A: Pale gold
N: Pronounced intensity of BRUISED yellow apple, chamomile tea, flint (bio ageing character), acetaldehyde (bio ageing character), sourdough (bioageing character), roasted almonds
Dry, medium + acidity [instructor says its actually medium - but still fresh], low alcohol (15%), medium body [the FLOR yeast eats the sugar and glycerol], pronounced intensity , medium (+) finish. SALINITY evident on the palate
C: Aromas and alcohol are integrated. Great concentration, fine finish but lacking in complexity.
Very Good Quality wine. Better examples would have greater complexity,

Not suitable for ageing. Designed for consumption soon after release

A: Pale amber - [clue to oxidative ageing]
N: Medium (+) burnt brown sugar, walnut, bruised cooking apple. The wine is simple.
P: Dry, medium (+) intensity , low acidity, high alcohol, medium (+) body, medium finish (lots of burnt sugar on the finish and not much else)
C: Well integrated alcohol and though acidity is low, its part of the style. Good quality with better examples giving more complexity and an enduring finish.
Not suited to ageing as aged before release and designed to be consumed soon after release.

A: Pale amber
N: Medium (+) nose of hazelnut, dried fig, dried apricot, lemon rind, dried mushroom
Dry, medium (-) acid, high alcohol (18.5%), medium (+) body, medium (+) intensity, medium (+) finish
Alcohol is poorly integrated but the complex array of fully developed flavors of dried fruit and nuts are concentrated and push through to a significant finish. The wine is very good quality. Not suited for ageing.

A: Pale amber
N: Medium (+) nose of warm walnuts, caramel, toffee, chocolate, coffee, dried citrus and INSTRUCTOR NOTES LEATHER.
P: Dry, medium acidity, medium alcohol, medium (+) body, intensity and finish
Very Good Quality wine which would improve with greater balance of the alcohol which dominates the finish too much and so knocks the wine off kilter.

A: Pale Brown
N: Medium (-) nose with dried dates, quince past, almond, smoky tobacco, fresh yellow apple
P: Medium sweet [Instrutor says SWEET], medium (-) acid, medium alcohol (17%), medium (+) intensity , full body, medium (+) finish
C: Cloring sweetness without the acidity to help and so quite dead and lacking freshness on the palate. Not quite the complexity one might hope for either. Its a good quality wine, however.

A: Deep brown
N: Pronounced intensity on the nose of MOLASSES, dried fig, PRUNE, RAISIN, coffee, dried dates, toffee, syrup
P: Sweet, low acidity, low alcohol, full body, pronounced intensity and long finish
Balanced because although the acidity is low, the wine tastes fresh and lively. Alcohol is balancing the sugar here and the sugar doesn't persist at the end of the finish. Classic PX here and yes, pour over ice cream for that bit of oomph after supper.

A: Medium ruby [instructor-Matt Gaughn - says deep)
N: Medium (+) intensity black cherry, plum, bay leaf, blackcurrant and some floral black pepper perhaps (from the fortification spirit)
P: Sweet, medium (+) acidity, medium (+) plush tannin [instructor said they felt course to him], full body, high alcohol, medium (+) intensity and finish
C: This is off balance as the alcohol was poorly integrated and persists too long. Length is good as is the intensity giving good quality. Complexity is lacking, lack of sugar to acid and better alcohol integration would not be the case in better quality examples.

Not suitable for ageing

A: Deep ruby
N: Medium (+) intensity nose of prunes, dried cherries, white pepper, clove, nutmeg, medicinal , menthol
P: Sweet, medium acid [instructor says its medium + acidity], high chalky tannins [instructor describes these as ripe], high alcohol, medium (+) intensity and medium (+) finish.
This is a very high quality wine. The acidity balances the sugar, length and intensity support a mildly complex wine. Further ageing might provide more dried fruit, leather and other tertiary factors may develop and increase the complexity of this wine.
Suitable for ageing....obvs.

A: Deep ruby
N: Medium (+) raisins , cinnamon, baking spice, blackberry, prune, white pepper
P: Sweet, medium acid, high alcohol , medium (+) grainy tannins (Matt says high tannins), medium (+) intensity and medium (+) finish, full body,
Not suited to ageing, Aged prior to release.
The freshness is still there. Good length and intensity but a lack of complexity makes this very good quality wine but stops it from reaching outstanding. Burn on the finish but there is always a burn on the finish with port.

A: Deep garnet [others in the room say ruby]
N: Medium (+) nose of sun-dried tomato, dried fig, dried cherry, blackcurrants, chocolate, menthol, white pepper, TOBACCO and LEATHER.
P: Sweet, medium (+) acidity [instructor says HIGH], high ripe tannins, high alcohol, full body, medium (+) intensity and long finish.
Beautiful balance of acidity with this ripe developing fruit.
Length is optimal and born by a good intensity. The complexity here is noteworthy spanning primary and tertiary fruit, herbaceous, oak and other signs of development.
This is an outstanding quality wine.
The wine is suitable for ageing.
REMEMBER FOR EXAM: VINTAGE PORT IS BOTTLE AGED AND COLHEITA IS BARREL AGED

A: Medium garnet
N: Medium (+) intensity nose of hazelnuts, raising, prune, dry cherry, blackberries tea
P: Sweet, medium (+) acidity, medium (+) fine grained tannin, high alcohol, full body, medium (+) intensity and medium finish.
C: The alcohol feels far too hot here and so its out of balance.
The dried fruits are nuts show a good intensity which sadly plays out to a rather curtailed finish. The wine lacks complexity but is of good quality, The wine would be far better if the finish were longer and the complexity were greater. The wine is not suitable for ageing.

