MAGNUM Vintage Port (CUT restaurant Beverly Hills): Out of magnum, which of course is a great way to enjoy a glass with 44 friends. For me, I got toasty notes, chocolate and a bit dusty finish. Improved in the glass over the next 2 hrs.
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Big, balanced and smooth. From an amazing bottle stood for 2 days, this seemed much younger but immediately accessible with decades left in the tank. More viscous and sweet than most mature Taylors with dark cherry and chocolate more dominant and there is very little alcohol heat. Too easy to drink - with spicy depth that only reveals with air. Gorgeous port, and my favourite Taylor’s vintage. Drink to 2040. 96-97pts
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Had a glass at L’Osier in Tokyo from a bottle that was decanted 48 hours prior. Exceptional balance with good structure and a long finish. Worth seeking out.
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Opened about 1 hour before tasting. Decanted and filtered before serving. The port exhibits a beautiful ruby color and lots of spices on the nose. Drank over the next 2 hours with a section of Stilton and other cheeses, smoked salmon, charcuterie, and other morsels. Absolutely terrific.
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Clear light ruby. Bright dark cherry fruit. Perfect refined port. Timeless. First tasting since 1989, and this has barely budged. Seemless aging, near perfect port
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FTLOP 17th Anniversary; 11/18/2022-11/20/2022 (Seattle, Washington): Dark ruby in color. Some light woody notes and primary fruit on the nose. Fantastic structure. Layers of flavors and complexity on the palate – strawberry, cherry, chocolate, and savory herbs. Young, fresh, and amazingly balanced for something so old. This is one of the best bottles of this wine I've had in a while.
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Happy Birthday to Me (Oriole - Chicago IL): Dates and figs with dried cherries, dark chocolate and intense richness. Not as complex as the Nacional 1967 in the next glass, but bigger and more classic.
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M&PD dinner at Bisato. I enjoy Port more and more on its own because when you drink it as a dessert wine, for me at least, it never ends well. This was really excellent, but I drank very little of it because I didn't want to head over the edge. Black fruit and plum with an elegant finish. Just delicious . . . but dangerous.
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Last bottle of a case bought in May 1984. The cork came in whole, so to speak, the corkscrew simply pushed it into the bottle.
First taste when decanting, at 14 or 15 degrees: Still reddish. Not much nose. Fabulous mouthfeel, thick and smooth, ending quite tannic.
Three hours later at, say, 18 degrees. Initially, there is a pronounced element of violets, which I haven't noticed in any Taylor vintage before though it reputedly should be a characteristic of the Vargellas quinta. There is also licorice, iron, dark fruits, dust and a hint of cedar. The taste is unctuous, as at first, but also very firm with iron-tinted tannins and strong acidity. It is surprisingly youthful, indeed; it will no doubt still be good in twenty or forty years. Very long aftertaste. Fabulous.
Second day, 18 degrees: The nose is more together, more open and harmonious. There is a blackish, smoky note, nearly like soot. Still creamy, firm and tannic in the mouth. Great intensity, surely the greatest vintage port I've had. Seems immortal, but might need recorking. And then the decanter was empty.
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Stood up for seven days. Drank over four. Top shoulder. Doubled decanted for four hours. Signs of seepage. A perfectly intact cork. Considerable sediment as one might expect. This wine looks far older than its 51 years with a highly evolved medium tawny core fading to a pale copper outer edge. Marzipan, dried morello cherries, frangipani, dried cinnamon sticks, sweet baking spices, pipe tobacco, and the smoke from glazing the top of a crème brûlée unfurl in the glass. Silken and velveteen with an assemblage of dried fruits, raisins, golden sultanas, brandy-infused dark cherries, almond paste, light butterscotch, and stollen - a spiced fruit bread layered with marzipan and dipped in butter and rum. A beautiful mature port that provided immense drinking pleasure.
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The fill was base neck and the cork was pristine. Pale to medium tawny core with bricking at the rim. Complex and ethereal bouquet, with notes of baking spices, dried plums, raisins, prunes; dark chocolate and campfire embers. Medium bodied, elegant, soft with a silky texture, boatloads of flavor, good structure still, and a heavenly finish that went on and on.
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2000 Bordeaux tasting at Biff's. Bottle had some signs of seepage. Colour was ruby-pink, and glorious nose of spice and plums and black fruits. It was sweeter than I expected, and in a great place. Balanced, smooth, long finish. Great stuff.
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Andrew Edmunds (Andrew Edmunds, London): There is a time at the end of a very long wine dinner when the coin toss for what next is won by Port. And tired palates point towards something simpler as it will be wasted and the cellar defenders come out to play.. Not this time. This impressively beautiful 1970 rolled out and showed the kids the true beauty old school and well aged Port can deliver. Big but perfectly balanced, almost soft for port standards and really elegant . we can go on and on here but no need to. 96?97?98? take a pick! Exceptional.
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FTLOP 16th Anniversary Tasting; 7/23/2021-7/24/2021 (Seattle, Washington): Clear, with amber and dark brick colors. Violets, spices, and a mix of red and dark fruit on the nose. So incredibly balanced! A touch of the Vargellas spirit on the palate, with great red fruit and outstanding structure and tannins. The complexity of flavors and texture made this a fantastic showing of this wine.
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Outside dining at Juanita & Maude's in Albany. 6 hour decant. Served blind to Charles, Walter and Michael. Purple in color. Very aromatic. Bold prune, dried apricot and dried fig flavors. Long finish. All guess vintage Port (but all at least 2 decades too young). Almost certain to still be great in 2030. A profound Port!
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Drank at home over 2 days, this was light to mid purple with an orange tinge in colour. After filtering out quite a lot of sediment, the port was clear. The nose had prunes on the nose upon opening but these eventually changed to raisins on the second day. The flavours on this included raisins, prunes , dark chocolate some honey. It certainly does not feel like over 20% alcohol and had a wonderfully long finish. Finally, this port definitely improved after 24 hours of opening so I suggest pre planning if you are considering having one of these.
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It was finally time, after these several decades of waiting and wondering. Wondering how well I have cared for this bottle, whether the cork was still intact and sound, whether the hype was warranted. Totally not disappointed and it was everything and more that I could have wanted in this bottle of velveteen bliss. Still fresh fruit and silky smooth ever so subtle tannins. A sublime sweetness without being sugary or sticky sweet. How do they do that? No idea really. Projecting half a century into the future, did they know how layered this would still be? Again, no idea, but I thank them for it!
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Simply the best port I've ever had. I'm kinda cheap so spending >$200 on a bottle of grape juice is a little crazy but this...this is worth it. Multiple day decant, and tasted over several days. Textbook example of the fourth stage of rancio charentais. Hazelnuts, plum, almond, lychee, Dr. Pepper, mangosteen, cotton candy, buttercream frosting. It tastes like all your hopes and dreams from your 20s, when your future was bright. Sell your Tesla and buy every bottle of this port you can find.
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Cork disintegrated when trying to pull it. Poured through a filter. Considerable very small sediment in the decanter. On day one tasted after a short (4 hour) decant. Thought a 50 year wine would not require a long decant. Wrong! Just OK. Very light pink colour. Fairly tight with a short finish. Day two, about 30 hours after opening, much better. Darker colour, more flavor and a longer finish. Day three, better still as the wince continued to take on colour and weight. Days 4 and 5 no major changes but I thought on day 5 it was starting to trend down. Last glass on day 6. Best glass yet. Much darker now with no heat, just pure fruit and a long finish. My conclusion is to not be afraid to decant this wine 24 to 48 hours before serving. This was nothing special after a short decant and if the entire bottle were to have been consumed on day 1 I would have been very disappointed. Opened a 77 Taylors last night and will start to taste this evening after 24 hours. Will be interesting to see how the tasting experiences line up. Note that this Port was acquired at auction and has been in my cellar, which s quite cool, for about 15 years. The cap had a wax seal which was intact. Label stained but intact. Small carboard tag with information concerning decanting and serving Port was present.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; consumed over the course of 4 hours. A translucent tawny color, clear and lively. A complex outgoing bouquet, with scents of fruitcake, baking spices, caramelized brown sugar, plums; hints of chocolate and flower. Rich, round and balanced, with warm fruits, incredible depth, and a long finish. A regal vintage port that is at the absolute peak of perfection!
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Bottle had minimal evaporation. Impressive for a 50 year old wine. Cork was very soft as you might expect. Had trouble removing it intact but was able to do so. Wine was extremely well balanced. Amazing aromas. Everything well integrated. No signs of fading. Even better on day 2. Probably has another 10 years before the slow, gradual fade sets in. Will have to buy another bottle sometime.
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There's so, so much wonderfulness going on here, with remarkable evolution as it takes on more air and continues to open up.
Most striking is the level of freshness that's still present 50 years in. Immediately upon opening, there was this burst of aromatics reminiscent of perfectly ripe blueberries. The palate fruits go a bit darker, but they remain juicy, with strong flavors of juicy blackberry and black plum. The nose continually shifts as the wine takes on more air, with aromatics of cocoa, tobacco, leather, cedar, eucalyptus, dates, figs.
Very well balanced, remarkable complexity, an absolute pleasure to drink.
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Same provinence, still very impressive indeed. Served vis-a-vis the 1985 & 1997, this was by far the best and probably my WOTN over all; vertial, cool, elegant, very aristocratic in it's structure with a cool core of black fruit, the sort of port, Lord Peter Wimsey would have drunk. #Søndagsseancer
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Chassagne, Red Label and Chave (S.K.Y.): This is a stunner of a Port. Chocolate, toffee and balsamico notes throughout. Impressive balance of freshness with the semi-sweet and ripe fruit. Long and refined finish.
