonseca 2000 *****

 Very deep, youthful crimson colour, closed; dark, dense, underlying richness, very impressive indeed; big, powerful and withdrawn, wonderful depth, multi-layered, massive superstructure. Very powerful with a long way to go. Drink from around 2020, this wine will probably last a lifetime. 19

 Croft 2003 ****

 This is the first Croft vintage to be foot trodden in lagar since 1963 and it shows: deep, opaque colour, thin crimson rim; very rich, fleshy, broad and fruit driven, plum and berry fruit, lovely suave depth and length with firm grip. Very well balanced but needs another ten years before drinking. 17

 Taylor 2003 ****

 Very deep, opaque colour, thin crimson rim; closed, some heat underlying; big, powerful with massive tannins, still somewhat disjointed and needing time to come together, powerful spicy finish with great length and persistence. Needs another 15 years in bottle. 18

Croft 2007 ***

 Deep, youthful crimson colour; still open, fragrant if raw and perhaps slightly green; soft initially, mid-weight, well balanced, firm and rather sinewy but with lovely freshness and vibrancy. 16 

 Taylor 2007 ****

Very deep, opaque; dense, giving very little away on the nose, underlying intensity evident; fine, seemingly quite light at this stage with good definition and purity of fruit, vibrant, still very young and raw but settling down well. 17

 Taylor 1985 ** 

 Quite pale in colour, brick red to pink; hollow and comparatively washed out on the nose with spirit showing through, something slightly musky underlying; fresher on the palate, firm grip though the fruit seems to be fading. Quite lean and skinny on the finish – drink up! Stands in the shadow of Fonseca 1985 (above). 14

Location: Somerset House, London
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Smith Woodhouse 1966  ****

I can't recall the last time I tasted this wine. In fact looking through my newly computerised wine tasting data base I cannot find any any reference to Smith Woodhouse 1966 which suggests that I have never tasted the wine before: mid-deep brick red with a tawny rim; fine, focused and perfumed with the spirit showing through but still quite fresh; quite big, spicy yet elegant, milk chocolate (rather than the classic dark chocolate) concentration, still with a firrm core, quite sweet, almost crystalised in style but just starting to dry out on the finish. Another lovely wine from a lovely vintage.  17.5

Addendum: this wine was bottled by the Wine Society at Stevenage following its move from London in 1965. It was customary to roll the pipe up and down the yard immediately before bottling to 'rouse the wine'. According to Mark Buckenham who now looks after the Society's Port purchases and used to manage the Society's bottling, this served to 'spread the lees' so that every bottle received its share for the sediment in the cask. By no means all UK bottlers did this and it would be interesting to know what effect this had on the wine (The Wine Society's bottling of Vintage Port is consistently good, often better than than Oporto bottling).  There would be two pipes of each wine and the sight of Johnny Hider and Fred Wooley rolling the casks up and down the yard in front of the Society's cellars were met with looks of astonishment from passers by on the dual carridgeway of the new industrial estate. The wine would then be bottled by hand, be hand corked and sealed by Fred Wooley who carried a paint can of wax.    

Location: The Wine Society, Stevenage, Herts.
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Niepoort Ten Year Old Dry White ****

Deep straw in colour; pleasing, savoury, old fashioned, lanolin, musky-casky aromas with honey too, on the way to tawny in style; savoury-sweet flavours, honey and brazil nuts. Top notch, the best in a very small class of cask-aged white Ports. 18

Niepoort 1983  ****

Mid-deep with a thin browning rim; lovely ripe, dark chocolate aromas, open but still with more to give; rich yet characteristically firm dry tannins, very well-structured, cast-iron backbone, bitter chocolate intensity, quite dry in style and evolving very well. Very reassuring wine: sweet and structured. A really good example from a rather variable vintage. 18   

Location: Quinta de Napoles
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