This wine didn't look much like or taste much like a tawny according to some so looking forward to trying other Tony examples

A: Pale tawny
N: Pronounced nose of white pepper (from the grape spirit used to fortify), toffee, dried tobacco, dried fig, dried orange peel, hazelnut, toasted almonds, smoke, mushroom
P: Sweet, medium acidity, medium (+) ripe tannins, high alcohol, full body, pronounced intensity and long finish.
Wow! Outstanding quality wine.
Wine is aged before release. Not suitable for ageing.

A: Pale god
N: Medium (+) nose of lemon curd, dry tarragon, dreid apricot, hazelnut, almond, macadamia nuts
P: Medium sweet, medium (+) acidity, hgh alcohol, full body [instructor says medium +], medium (+) intensity, medium finish
Not cloying so its balanced. The intensity is good though the finish clipped and the wine lacks real complexity. This is a good quality wine which is not suitable for ageing.

A: Pale amber
N: Medium (+) nose of cheese rind, pear, baked apples, roasted hazelnut, honey, hay
P: Medium dry, medium (+) acid, medium body, high alcohol, medium body, medium finish
C: The wine offers careful balance between sugar and acidity here carrying fairly intense fruit, nut and dairy flavors to a mild clipped finish. There is interest starting to build and tertiary flavors are present in the form of dried grass but the wine still lacks complexity.
Good Quality wine though better examples would have a longer finish and perhaps more complexity.
The wine is not suitable for ageing and is meant to be consumed young. I.d add ice and add as a cocktail component. Its pretty bland as is.

HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS FROM AMONTILLADO OR WHITE PORT IN A BLIND TASTING?
-AMONTILLADO IS LESS SWEET
-WHITE PORT IS FRUITIER

HOW DO YOU KNO

A: Medium amber
N: Medium (+) nose of honey, dried pear, cooked apples, hazelnuts, marmalade, caramel, smoke, burnt toffee
P: Medium sweet (I thought medium dry at first), high acidity, high alcohol, medium (+) intensity and medium (+) body and medium finish
C: sugar and acid are balanced and so this is still refreshing. The intensity of fruit, nuts and burnt sugar flavors come to a curtailed finish of a wine that is hinting at the onset of complexity. This wine is of good quality. Better examples may have greater length and more complexity
Not suitable for ageing.

A: Medium brown
N: Medium (+) nose of smoke, medicinal, dried herbs, toffee, burnt hazelnuts, chocolate, caramel, burnt citrus skin
P: Medium sweet [instructor says SWEET], medium (+) acidity, high alcohol, medium (+) intensity, full body, long finish
Balance isn't there. The high alcohol and sugar content seems too much against the acidity here. It feels very hot.
Layers of complex flavors and concentrated fruit flavors evolve into a long languid finish.The wine is of Very Good Quality.

Not suitable for ageing.

A: Medium brown
N: Pronounced nose of raisin, cooked pear, quince, smoke, caramel, toffee, coffee, chocolate, burnt orange
P: Sweet, high acid, high alcohol, full body, pronounced intensity and long finish.
C: The wine is of outstanding quality but not suitable for ageing.

[note the Instructor finds Verdelho and Serial which has more citrus than the former, shows cheese rind and burnt sugar which AW says are signs of deliberate heating and oxidation]

A: Pale lemon [Instructor says MEDIUM]
N: Pronounced nose of grapes, roses, lychees, lemon, orange blossom, honeydew melon and peaches
P: Sweet, medium acidity , medium (-) body, low alcohol, pronounced ed intensity and medium finish (the alcohol persists but the florals and fruit, do not)
C: The length and complexity are letting this down somewhat. There is careful balance of acidity and residual sugar as well as the sugar and the fruit concentration. The acid lends structure which the sugar adds texture without being too cloying thanks to the acid. DISTINCTIVE aromas and PURITY of this optimally intense wine. This shows great typicity. Very good quality wine.

Not suitable foe ageing. Meant to drink on release.

A: Medium ruby
N: Pronounced intensity of strawberry, plum, red and black cherry, rhubarb
P: Sweet, medium acid, medium (-) ripe tannin, low alcohol, medium (+) body pronounced intensity and long finish
C: RS and and spirit is well integrated. Ideal length and intensity. Complexity lacking but Very good Quality wine which is not suitable for ageing. Made for early consumption on release.

A: Medium tawny (cannot be 'brown' as this is reserved for wines from white grapes and this is made from a Brown Muscat or Muscat à Petits Grains Rouges)
N: Pronounced intensity of walnut, raisin, dried fig, dried peach, sultanas, honey, butterscotch
P:Sweet [NOTE : the term LUSCIOUS is no longer used in the D5 portion of the WSET Diploma], medium (+) acid, medium alcohol, full body, pronounced intensity, long finish
Despite its unctuous nature, the acidity rises to the challenge and clears the palate with each sip. This is balanced. The complexity spanning over 5 descriptive clusters is notable with well articulated fruit, nuts and honeyed flavors. The profound length and robust intensity and concentration makes this an Outstanding Quality wine.

HOW WOULD ONE KNOW THIS FROM A PX?
PX is darker brown and has more burnt sugar flavors with less bright fruit and LACKS FLORAL component