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The Los Angeles Tasting (Los Angeles, CA): Amber-red in color. Nice strawberry and red fruit on the nose, with just a touch of spirit. There are notes of raspberry, herbs and a touch of spirit on the palate. There is good acidity, and the fruit is well-integrated. Long, smooth finish.
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Delicious aged Port with plenty of dark fruit left and lots of complex notes of dried prunes and spice. Just somewhat clunky compared to the beautiful '70 Fonseca drunk alongside. At Daniel byob private game dinner.
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Delicious. Super balanced, lots of wood flavors and a great long finish. A touch peppery which didnt hurt. Decanted for 2-3 hours and poured back into bottle. Had noticed it leaking over the summer but still tasted great. Leaving unrated as lack the experience w these older VPs. Feeling like <50 yrs of age works for me and doubt i could have got any more out of it if it were older. I'll be focusing my buying on 77s and 85s for future consumption.
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Mellow and mature, calm and confident. Approaching the half century mark, this port is so easy to drink we almost finished the bottle. Of course tannins have softened and the cherry fruit is subdued but age has brought out complexity never to be found in younger examples.
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On a rainy, chilly Halloween night, what could be better than a glass of a mature vintage port? Well, if the port is this one, nothing...
The 1970 Taylor is quite dark, with a satiny richness. The wine is in perfect health, and even at age 49, the rim is still pink with no hint of amber. What strikes me on the nose is the pomegranate fruit aromas and the spicy floral highlights, which literally leap from the glass. That spice is hard to pin down, but to me has notes of beeswax or canuba furniture wax, cloves, nutmeg, and perhaps walnuts. Sweet and mouth coating with a rich, long finish that reveals a rising note of acidity that gives way slowly to minerals and very smooth, polished tannins. Just a wonderful mature VP!
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Had this for our 1970 reunion! Holding up great. Better than the rest of us. Nice fruit and relatively well balanced with the sweetness remaining. Not as full as it may once been. Cork was relatively intact.
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For The Love Of Port 14th Anniversary Tasting; 7/26/2019-7/27/2019 (Sammamish, Washington): Surprisingly dark purple in color. I’m used to this wine being a more vibrant garnet in color. Spirity on the nose with some eucalyptus and herbal notes. Medium-bodied with some cinnamon and red hots on the palate, with some decent complexity. There was a spike of spirit on the mid-palate, but it receded on the finish and left some pleasant notes of cherry and red fruit.
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Pale ruby, browning edges, transparent. Pronounced but soft and elegant red fruit aromas, quite complex. Medium-bodied on the palate, perfectly balanced, with initial sweetness followed by some acidity, then the heat of alcohol. Sweet red cherries and raspberries, but very round, complex and elegant. Fully mature but not at all past its peak. I'm sure it will hold for many more years. Ric
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This wine has been in our cellar for a long time, waiting for an occasion. The birth of a granddaughter seemed fitting.
Pale red to red brick color, brick rim, very clear and bright. Much more red color than a wood port of this age would show. Nose shows wood, caramel, raisin and prune, vanilla, some herbal notes (that dimension reminds me of Irish Mist] mincemeat, and floral notes. It is both aged and fresh in the same moment.
On the palate, all the elements of the nose are reflected, with the addition of cola, more vanilla and butterscotch, and a more defined sense of wood. The wood is nowhere near as defined as a tawny, but it is a real presence. This wine is warm, and the finish is long, particularly on the upper palate. Surprisingly lively, and very good.
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Oporto bottled, high IN fill. Pronounced cardamom, deep nose, dark berries; complex finish, long, youthful, ending with just a tiny hint of alcohol. Probably my best bottle so far.
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Taylor VP Vertical with Roy Hersh: Beautiful complex nose with notes of caramel, coffee, chocolate but also lovely floral notes, a touch of VA and some mint leaves. Just as complex on the palate with candied orange peel, light plum fruit, mint, coffee and chocolate. Not a lot of sweetness and a wine in a great balance. Very well-developed wine with a wonderful acidity and flavor depth. Truly an amazing wine.
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A private dinner (Restaurant Bak, Amsterdam, NL): English bottled by Russell & McIver. Mature but lively appearance; cedary nose, spicy depth, plums and nuts; medium sweet palate, fresh and slightly hot, firm and tannic, lovely weight and power; very good length. Impressively youthful, a very fine port, but it seemed a bit blunt tonight. Maybe it’s because of the company it was in.
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Decanted 5 hours in advance. High octane on the nose, with toffee, baking spice and rumcake. Surprisingly fleet footed and only medium sweet in the mouth; not syrupy at all. Golden raisin, white chocolate, fig, clove and other baking spices. Lots of secondary notes, but still is vigorous and full of life. Really lovely port, but didn’t blow me away; everyone else was swooning though.
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Quite viscous and zippy with lots of acidity and grippy dark berry fruit with notes of lavender and sweet prunes. Quite rich and concentrated with a very complex finish and I would say this will be even better in a decade as it softens and get more refined. 93+
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Decanted about 6 hours. The color is showing some bricking consistent with a top VP of this age. A little hard to gauge the nose due to the food aromas in the restaurant, but allspice, cloves, and possibly Juniper. I loved the soft red fruit body chocked full of strawberries, licorice, that typical "Vargellas spirit" as I call it, cherries, cocoa bean, and wisps of menthol. A lengthy finish was a continuation of that tasty palate. I've had this many times and this bottle is spot on. At peak but will hold here for many many more years to come. Just a wonderful Vintage Port. 95 Points
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Caramel/amber, big nose of alcohol, butterscotch, eucalyptus, honey and pine, syrupy smooth on the palate with loads of honey, maple, dried herb notes and pepper, finishes hot at first but moves to more complex dried fruits such as apricot and fig with lingering flavors of pine sap and fruitcake that just seem to go on impossibly long
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I took the bottle home, corked and refrigerated, so will revisit. Day 2 seemed even fresher (or perhaps I was fresher?), but still a little monolithic. Half bottle left, so there will be more to this tasting note.
Finished five weeks later (5/31/17), still tasty, similar to when initially opened and tasted, even if somewhat shorter and less dense.
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Decanted 7 hours before service. Purchased recently. Oddly, this wine was disappointing, yet successful this evening.
The disappointing part was the wine itself. The color was light brick red, far to light for this producer and this vintage. Clearly it had not been stored properly. It still had a lot of alcohol heat, which did not die down while in the glass. I expected a whole lot more. On the palate, the wine showed 55% cacao dark chocolate and Luxardo cherries, which turned out to be its savior (see below).
The successful part was the pairing with the food. The dessert course was a warm chocolate soufflé with a dark cherry sauce. The Taylor in its current condition paired marvelously with the dessert. The lighter dark chocolate worked well with the chocolate level in the soufflé, and the Luxardo cherry in the wine was perfect with the cherry sauce put inside the soufflé. This is a perfect example of why I look at wines in the context of the food, not just in and of themselves.
Decanted for 5 hours. Initially seems pale but put on weight noticeably in the decanter. The nose is mainly dominated by cherry, with baking spice, early hints of leather and touches of liquorice. The palate has well balanced sweetness and shows no spirit; slightly peppery tannins are still evident in the finish. I think this wine just needs another 10 years thought not clear if it will reach the level of the Fonseca from the same vintage. ****
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Fogheads@HSA - Østerbro (Østerbro, Copenhagen): Out of this world; tasting blind, we were talking tawny (the colour is there), but there is no brown sugar here, rather a razorblade precision and clarity and concentration of fruit. This is Grand Vin indeed, and it will go on, but it was singing on the night, and people were dancing in joy. #Foghead#HSA
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This wine, at present, is a mouthful of the finest, most intense cocktail cherries. Very sweet. There are hints of baking spices, but the cherry fruit is overwhelmingly dominant, and talking about anything else is searching for tasting notes instead of describing the wine. Even at 46 years old, this is an unusually intense wine.
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Unbelievable that this wine is 46 years old. It is incredibly rich, powerful, and fruit-forward (not to mention sweet). A massive core of brandy-macerated cherries along with heady aromas of fruitcake, leather, and dark caramel. Not much of the violets that I prize so dearly in vintage port, but the decadent cherries make up for it. This wine has so much vitality that I have to believe it will drink well for the entirety of this century. I hope my language is conveying the extraordinary nature of this wine.
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2016 FTLOP Holiday Party (Sammamish, Washington): Amber brown with some very fine settlement. Cola and chocolate notes on the nose. Unctuous mid-palate with some light spirit. Very long, balanced finish.
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FTLOP 11th Anniversary; 7/22/2016-7/24/2016 (Sammamish, Washington): Transparent brick in color. Some light sediment. Still some red fruit on the nose. Intense mouthfeel, with strawberry and some min on the palate. Full-bodied, elegant mouthfeel with a very long and balanced finish.
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Vintage Port 1970 Horisontal (Portvinsklubben 1981): Loverly and delicate raspberry fruit with a little cherry notes also. Lots of complexity with mint, menthol, coffee, chocolate and a little sweetness. Great elegance and purity of flavors.
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From a well cellared 375 ml. Somewhere between a tawny and vintage. The structure is good and this could still evolve farther, but I decanted it and started drinking and it was open from the start.
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Predominately muted ripe, dark fruit notes, with a somewhat dominate finish of dark chocolate, without the acidic lift I've had in this wine before. Overall subdued (want to say elegant) style, but this bottle is more subtle than previous.
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Popped and double decanted for sediment 8 hours before consumption. Perfect bottle that was likely removed from Taylor's cellar and labeled in the past few years. Eight years since my last note and this has barely evolved. Strongly perfumed with dark fruit and a pleasant smell of spirits. Glossy texture and more dark fruit on the palate while the spirits contribute a sweet nutty flavor. Very youthful. This may be a 100 year wine. Excellent stuff.
