Lucky 7s: Manchester Tennis and Racquets Club Port Dinner

The theme of the 2022 Port dinner was ‘lucky 7s’ and so it was that we drew on stocks of wine in member’s cellars from 1997, 1987, 1977 and 1927. I would like to have included 1967 and 1947 as well but this was beyond us. All the wines showed well apart from a rather poor bottles of Dow and Graham 1977 which cast the vintage in a bad light until Fonseca came along. The Niepoort 1927 came from my cellar. It was bottled in 1941 to commemorate the birth of Rolf Niepoort is something of a one-off from a very fine year. I would like to thank His Honour Brendan Hegarty, Jamie Bebb as well as the Club for donating wines for the evening’s dinner.

Croft, Quinta da Roêda 1997 ***

Croft and Delaforce, both owned at the time by Diageo, did not declare 1997: deep and still youthful in appearance, just starting to brown on the rim; ripe, opulent and very Roêda in style on the nose, a touch of stewed plums on the palate initially, firm and ripe mid-palate, well-made wine if a little short. Good now and over the next decade. 16

Smith Woodhouse 1997 ***

Mid-deep in colour, just on the turn on the rim; open, quite light and perhaps a little hollow on the nose; soft, supple berry fruit with dusty-spicy tannins and a rather lean finish, correct but a bit simple and one dimensional. Drink over the next decade. 15.5

Warre 1997 ****

Retaining a good, youthful ruby hue; closed on the nose initially with bright, ripe berry fruit emerging both on the nose and palate, a touch of dark chocolate concentration with fine, spicy tannins and a bright, expansive finish. Drinking very well now with the prospect of another two or three decades of life ahead. 18

Dow 1997 ****

Mid-deep youthful hue; withdrawn on the nose, firm, peppery and well defined on the palate, characteristically drier in style, long but quite lean and bony on the finish with peppery tannic grip. Good to drink now and over the next twenty years or so. 17.5

Taylor 1997 ****/*****

Good colour, just showing signs of age on the rim; open and fragrant on the nose, slightly medicinal, herbal fruit with an evocative hint of eucalyptus and esteva (gum cistus) on the nose; lovely, fresh spicy berry fruit backed by ripe tannins and leading to a long vibrant finish. Wonderful now but be in no hurry – this will still be drinking well in 2050! 18.5

Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas 1987

A good year that was nearly a classic declaration: lovely deep colour for its age, just turning on the rim; sweet and sour on the nose initially with classic black pepper fruit emerging; quite light but with some concentration evident mid-palate and a bitter-sweet finish. Still holding up and a good example of a wine from this overlooked year. Now – 2030.

Dow 1977

This wine came from my cellar and had a very poor cork: pale in colour and hollow on the nose and palate, drying out though with some tannic grip remaining, light and rather lean on the finish. A poor bottle I fear. No mark.

Graham 1977 ***/****

Pale pinkish hue with a rather sour, reductive nose initially, underlying floral fruit emerging in the glass; soft, open and elegant on the palate without much in the way of structure to hold it together, gentle peppery tannins and a rather dry finish, at least for Graham. Drink soon. 16.5

Fonseca 1977 ****

Much deeper in colour than the Graham; again rather sour and reductive on the nose initially but with depth showing through both on the nose and palate, firm spicy fruit with good grip all the way through – finishes with a flourish. Consistently the best 1977. Drink now and over the next fifteen years. 18.

Niepoort 1927 (bottled 1941) *****

Effectively colheita Port from a very fine and widely declared vintage: glorious amber-tawny colours; high-toned on the nose, complex with focus and piquancy akin to a dry amontillado sherry; contrastingly sweet damson fruit, almost unctuous on the palate, retaining definition, vestigial tannic spice and showing ripeness and concentration, an amazing wine, still very much alive, sharing the characteristics of a vintage and colheita. This one of just over 300 bottles in total. 19