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Opened and let it breathe for about an hour before consuming. The color was very light brownish and looked somewhat like a 20 or 40-yr old tawny. It also tasted very much like a tawny on day one. On the second night it was much darker in color and tasted completely different. It had the characteristics of a true vintage port -- dark in color and much more fruit.
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Very good. This could last a while longer, it actually tasted quite young, despite an inch of tannins deposited in the bottle. Probably better with something sweet than a hard cheese, now.
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Birthday Celebration (Paris Club - Chicago IL): Exactly the style of Port I most enjoy, this showed caramel, figs and raisins with hints on chocolate and dark berries. Borderline sweet with savory, energetic notes everywhere. I would expect this will be even nicer tomorrow and even next week.
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Decanted 6 hours on recommendation from Roy. Served at a large CellarTracker event (Galveston). No detailed notes but seem to hit on all cylinders. Decanting time seemed appropriate based on a tasting when first opened and again later. Tremendously long finish that seemed to persist through the next wine tasted.
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What a stunning beauty. Showing quit well. The aromatics leapt from the glass to my nose and were of tobacco, red fruit, chocolate and the smallest hint of alcahol. The flavors were even more intense on the palate. The finish was long and silky. Paired well with Montecristo #2's. EG #WineArchitect
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Wow. Light rose color at the core of a tawny rim. Beautiful nose of spirits, preserved fruits, and figs sautéed in vanilla butter. Medium weight, rich but light, balanced. Wow. From a half.
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Flavors...Chocolate liquor poundcake, orange peal, hazelnut, buttered cinnamon raisin toast, vanilla coffee bean, bing cherries and ripe figs, grilled jalapeño...Merry Christmas...Cork was removed intact. Wet to the crest but no signs of seepage. Unflawed, drank without decanting.
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Some of the greatest wines available to human kind (@KG's in Tavelsjö (Umeå)): The perfect wine for the classic gentleman in me. Definitely the best vintage port enjoyed so far. This btl's aromas filled the kitchen as I was working out with the removal of the cork. It crumbled completely, but the wine was pristine. This is an awesome wine, ultra balanced and with more tastes than I cared to write down, but the most prominent in this btl: licorice, stewed fruits, fresh hay, leather, aromas of autumn to name a few. Perfect warmth on the palate and an incredible length. Astonishing! Was voted WOTN by some. Pristine btls, like this one, will live for many many many more years.
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs Double Blind; 6/11/2013-6/14/2013 (TWO CHEFS, MIAMI, FL): The wine looks Caramel colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Pineapple, Espresso, Vanilla, Hazelnut, and Honey. The body is Medium. The wine has Satin-like texture. The wine finishes Long. Luis' Port. Barry thought it might be counterfeit, but the label matched the CellarTracker label. The Port had lost color, and had thrown a lot of sediment, which is often my experience, and does not detract from the wine.
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A private lunch (Restaurant The Ledbury **, London, UK): Bottled by Grants of St James's. Incredibly lively, ruby-red colour; very fresh, classic nose opens up beautifully, violets and roses, bright red fruit, toasted nuts, spices, earth, deep, clean, precise, gunpowder, touch of jasmin, slightly dusty; wonderfully vibrant, classically structured, silky, harmonious, transparent, medium-weight, relatively dry, quite tannic; excellent length, some back-end heat, mint, complete. An excellent and elegant Taylor.
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Nothing wrong here but I was not blown away. Perhaps oversold by previous comments. Very smooth, Reminded me of a Tawny as opposed to a VP due to washed out color and muted fruit flavors. Very enjoyable and not at all hot. Decanted 3 plus hours.
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This was decanted and served immediately with pear covered in chocalate sauce and every one loved it. The aromas of nuts and fig with a prune and milk chocoalatey palate was very good but not quite a Wow! I am not a port expert but would say this was excellent without seeming outstanding. After looking at the other notes we may have missed something by not giving more time in the decanter
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Starting to thin out, but still not far from a peak. This was simply delicious and always a temptation. Thin, but not yet brown. Fruit has dropped away, leaving a sweet gentle liquor, not a blast of sugared tannic fruit. Wonderful Christmas treat. don't want to (and shouldn't) wait another year. It went fine with Stilton, but was not the usual quencher.
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Again this was lovely and (viewing my last note) this time much more harmonious. I still find a taste in there slightly dominant to the others.... is it the spice... or perhaps a bacon or meatiness. Any way this time I found it intriguing and classy. Classic christmas cake and brandy nose and intense black fruits and spice (cloves?) flavours.
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Opened 1 hour before drinking, not much experience with vintage port but agree with most recent comments, except I did not find any heat, it was very smooth and smell like aged brandy. The sweetness is subdued, I liked it. We easily finished the bottle in 3 hours.
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San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 10/6/2012 (Carlsbad, California): Opened two hours before tasting, but not decanted. Light ruby-brick red. Mesmerizing bouquet of red fruit, milk chocolate, vanilla, spice, sweet oak. Unfortunately it was hot and harsh on the palate. It needs to be smelled at a leisurely pace, then sipped with discretion, like a liqueur. A longer decant probably would have helped. My #4 tonight. Addendum -- my notes on this wine are essentially the same as a previous tasting in 2009, in particular the need for a long decant.
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Perfectly mature and delicious vintage port with the perfect balance of seductive violet and spice fruit and earthy complexity with just a hint of sweetness. Drinking so beautifully now and very competitive, if slightly lighter-bodied, with any vintage of this great wine.
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Decanted for 6hrs, this has been in my cellar since 1994, as expected huge amounts of sediment, cork was saturated and broke in half during extraction. The nose was filled with brandy, nuts and fruitcake. On the palate, it was like a brandy infused fruitcake that went on and on, very muture vp, drank this on our 30th wedding aniversary. I will give this a 92 and wife a 100!
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- Garnet color - Decanted for 4 hours before serving. The color had lightened, with a slight tawniness about it. Full of deep Carmel, raisin, and butterscotch.
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Alcohol :: NA Light garnet that seems watery, but this is a brilliant disguise, so much intensity instead of watery. Elegant aromas of dried raisin, sweet plum, toffee, sweet candy, hazelnut and lots of seductive spices and herbs. It was sweet and light at first, but the wine slowly put on weight with air as well as acidity started to surface. I have never had a port with such intensity instead of power, full of finesse. Firm tannin but by no mean rough and hard give the concentrated, complex flavors of toffee, dried raisin, sweet plum, spices and black tea a perfect support. Fabulous grip and lingering at the long lasting finish.
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Dark red, young looking considering. Minerals and red fruit really stand out for me in the nose. Sweet red fruit flavours with some mineral and a pretty structured finish. Great stuff.
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Bill's Monthly Lunch - January 2012 (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind – Medium to dark red in colour easing towards the rim. Sweet and youthful on the nose with dark red fruits, spice and Christmas cake aromas. Flavours of dried red fruits, nuts, spice and hints of brown sugar. Sweet yet fresh with perfectly balanced structure. This is broad shouldered but refined and is extremely enjoyable to drink right now. Outstanding.
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English Bottled (Tanners of Shrewsbury 1972) Decanted - firm heavy deposit - bright claret colour - slight clean nose. Taste impresses - vibrant and interesting - full and a sort of mellow fruitcake- long and lingering pleasantly on the end.
Excellent and quite a joy after keeping for many years - and more to go ( lucky to have some). Knocks spots off Gould Campbell 83 enjoyed last week.
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Color: Medium dark garnet with maybe just a hint of brick. Very clear in the glass - I managed to keep the fine sediment out of the decanter. Nose: Very ripe strawberries, some more generic fruits like a fruit compote, and a significant amount of alcohol. There's something... dry?... and fruity as well, but not dried fruit. It's a light and airy note that's softly sweet. Of note, no trace of anything that screams "Taylor" like Christmas spices or black pepper. Palate: At first taste, which was after ~4 hours in the decanter, quite hot and sharp. It wasn't looking good for dinner. But over the next 4 hours it started to mellow out a little bit. By dinner (D+8 hours) it was still pretty hot, but the sharpness had subsided and was replaced by a peppery note that actually complemented the heat, giving a firey impression. The fruits were neither bold nor soft, but rather struck a balance right in the middle. Mostly a mix of ripe strawberry and ripe red raspberry. Again, not a trace of that trademark Taylor spice. Even the peppery note seemed to be more related to the alcohol than to Vargellas. After dinner and a pause in festivities (D+12 hours) the heat had continued to mellow but the fruits had flattened a bit. This morning at D+24 hours everything is much more nicely integrated and smooth, but it's still bordering on hot. Finish: The finish is fruity, warm, and fairly smooth. The length is good but not exceptional. Several different impressions of green (nice ones) come and go throughout.
92 points. While still excellent, this bottle fell short of expectations for a 1970 Taylor. The flavor was fine and could have been rated higher, but the persistent heat bothered me enough to drag down the score. It wasn't obnoxious but it definitely detracted from the experience.
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Holiday Tastings; 12/16/2011-12/20/2011 (Redlands): Intense raisiny nose and a midpalate that isn't quite integrated / too hot when opened, after 3 days, this improves, showing nuts, dusty black cherry, tar and anise; 90
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CT Texas Offline III; 11/18/2011-11/19/2011 (Galveston): Spicy, sweet, unctious, thick, really concentrated and full of stone fruit. Great port for sure. Exactly what a well-matured port coming into its own should be. Will be a great experience for years and years.
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CT Texas III; 11/18/2011-11/21/2011 (Galveston, TX): Nose or raisin, prune, orange peel, dates, figs. On the palate, raisin, fig, dark chocolate, spice. Finishes with nice grip and acidity. Although very good, I was actually a little disappointed.
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Deep and complex nose of raisin, prune, maple syrup, orange zest, espresso, and vanilla bean. Thick velvety mouthfeel with a smooth medium plus body and surprising acid. The rich warm finish lasts for minutes.
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Tasted on night two, was not decanted until night two, about two hours before tasting. Beautiful if a bit reticent nose, and simply delicious on the palate. A generic term, yes, but this was really just lip-smackingly good. A slight touch more heat than I would have liked, but great balance of sweetness, acidity, depth of flavor.
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Just Another Lousy Day in Paradise (Yountville, CA): Served before and with dessert courses. Slightly cloudy medium amber. Autumnal, mildly sweet, not figgy, now supported by acid rather than tannin. Mouthfeel remains moderately full without any heaviness, not even a sense of alcohol, let alone being fortified. Fading glory or "sunset phase" - like the '63 Graham's tasted on 2/5/11, and perhaps less substantial. But still lively enough, delicious and satisfying.
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Ian S's Haut Bailly Offline (The Ledbury, London): Lovely light ruby colour to tawny at the rim. Sweet fruited and quite light nose and attack. Spirity hot finish. Really don't get non-tawny port. Spirit blows off a bit but still leaves me with a 'so what?' feeling. ***, no doubt more if port's your thing.
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Any Port in a storm (Chris Lipperts): Absolutely fabulous, best of the night. Great dried fruit flavors and raisins. Not overtly alcoholic, beautifully integrated tannins. Cork was a bit of a mess but no apparent ill-effects on the wine, and the wax capsule had gone. Drinking deliciously now. Great.
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Lovely Port but somehow it didn't quite hang together as well as I would have liked on this occasion. Others seemed to really like it though. All the bits were there but not quite working well enough together. Cork was difficult to extract but in the end came out (albeit in two parts) ok. I agree with another comment - the alcohol seemed to dominate. But enjoyable nonetheless if a little disappointing. Perhaps should have decanted for longer than half an hour, but the rest of the family were getting impatient.
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Exceptional bottle of a favorite port (3 hour decant, strained twice). Deep ruby w bricking on edge. Nose showing red berries, figs, and spice; same in the palate but more focused on strawberry, fig (and other dried fruit flavors that continued to change over the night), wonderful chocolate notes and spice. Just amazing; but still showing some heat behind a long mouth-coating finish.
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Boys nite II, fall 2010 (Reno, NV): With something like this there is so much bottle variability we all might as well be posting about different wines... this bottle drank very well and was very young, slightly hot, and wonderfully deep and expressive. Good balance, great length and intensity, superb complexity. Decent finesse, great texture, classic expression of place... easily 'outstanding' wine.
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TN: Huet, Donnhoff, Grey Stack, Brainaire, Jaffurs, Taylors and Ramey; 10/23/2010-10/25/2010: Found this was leaking in my cellar. The wax had dissolved and the cork was soaked completely. The cork crumbled on opening and the wine was strained into a decanter for a few hours. I am happy to say, it was delicious. Perfect, no, but delicious. Ruby red in color, clear and bright. The nose has chocolate raspberries. On the palate, this is very smooth with just a hint of heat. Lots of raspberries and a bit of mocha. Great balance. Very nice.
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COLOR: Pale ruby/brick NOTE: Cork was fully compromised, but most of the wax capsule was intact. This was not a pristine bottle. After 1 hr decant: Nose is still dominated by alcohol. Mouth is thick, tactile, with melted brown sugar, dates and tar. Finish is hot. Will follow up with another note tomorrow. Tasted one week later after preserving in a 375 bottle w/very little ullage: Nose smells of walnut bread pudding, full of plump spiced raisins, a bit of heat, bits of spiced apple and apricot. Mouth is unctuous, loads of Italian brandied cherries, drunk dried apricots, cranberries rehydrated in vodka. Now this is a dessert in itself, and far more gratifying than when originally opened. Perhaps it's just my expectations, but I am truly blown away by this wine a week later. It's a party in my mouth! If any survives the night I'll report back. Please don't hate me if it's gone!
DECANT: Multiple hours. GLASS USED: Zinfandel TASTE: 9.2 (9.4- one week later) COST: 165 VALUE: 2.0 TRY AGAIN: never PAIRING:
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G6 (Dave): Brick red color. Aromas of black fruit with anise. Flavors of licorice, brown sugar, plumb and raisin. Nice balance with bright acidity. Rich complex finish.
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The sludge that came out of this thing! Clear, complex nose, faint dried rose petal, nut skins, brandy, cofee, maple dried strawberry, and dusty orange; at or just past peak; light but the fortification shows. Decent balance held for nine days. Outstanding.
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Level was down to the top of the neck and has not been stored in optimal conditions. I was unable to open it much before we wanted to drink it. There was an initial pepperiness in the first mouthful, but over the following two hours, it started to open up and develop with complex flavours. Colour was still very red, but a lovely brick hue. With 4 of us drinking over a game of cards, it didn't last long!
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An outstanding bottle. Big dark fruit, caramel, and chocolate covered nuts. Tasted very young but extremely smooth and complex. Wish I had days to enjoy this. A nice surprise! Thanks Scott!
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TN: Amarones, Soves and Ports: Purple in color, mostly clear and bright. This took some time to open. At first blush, I found it showing chocolate and raisins but found it think with lots of heat. It had been decanting 5 hours and for my tastes, that was not enough. Some vigorous swirling and it continued to improve in my glass. It also put on weight. I think this drinks much younger than its years.
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Color: A deep and rich garnet that fades through an orange-ish pink to clear at the rim. Nose: Strawberries filled the room while decanting and are the primary note in the glass. Some lime and raspberry, too. A light dusty mineral shows up after the fruits have been inhaled, and might possibly also be called black pepper. Alcohol is noticable only if you really look for it. Palate: The first impression is rich and meaty, almost like a juicy pepper-crusted steak. The fruits then show up but are difficult to distinguish. Warmth builds evenly in your mouth, and the trademark Taylor spiciness is very present in this bottle. Tannins and acidity are both still very strong for a 40-yr old Port, but they're not going to knock your socks off. The body weight is light, and really the only "flaw" with this bottle. Finish: Tannins and faint warmth lead off. There's a very faint deep sugary note... not exactly molasses, but more like cotton candy taken down a couple of octaves. The finish is extremely long and very even. The tail is Granny Smith apples and some light grape skin.
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Everything it was billed to be. On advice of other posters, decanted and let sit for 5 hrs. Wonderful nose of brandy mixed with raisans, plums, currants, blacberry, vanilla, and caramel. Almost too many flavors to note them all. The mix continues on the palate with an earthy and chocolate/mocha flavor arising. Finsh is phenomenal - so smooth, silky, and mouth coating. Hard to notice the alcohol (it is there), and the tannins and acidity are present, but in check, very balanced, integrated, and delivered properly.
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Decanted for sediment; tasting began after 10 minutes. Medium brick-ruby red, slightly hazy. Fabulous bouquet of dried figs, strawberry preserves, milk chocolate, and marzipan. At first, this was alcoholic and brandy-like on the palate, but after 30 minutes everything settled into place, and then just got better and better. A 98 point nose with a 92 point palate.
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Another spectacular showing of 1970 Taylor. Seems to be in a really good place. I'm not sure if this will get better with additional age but it will change and continue to drink well for 20+ years.
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How can a wine pushing 40 still drink "young"?! Pale ruby colour with a limpid clarity at the rim. Chocolate, spices and sweet dark fruit on the nose. Extremely elegant but surprisngly showing some heat which, although not overpowering, still detracts just a touch from the otherwise supreme mellowness. Extraordnary finesse showcasing a broad palate of flavours, running from plums and black fruit through layers of caramel, cocoa and a rich spiciness. Wonderful balance and a sweet glowing finish of stunning length. No longer the brooding fiery monster of youth, this magnificent port is still showing a little attitude as it slips into middle age. Drink it now with pleasure but there really is no rush. That tiny flare of alcohol will surely settle eventually, and at the moment is the only thing that stands between this and perfection. Wonderful stuff and a truly profound vintage from Taylor's.
Much delayed EDIT : Now here's a thing. Noticed a tiny bit of this which had been sitting in a loosely stoppered decanter since I opened a bottle for a guest nearly a week ago. It really wasn't much but after 5 days of air this was STUNNING. The spirity/alc-ish tinge had gone leaving a supremely mellow mouthful of rich, nutty and very pure fruit and a staggering finish. Shame it was only a mouthful but lesson learned. This stuff is going to be immortal and I have no hesitation in awarding a perfect score on this evidence. The finest aged port I have ever tasted. Quite simply astounding wine.
The mother of all delayed EDITS : 7 weeks and 3 days in decanter and this is still bright, focussed and delicious. Amazing stuff...
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Decanted initially about 5 hours and consumed over three nights (being stored at cellar temp each day). Consistent with past notes. A fantastic port for the ages.
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Very good. Youthful at 39 years old. I think this wine may have failed to wow because it came at the very end of a very long evening with very many very good wines. But it was clearly a great, ageworthy vintage of a great Port.
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A rather unusual bottle! Upon opeing and pouring the first glass we noted that the color was a very pale tranparent pink rose in color. Within 30 minutes, the color began to deepen in color and the aromas and flavors awakened and intensified. Flavors of intense cherry, chocolate with a kick of alcahol. A solid 30 second finish to a great bottle of Port.
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Drunk with friends Easter Saturday. It was shipped a month ago and I drove it to their house and opened it almost right away. I don't know if these things were the cause but the inside of the bottle was coated with black and there were speckles in the glasses. All that said though the wine was excellent. Fiery with alchohol with deep flavor. I shall look forward to the next and a comparison with Fonseca
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Very good, but not top. At the moment this port is missing definition. It is a very good port searching for a certain direction. Although nearly 39 years old, I think this wine is in a midperiod leaving the period of youth and fruit and entering the period of ripeness, abricots and cacao. At the moment this port is generous, a little bit too alcoholic and is suported by a real body; the colour is lively, but ripe. I will wait a few years with opening the other bottles for further enjoyment.
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Decanted about 5 hours and consumed over 3 hours. Wonderful nose of cherry and chocolate and subtle flower--violet? Wonderfully full, round, and sweet on the palate with no heat on the finish. This is a great port that will easily last another 20 years.... That said, this bottle is missing that quality that would move it from excellent to sublime.
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Powerful intensity, but without any jagged edges. Piercing cherry and spiced plums. Some slight medicinal notes. Considering the impact this makes on the palate, it is still quite elegant and refined. Not bad, considering this was a slightly leaking bottle.
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Wino Guys Weekend (WGW) #2; 11/7/2008-11/8/2008: Ruddy iced tea colour. Aromas of sultana raisins, cocoa, and prunes. Full-bodied, spicy, with ton of alcohol, sultana raisins, and walnuts.
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Still deep colour and youthful (one taster thought it was a 1994!), fine nose and excellent balance, a bit sweeter with a toch of alcohol showing but a great Port! Ready now and for the next 15 years.
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Powerful aroma of blackberries and cherries, strong berry flavor, slight pucker then the sweetness sets in to finish in a romantic medly of berry and chocolate flavor which seduces one to indulge another sip. I truly enjoyed this one - LM
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wow. terrific. appealing nose without heat. sweet fruits and some caramel-chocolate thing going on. palate is a stunner. terrific chocolate cherries, plums and a little licorice. i did not get any hint of prunes - which is nice. soft, velvety palate and a finsh that keeps you coming back for more.
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A great wine. Still big and rich, but you can taste a lot of finesse also. Amazing wine, wish I had more. Decanted for 3 hours- and it never lost anything or even changed during the next 4 hours.
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There is nothing quite like drinking a birth year wine on your birthday. Then again, I have never opened such old bottles before. It was a mess and my brother ended up pouring the wine through a corkscrew size hole through the half dislodged cork.
Light brick color. The aroma of marzipan, fig, cherry liquer and date just filled the room during the 15 minutes we spent extracting the cork which made us all the more impatient to taste this elixir. Such amateurs! Anyway, beautiful proportion with interminable length. Still young! Keeps improving through the ensuing 2 hours. To be honest, not as good as the 63 I had at Smith and Wollensky 5 years ago. But the whole experience of celebrating with my family and the family effort of extracting the cork more than made up for the difference. Outstanding and memorable.
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A stunner. Very pale pink with amber tones, and a limid appearance. The nose is quite sweet but complex, showing aromas of molten white chocolate, vanilla, candied cranberries, orange peel, spices. On the palate, that sweetness dominates yet the wine is so long and complex that you find lots of things beneath the surface. A mature port, lovely stuff.
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Open 36 hours. Fennel and licorice. A hint of strawberry on the nose. Slight heat on the approach. Very long finish. Mouth-coating suppleness. Very elegant with a wonderful balance.
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I loved this port, and although it will certainly be better after lots of extra years in the cellar, I can't help to love a powerful port like this. This was showing younger than the magnum we had in 2005, and will age for ages. I saved a bit in my glass that I sipped through the evening, it kept amazing me.
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Taylor vs Fonseca @ The Warwick (NYC): A bit darker than the companion 1970. Cherry liquor, spice, more fruit and a longer finish than the companion 1970. Fonseca? WRONG.
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I have had the pleasure to taste this wine 4 times now. This may be the best showing yet. The nose was incredibly fragrant giving lots of red fruits, chocolate, cinnamon, and plums. The palate was rich, lush, and full bodied with soft supple tannins. perfect balance and no heat from the aguardente. Just a nice warm finish that went on and on.
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Decanted for 2 hours and consumed with dessert. This port is amazing with dense concentrated prune and dark fruit. Still showing very youthful, this will keep for a long time to come.
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Rich and full-bodied, hints of herbs on the nose. The approach was a little tight given the short decant time (3 hours), but was lightly sweet, with cherry and plum. The mid-palate gave way to some light cinnamon and some wonderfully balanced acidity. The finish was long and pronounced, with well-rounded tannins. This was a magnificent bottle! I purchased this 1970 Taylor at auction for a mere $49. It was, by far, the best find I have had so far. The auction house's policy is for multiple bottle lots, to display the picture of the bottle with the worst condition. In this case, the bottle had a severely stained label, suggesting that it might be a bad bottle. I decided to take my chances and bid on a bottle, with my final price, including shipping, about $49. When the bottle arrived, I was thrilled to see its condition. The wax capsule was almost completely intact, although the one small crack might have been enough to let air in past the cork. The rest of the bottle looked great - no label stains, and I could see through the light-green glass that the level was high shoulder. Things looked promising... At my brother-in-law's wedding this weekend, I brought the 1970 Taylor, as well as pristine 1970 Warre, thinking that if I opened the Taylor and it was, in fact, a bad bottle, I could open the Warre instead and I could salvage the evening. I decided at the last minute to decant the Warre and bring it to the rehearsal dinner instead of the Taylor, and it was a very nice bottle. On Saturday for the Wedding reception, I brought the 1970 Taylor's Vintage Port. I hadn't decanted it yet, and the caterers ran me out of the small kitchen, so I was relegated to an upstairs bathroom to chip away the wax capsule and examine the cork. The cork was a little darker than I anticipated it would be, and inserting a corkscrew revealed that the cork was very soft and crumbly. An Ah-So was produced to ease the cork out, which crumbled but finally came out. And now, the moment of truth... I poured an ounce or two into a glass and took my first smell - the aroma was lush and wonderful. One small sip and I knew that I'd stumbled onto a treasure...
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Barbecue with friends and a humble winemaker (Somewhere Downtown!): Still youthful. Beautiful ruby colour with the smallest amount of a caramel highlight. The nose is full blasted, in your face with intensity. At first it was alcohol, but blows off eventually. Still fairly primary with fruits, dried cherry, figs, prunes, hints of bitter chocolate covered nuts. Same with the palate. Fairly primary, fruit driven, simple, but pleasant, and needs time. Decanted for quite a while too. This goes to show that great port needs patience. I just hope this wine doesn't outlast the guy whose cellar this came from!!! A great way to end the best tasting I ever have, and possibly ever will attend.
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30th Birthday Dinner (Le Gourmand: Seattle, WA): Medium red and good clarity. Soft tannin and balanced acidity. Smooth and sweet in the mouth. The nose is a pleasing mixture of cherry, cinnamon, ginger, and plum. Complex warm finish. A very nice port but not the best bottle of this that I have had as this one displayed a very strong spirity character on the nose as well as on the palate. Even with four to six hours of decanting, the alcohol was very strong. The next day after double decanting back into the bottle the alcohol slightly subsided but it was still very apparent.
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SWS Port Tasting (Seattle, WA): My notes are not detailed on this one other than saying it is red in color with a very long finish that goes on and on. Also noted that this was $12 on release!
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Bottle showed signs of prior leakage. Sensational nose showing plums, caramel and raisins. Flavors of blackberry, chocolate and vanilla. Fruit evolves into multiple layers of flavor, with rich creme brulee and creme caramel. Long intense finish. Stayed precisely the same for several days vacuum sealed.
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Deep colour, still youthful, fine nose and full and young on palate. Will last another 30 years! One of the London bottlings, level a little bit low at bottom neck.
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Smooth, unctuous, powerful. This is a heavyweight. The initial impression is of sweetness on the palate, followed immediately by brilliant acidity. The finish goes on forever, but is slightly hot. dg+
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Port Dinner with Roy Hersh and Robert Bower (Taylor/Fonseca) and Others (Rainier Club, Seattle): Second time in a month with this wine. Showed remarkably the same (this one only fractionally fresher). Glorious nose of baking spices (mainly cinnamon) and licorice/anise. On the palate, a candied sweetness plus an inner mouth perfume that the Fonseca lacks at present. A little nutty flavour and marzipan. Also cinnamon hearts candy. Beautiful stucture with fine tannins supporting the substantial frame. This wine must have hit peak. I don't expect any sudden decline, but this is a great drink right now. My WOTN.
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Still dark. Secondary aromas of coffee and leather. Medium sweet, very good structure. Not yet at its peak. Alas, my last bottle. Purchased in 1977 for about $ 9.
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CT Group does Bordeaux vs Cal Cabs @ Jeff S: Nice nose of sweet raisen-like fruit. Dried black fruits and floral scents. Beautiful finish. Mature and ready to drink, yet will hold for more years. Smooth as silk. Heavy sediment.
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2/24/2024 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
MAGNUM Vintage Port (CUT restaurant Beverly Hills): Out of magnum, which of course is a great way to enjoy a glass with 44 friends. For me, I got toasty notes, chocolate and a bit dusty finish. Improved in the glass over the next 2 hrs.
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10/28/2023 - JulianSkeels wrote: 97 Points
Big, balanced and smooth. From an amazing bottle stood for 2 days, this seemed much younger but immediately accessible with decades left in the tank. More viscous and sweet than most mature Taylors with dark cherry and chocolate more dominant and there is very little alcohol heat. Too easy to drink - with spicy depth that only reveals with air. Gorgeous port, and my favourite Taylor’s vintage. Drink to 2040. 96-97pts
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6/22/2023 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 94 Points
Had a glass at L’Osier in Tokyo from a bottle that was decanted 48 hours prior. Exceptional balance with good structure and a long finish. Worth seeking out.
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1/13/2023 - 2 Sleep Likes this wine: 98 Points
Opened about 1 hour before tasting. Decanted and filtered before serving. The port exhibits a beautiful ruby color and lots of spices on the nose. Drank over the next 2 hours with a section of Stilton and other cheeses, smoked salmon, charcuterie, and other morsels. Absolutely terrific.
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12/24/2022 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank over a month. So smooth and such a treat.
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12/17/2022 - cos65 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Clear light ruby.
Bright dark cherry fruit.
Perfect refined port.
Timeless. First tasting since 1989, and this has barely budged. Seemless aging, near perfect port
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11/19/2022 - theportguy wrote: 97 Points
FTLOP 17th Anniversary; 11/18/2022-11/20/2022 (Seattle, Washington): Dark ruby in color. Some light woody notes and primary fruit on the nose. Fantastic structure. Layers of flavors and complexity on the palate – strawberry, cherry, chocolate, and savory herbs. Young, fresh, and amazingly balanced for something so old. This is one of the best bottles of this wine I've had in a while.
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11/12/2022 - Eric wrote:
ESTG does American Syrah (and Petite Sirah) (Seattle, WA, USA): Mmm, spicy, nice maturity. Actually lighter in intensity (and less sweet) than many of the wines from tonight...
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10/22/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Happy Birthday to Me (Oriole - Chicago IL): Dates and figs with dried cherries, dark chocolate and intense richness. Not as complex as the Nacional 1967 in the next glass, but bigger and more classic.
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9/23/2022 - scottesterly wrote: flawed
375ml.
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4/18/2022 - Brolawa Likes this wine: 93 Points
M&PD dinner at Bisato. I enjoy Port more and more on its own because when you drink it as a dessert wine, for me at least, it never ends well. This was really excellent, but I drank very little of it because I didn't want to head over the edge. Black fruit and plum with an elegant finish. Just delicious . . . but dangerous.
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4/18/2022 - Eric wrote:
M&PD Tasting: Bisato (Seattle, WA, USA): My notes were done. Just delicious. It always amazes me how precise and delicate these get after 50+ years.
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2/13/2022 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very light color, opened for 5 hrs. Developed nicely, just lacking the punch. Drink
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12/27/2021 - DK Amateur Likes this wine:
Last bottle of a case bought in May 1984. The cork came in whole, so to speak, the corkscrew simply pushed it into the bottle.
First taste when decanting, at 14 or 15 degrees: Still reddish. Not much nose. Fabulous mouthfeel, thick and smooth, ending quite tannic.
Three hours later at, say, 18 degrees. Initially, there is a pronounced element of violets, which I haven't noticed in any Taylor vintage before though it reputedly should be a characteristic of the Vargellas quinta. There is also licorice, iron, dark fruits, dust and a hint of cedar. The taste is unctuous, as at first, but also very firm with iron-tinted tannins and strong acidity. It is surprisingly youthful, indeed; it will no doubt still be good in twenty or forty years. Very long aftertaste. Fabulous.
Second day, 18 degrees: The nose is more together, more open and harmonious. There is a blackish, smoky note, nearly like soot. Still creamy, firm and tannic in the mouth. Great intensity, surely the greatest vintage port I've had. Seems immortal, but might need recorking. And then the decanter was empty.
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12/26/2021 - paintinginacave Likes this wine: 96 Points
Stood up for seven days. Drank over four. Top shoulder. Doubled decanted for four hours. Signs of seepage. A perfectly intact cork. Considerable sediment as one might expect. This wine looks far older than its 51 years with a highly evolved medium tawny core fading to a pale copper outer edge. Marzipan, dried morello cherries, frangipani, dried cinnamon sticks, sweet baking spices, pipe tobacco, and the smoke from glazing the top of a crème brûlée unfurl in the glass. Silken and velveteen with an assemblage of dried fruits, raisins, golden sultanas, brandy-infused dark cherries, almond paste, light butterscotch, and stollen - a spiced fruit bread layered with marzipan and dipped in butter and rum. A beautiful mature port that provided immense drinking pleasure.
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12/25/2021 - tbabes wrote: 100 Points
The fill was base neck and the cork was pristine. Pale to medium tawny core with bricking at the rim. Complex and ethereal bouquet, with notes of baking spices, dried plums, raisins, prunes; dark chocolate and campfire embers. Medium bodied, elegant, soft with a silky texture, boatloads of flavor, good structure still, and a heavenly finish that went on and on.
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12/15/2021 - Machiavelli wrote:
2000 Bordeaux tasting at Biff's. Bottle had some signs of seepage. Colour was ruby-pink, and glorious nose of spice and plums and black fruits. It was sweeter than I expected, and in a great place. Balanced, smooth, long finish. Great stuff.
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11/7/2021 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is a dryer style port compared to Grahams, of course. But at 51 years, this bottle was still singing.
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11/5/2021 - S1 Likes this wine:
Chas Offlineorama VI, Another embarrassment of riches; 11/3/2021-11/7/2021 (Various locations): Dried fig and apricot, nice balance, some red fruit, menthol, caramel latte, white pepper, candied orange. Wonderful but still youthful.
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10/18/2021 - Papies wrote: 96 Points
Andrew Edmunds (Andrew Edmunds, London): There is a time at the end of a very long wine dinner when the coin toss for what next is won by Port. And tired palates point towards something simpler as it will be wasted and the cellar defenders come out to play.. Not this time. This impressively beautiful 1970 rolled out and showed the kids the true beauty old school and well aged Port can deliver. Big but perfectly balanced, almost soft for port standards and really elegant . we can go on and on here but no need to. 96?97?98? take a pick! Exceptional.
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10/2/2021 - theportguy wrote: flawed
2021 FTLOP Harvest Tour; 9/19/2021-10/2/2021 (Portgugal): Amber-ruby and color with significant sediment. Subtle nose of... it's corked. Not rated.
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7/24/2021 - theportguy wrote: 96 Points
FTLOP 16th Anniversary Tasting; 7/23/2021-7/24/2021 (Seattle, Washington): Clear, with amber and dark brick colors. Violets, spices, and a mix of red and dark fruit on the nose. So incredibly balanced! A touch of the Vargellas spirit on the palate, with great red fruit and outstanding structure and tannins. The complexity of flavors and texture made this a fantastic showing of this wine.
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5/19/2021 - mhudes wrote: 98 Points
Outside dining at Juanita & Maude's in Albany. 6 hour decant. Served blind to Charles, Walter and Michael. Purple in color. Very aromatic. Bold prune, dried apricot and dried fig flavors. Long finish. All guess vintage Port (but all at least 2 decades too young). Almost certain to still be great in 2030. A profound Port!
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1/10/2021 - europat55 wrote: 95 Points
This is a really exceptional Port!
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1/2/2021 - Bruce L Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tawny colour. Fully mature and drinking beautifully. Not overly rich and Very easy to drink.
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12/31/2020 - Rosengoo wrote: 94 Points
Drank at home over 2 days, this was light to mid purple with an orange tinge in colour. After filtering out quite a lot of sediment, the port was clear. The nose had prunes on the nose upon opening but these eventually changed to raisins on the second day.
The flavours on this included raisins, prunes , dark chocolate some honey. It certainly does not feel like over 20% alcohol and had a wonderfully long finish. Finally, this port definitely improved after 24 hours of opening so I suggest pre planning if you are considering having one of these.
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12/27/2020 - vesuvius Likes this wine: 99 Points
It was finally time, after these several decades of waiting and wondering. Wondering how well I have cared for this bottle, whether the cork was still intact and sound, whether the hype was warranted. Totally not disappointed and it was everything and more that I could have wanted in this bottle of velveteen bliss. Still fresh fruit and silky smooth ever so subtle tannins. A sublime sweetness without being sugary or sticky sweet. How do they do that? No idea really. Projecting half a century into the future, did they know how layered this would still be? Again, no idea, but I thank them for it!
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12/25/2020 - Cornelius Sulla Likes this wine: 99 Points
Simply the best port I've ever had. I'm kinda cheap so spending >$200 on a bottle of grape juice is a little crazy but this...this is worth it. Multiple day decant, and tasted over several days. Textbook example of the fourth stage of rancio charentais. Hazelnuts, plum, almond, lychee, Dr. Pepper, mangosteen, cotton candy, buttercream frosting. It tastes like all your hopes and dreams from your 20s, when your future was bright. Sell your Tesla and buy every bottle of this port you can find.
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12/25/2020 - 309VEB Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cork disintegrated when trying to pull it. Poured through a filter. Considerable very small sediment in the decanter. On day one tasted after a short (4 hour) decant. Thought a 50 year wine would not require a long decant. Wrong! Just OK. Very light pink colour. Fairly tight with a short finish. Day two, about 30 hours after opening, much better. Darker colour, more flavor and a longer finish. Day three, better still as the wince continued to take on colour and weight. Days 4 and 5 no major changes but I thought on day 5 it was starting to trend down. Last glass on day 6. Best glass yet. Much darker now with no heat, just pure fruit and a long finish. My conclusion is to not be afraid to decant this wine 24 to 48 hours before serving. This was nothing special after a short decant and if the entire bottle were to have been consumed on day 1 I would have been very disappointed. Opened a 77 Taylors last night and will start to taste this evening after 24 hours. Will be interesting to see how the tasting experiences line up. Note that this Port was acquired at auction and has been in my cellar, which s quite cool, for about 15 years. The cap had a wax seal which was intact. Label stained but intact. Small carboard tag with information concerning decanting and serving Port was present.
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9/27/2020 - msimoes Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 5 hrs ahead of time. Still going strong. Structure still there. Chocolaty flavors, was a treat.
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7/6/2020 - tbabes wrote: 99 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; consumed over the course of 4 hours. A translucent tawny color, clear and lively. A complex outgoing bouquet, with scents of fruitcake, baking spices, caramelized brown sugar, plums; hints of chocolate and flower. Rich, round and balanced, with warm fruits, incredible depth, and a long finish. A regal vintage port that is at the absolute peak of perfection!
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6/18/2020 - Haviland1970 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Bottle had minimal evaporation. Impressive for a 50 year old wine. Cork was very soft as you might expect. Had trouble removing it intact but was able to do so. Wine was extremely well balanced. Amazing aromas. Everything well integrated. No signs of fading. Even better on day 2. Probably has another 10 years before the slow, gradual fade sets in. Will have to buy another bottle sometime.
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4/22/2020 - stvjackson Likes this wine: 96 Points
There's so, so much wonderfulness going on here, with remarkable evolution as it takes on more air and continues to open up.
Most striking is the level of freshness that's still present 50 years in. Immediately upon opening, there was this burst of aromatics reminiscent of perfectly ripe blueberries. The palate fruits go a bit darker, but they remain juicy, with strong flavors of juicy blackberry and black plum. The nose continually shifts as the wine takes on more air, with aromatics of cocoa, tobacco, leather, cedar, eucalyptus, dates, figs.
Very well balanced, remarkable complexity, an absolute pleasure to drink.
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3/8/2020 - beatles wrote: 97 Points
Same provinence, still very impressive indeed. Served vis-a-vis the 1985 & 1997, this was by far the best and probably my WOTN over all; vertial, cool, elegant, very aristocratic in it's structure with a cool core of black fruit, the sort of port, Lord Peter Wimsey would have drunk.
#Søndagsseancer
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3/1/2020 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
Chassagne, Red Label and Chave (S.K.Y.): This is a stunner of a Port. Chocolate, toffee and balsamico notes throughout. Impressive balance of freshness with the semi-sweet and ripe fruit. Long and refined finish.
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3/1/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Chassagne Grandes-Ruchottes Dinner with Some Giacosa and Chave (S.K.Y. Restaurant - Chicago IL): A great bottle. Chocolate covered figs with dark berries and a sweet spicebox. Very good depth and concentration, without coming across as particularly heavy.
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1/11/2020 - theportguy wrote: 94 Points
The Los Angeles Tasting (Los Angeles, CA): Amber-red in color. Nice strawberry and red fruit on the nose, with just a touch of spirit. There are notes of raspberry, herbs and a touch of spirit on the palate. There is good acidity, and the fruit is well-integrated. Long, smooth finish.
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12/26/2019 - Too much practice. wrote: 88 Points
Felt like it is fading again. Very good, brought pleasure to the Christmas table, but I would say it's fading.
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12/19/2019 - Wineloon Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nostril singeing medicinal nose, beautifully balanced peppery, spicy, pot pourri of spiced fruit
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12/19/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 90 Points
Delicious aged Port with plenty of dark fruit left and lots of complex notes of dried prunes and spice. Just somewhat clunky compared to the beautiful '70 Fonseca drunk alongside. At Daniel byob private game dinner.
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12/17/2019 - LWI wrote: 94 Points
Though, spice, youthful. Some alcohol in the finish. Rather complex.
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11/29/2019 - lovanc@outlook.com wrote:
Delicious! Still a ton of acidity with the wine being on the paler side. Raisiny fruit with layers of flavors.
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11/29/2019 - msimoes Likes this wine:
Delicious. Super balanced, lots of wood flavors and a great long finish. A touch peppery which didnt hurt. Decanted for 2-3 hours and poured back into bottle. Had noticed it leaking over the summer but still tasted great. Leaving unrated as lack the experience w these older VPs.
Feeling like <50 yrs of age works for me and doubt i could have got any more out of it if it were older. I'll be focusing my buying on 77s and 85s for future consumption.
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11/17/2019 - sdr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Mellow and mature, calm and confident. Approaching the half century mark, this port is so easy to drink we almost finished the bottle. Of course tannins have softened and the cherry fruit is subdued but age has brought out complexity never to be found in younger examples.
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10/31/2019 - KPB wrote: 93 Points
On a rainy, chilly Halloween night, what could be better than a glass of a mature vintage port? Well, if the port is this one, nothing...
The 1970 Taylor is quite dark, with a satiny richness. The wine is in perfect health, and even at age 49, the rim is still pink with no hint of amber. What strikes me on the nose is the pomegranate fruit aromas and the spicy floral highlights, which literally leap from the glass. That spice is hard to pin down, but to me has notes of beeswax or canuba furniture wax, cloves, nutmeg, and perhaps walnuts. Sweet and mouth coating with a rich, long finish that reveals a rising note of acidity that gives way slowly to minerals and very smooth, polished tannins. Just a wonderful mature VP!
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10/19/2019 - Jmac56 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Had this for our 1970 reunion! Holding up great. Better than the rest of us. Nice fruit and relatively well balanced with the sweetness remaining. Not as full as it may once been. Cork was relatively intact.
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7/26/2019 - theportguy wrote: 92 Points
For The Love Of Port 14th Anniversary Tasting; 7/26/2019-7/27/2019 (Sammamish, Washington): Surprisingly dark purple in color. I’m used to this wine being a more vibrant garnet in color. Spirity on the nose with some eucalyptus and herbal notes. Medium-bodied with some cinnamon and red hots on the palate, with some decent complexity. There was a spike of spirit on the mid-palate, but it receded on the finish and left some pleasant notes of cherry and red fruit.
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1/16/2019 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 98 Points
Pale ruby, browning edges, transparent. Pronounced but soft and elegant red fruit aromas, quite complex. Medium-bodied on the palate, perfectly balanced, with initial sweetness followed by some acidity, then the heat of alcohol. Sweet red cherries and raspberries, but very round, complex and elegant. Fully mature but not at all past its peak.
I'm sure it will hold for many more years.
Ric
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1/13/2019 - europat55 wrote: 93 Points
Nose: A- Palate: A-
This was outstanding, but not as great as the other bottles I've had...
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12/8/2018 - Helenachuck Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine has been in our cellar for a long time, waiting for an occasion. The birth of a granddaughter seemed fitting.
Pale red to red brick color, brick rim, very clear and bright. Much more red color than a wood port of this age would show. Nose shows wood, caramel, raisin and prune, vanilla, some herbal notes (that dimension reminds me of Irish Mist] mincemeat, and floral notes. It is both aged and fresh in the same moment.
On the palate, all the elements of the nose are reflected, with the addition of cola, more vanilla and butterscotch, and a more defined sense of wood. The wood is nowhere near as defined as a tawny, but it is a real presence. This wine is warm, and the finish is long, particularly on the upper palate. Surprisingly lively, and very good.
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11/28/2018 - LWI wrote: 96 Points
Oporto bottled, high IN fill. Pronounced cardamom, deep nose, dark berries; complex finish, long, youthful, ending with just a tiny hint of alcohol. Probably my best bottle so far.
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10/2/2018 - canan wrote: 97 Points
Taylor VP Vertical with Roy Hersh: Beautiful complex nose with notes of caramel, coffee, chocolate but also lovely floral notes, a touch of VA and some mint leaves.
Just as complex on the palate with candied orange peel, light plum fruit, mint, coffee and chocolate. Not a lot of sweetness and a wine in a great balance.
Very well-developed wine with a wonderful acidity and flavor depth. Truly an amazing wine.
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6/22/2018 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 94 Points
A private dinner (Restaurant Bak, Amsterdam, NL): English bottled by Russell & McIver. Mature but lively appearance; cedary nose, spicy depth, plums and nuts; medium sweet palate, fresh and slightly hot, firm and tannic, lovely weight and power; very good length. Impressively youthful, a very fine port, but it seemed a bit blunt tonight. Maybe it’s because of the company it was in.
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6/9/2018 - cardsandwine Likes this wine:
More the color of a Tawny port than a vintage, but nicely balanced.
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5/27/2018 - Trent Walker wrote: 96 Points
Exactly what you would expect from an older port. Delicious.
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5/16/2018 - ohne_musik wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 5 hours in advance. High octane on the nose, with toffee, baking spice and rumcake. Surprisingly fleet footed and only medium sweet in the mouth; not syrupy at all. Golden raisin, white chocolate, fig, clove and other baking spices. Lots of secondary notes, but still is vigorous and full of life. Really lovely port, but didn’t blow me away; everyone else was swooning though.
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12/21/2017 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quite viscous and zippy with lots of acidity and grippy dark berry fruit with notes of lavender and sweet prunes. Quite rich and concentrated with a very complex finish and I would say this will be even better in a decade as it softens and get more refined. 93+
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12/20/2017 - cofidis2 wrote: 95 Points
Decanted about 6 hours. The color is showing some bricking consistent with a top VP of this age. A little hard to gauge the nose due to the food aromas in the restaurant, but allspice, cloves, and possibly Juniper. I loved the soft red fruit body chocked full of strawberries, licorice, that typical "Vargellas spirit" as I call it, cherries, cocoa bean, and wisps of menthol. A lengthy finish was a continuation of that tasty palate. I've had this many times and this bottle is spot on. At peak but will hold here for many many more years to come. Just a wonderful Vintage Port.
95 Points
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8/26/2017 - duchamp wrote: 94 Points
Caramel/amber, big nose of alcohol, butterscotch, eucalyptus, honey and pine, syrupy smooth on the palate with loads of honey, maple, dried herb notes and pepper, finishes hot at first but moves to more complex dried fruits such as apricot and fig with lingering flavors of pine sap and fruitcake that just seem to go on impossibly long
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8/25/2017 - Ralph_ wrote: 95 Points
Wetzi's Trübli the last (Wetzi's Trübli): Very good. Drink or hold for another 2 decades
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4/22/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Wine Dinner Extravaganza; 4/21/2017-4/22/2017 (Smyth and The Loyalist - Chicago IL): Late night, brief note. Rich and opulent with sweet fruit, dark chocolate. Fresher than I expected. Moderate length or finesse, but maybe because it was tonight's 25th bottle?
I took the bottle home, corked and refrigerated, so will revisit. Day 2 seemed even fresher (or perhaps I was fresher?), but still a little monolithic. Half bottle left, so there will be more to this tasting note.
Finished five weeks later (5/31/17), still tasty, similar to when initially opened and tasted, even if somewhat shorter and less dense.
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4/21/2017 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Annual gathering with Chicago winos in Chicago - Burgs, old Bordeauxs and SQNs (Smyth and The Loyalist - Chicago IL): Expressive nose displaying fruitcake, dry fig, concentrated grape juice, bitter chocolate and cognac, Still very youthful palate, good sweetness, nicely layered, medium acidity and a medium to long finish with noticeable heat at the end. It is still a bit harsh. Perhaps need another decade or two?
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4/14/2017 - Border Boss Likes this wine: 87 Points
Decanted 7 hours before service. Purchased recently. Oddly, this wine was disappointing, yet successful this evening.
The disappointing part was the wine itself. The color was light brick red, far to light for this producer and this vintage. Clearly it had not been stored properly. It still had a lot of alcohol heat, which did not die down while in the glass. I expected a whole lot more. On the palate, the wine showed 55% cacao dark chocolate and Luxardo cherries, which turned out to be its savior (see below).
The successful part was the pairing with the food. The dessert course was a warm chocolate soufflé with a dark cherry sauce. The Taylor in its current condition paired marvelously with the dessert. The lighter dark chocolate worked well with the chocolate level in the soufflé, and the Luxardo cherry in the wine was perfect with the cherry sauce put inside the soufflé. This is a perfect example of why I look at wines in the context of the food, not just in and of themselves.
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2/8/2017 - MAOC wrote:
Decanted for 5 hours. Initially seems pale but put on weight noticeably in the decanter. The nose is mainly dominated by cherry, with baking spice, early hints of leather and touches of liquorice. The palate has well balanced sweetness and shows no spirit; slightly peppery tannins are still evident in the finish. I think this wine just needs another 10 years thought not clear if it will reach the level of the Fonseca from the same vintage. ****
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1/22/2017 - beatles Likes this wine: 97 Points
Fogheads@HSA - Østerbro (Østerbro, Copenhagen): Out of this world; tasting blind, we were talking tawny (the colour is there), but there is no brown sugar here, rather a razorblade precision and clarity and concentration of fruit. This is Grand Vin indeed, and it will go on, but it was singing on the night, and people were dancing in joy. #Foghead#HSA
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12/25/2016 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 97 Points
This wine, at present, is a mouthful of the finest, most intense cocktail cherries. Very sweet. There are hints of baking spices, but the cherry fruit is overwhelmingly dominant, and talking about anything else is searching for tasting notes instead of describing the wine. Even at 46 years old, this is an unusually intense wine.
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12/17/2016 - rmalloy wrote: 97 Points
Unbelievable that this wine is 46 years old. It is incredibly rich, powerful, and fruit-forward (not to mention sweet). A massive core of brandy-macerated cherries along with heady aromas of fruitcake, leather, and dark caramel. Not much of the violets that I prize so dearly in vintage port, but the decadent cherries make up for it. This wine has so much vitality that I have to believe it will drink well for the entirety of this century. I hope my language is conveying the extraordinary nature of this wine.
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12/2/2016 - theportguy wrote: 93 Points
2016 FTLOP Holiday Party (Sammamish, Washington): Amber brown with some very fine settlement. Cola and chocolate notes on the nose. Unctuous mid-palate with some light spirit. Very long, balanced finish.
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11/27/2016 - Good Stuff Likes this wine: 95 Points
really good stuff, had it with the 1977 vintage and found both equally delightful
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10/6/2016 - up4wine wrote:
Dessert wine for the Lynch-Bages Vertical. Just a spectacular port.
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7/23/2016 - theportguy wrote: 93 Points
FTLOP 11th Anniversary; 7/22/2016-7/24/2016 (Sammamish, Washington): Transparent brick in color. Some light sediment. Still some red fruit on the nose. Intense mouthfeel, with strawberry and some min on the palate. Full-bodied, elegant mouthfeel with a very long and balanced finish.
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5/23/2016 - canan wrote: 94 Points
Vintage Port 1970 Horisontal (Portvinsklubben 1981): Loverly and delicate raspberry fruit with a little cherry notes also.
Lots of complexity with mint, menthol, coffee, chocolate and a little sweetness.
Great elegance and purity of flavors.
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5/10/2016 - johneagle wrote: 90 Points
These two were considerably less exciting than the last ones drunk a year or so before. None left now!
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2/19/2016 - burgbob wrote: 93 Points
From a well cellared 375 ml. Somewhere between a tawny and vintage. The structure is good and this could still evolve farther, but I decanted it and started drinking and it was open from the start.
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12/31/2015 - Too much practice. wrote: 90 Points
Past its peak, more like a tawny now. But still a joy.
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12/11/2015 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
Crisp Crimson color, butterscotch, fig, caramel. Light, decanted for 3 hrs, will drink well over the coming nights and score should improve.
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11/29/2015 - Bill Bucklew wrote: 89 Points
Predominately muted ripe, dark fruit notes, with a somewhat dominate finish of dark chocolate, without the acidic lift I've had in this wine before. Overall subdued (want to say elegant) style, but this bottle is more subtle than previous.
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10/28/2015 - RayOB wrote: 95 Points
Drank at Davy's
Rich nose with a complex mix of dark fruits, nuts and spice. Rich deep palate. This is going strong.
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10/24/2015 - EhrlichDY wrote: 95 Points
Popped and double decanted for sediment 8 hours before consumption. Perfect bottle that was likely removed from Taylor's cellar and labeled in the past few years. Eight years since my last note and this has barely evolved. Strongly perfumed with dark fruit and a pleasant smell of spirits. Glossy texture and more dark fruit on the palate while the spirits contribute a sweet nutty flavor. Very youthful. This may be a 100 year wine. Excellent stuff.
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6/28/2015 - uberoh wrote: 96 Points
truly stunning - liked it better than the 1963!
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5/10/2015 - Tintin Likes this wine: 93 Points
A very smooth port. Not as thick as I was expecting, but extremely tasty. I don't know if it will get any better. Delicious now.
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3/9/2015 - AtoZ wrote:
Figgy. Tasty. Enjoyable.
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2/3/2015 - stconner Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened and let it breathe for about an hour before consuming. The color was very light brownish and looked somewhat like a 20 or 40-yr old tawny. It also tasted very much like a tawny on day one. On the second night it was much darker in color and tasted completely different. It had the characteristics of a true vintage port -- dark in color and much more fruit.
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1/1/2015 - pizzler wrote: 90 Points
Smooth, balanced...individual flavors are currently hidden. First taste upon opening, but I expect to raise this score in the coming week.
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11/16/2014 - Too much practice. wrote: 90 Points
Very good. This could last a while longer, it actually tasted quite young, despite an inch of tannins deposited in the bottle. Probably better with something sweet than a hard cheese, now.
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10/17/2014 - LWI wrote: 96 Points
Youthful and wonderful. Best bottle so far.
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8/5/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Birthday Celebration (Paris Club - Chicago IL): Exactly the style of Port I most enjoy, this showed caramel, figs and raisins with hints on chocolate and dark berries. Borderline sweet with savory, energetic notes everywhere. I would expect this will be even nicer tomorrow and even next week.
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5/21/2014 - floydtp wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 6 hours on recommendation from Roy. Served at a large CellarTracker event (Galveston). No detailed notes but seem to hit on all cylinders. Decanting time seemed appropriate based on a tasting when first opened and again later. Tremendously long finish that seemed to persist through the next wine tasted.
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3/7/2014 - WineArchitect wrote: 95 Points
What a stunning beauty. Showing quit well. The aromatics leapt from the glass to my nose and were of tobacco, red fruit, chocolate and the smallest hint of alcahol. The flavors were even more intense on the palate. The finish was long and silky. Paired well with Montecristo #2's. EG #WineArchitect
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3/1/2014 - EndreS wrote:
Vintage Port (Fem Bord, Trondheim): Slightly tannic. Very primary and intense, doesn't look the part of a 44 year old. Impressive wine.
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3/1/2014 - petitblanc wrote: flawed
Taylor Vintage Port Vertical (Los Angeles, California): Corky, dishwater profile.
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3/1/2014 - LWI wrote: 94 Points
A Portnight (Fem Bord, Trondheim): Tobacco and ginger, dark fruit, elegant, fine grained finish.
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2/28/2014 - ginfizz wrote: 96 Points
Wow. Light rose color at the core of a tawny rim. Beautiful nose of spirits, preserved fruits, and figs sautéed in vanilla butter. Medium weight, rich but light, balanced. Wow. From a half.
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12/10/2013 - Wine Trader Likes this wine: 96 Points
Flavors...Chocolate liquor poundcake, orange peal, hazelnut, buttered cinnamon raisin toast, vanilla coffee bean, bing cherries and ripe figs, grilled jalapeño...Merry Christmas...Cork was removed intact. Wet to the crest but no signs of seepage. Unflawed, drank without decanting.
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11/3/2013 - ajfret01 Likes this wine:
No notes as this was at the end of a long night, but what a wonderful. Lush, smooth, and velvety. Just a great experience.
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10/26/2013 - StefanAkiko wrote: 97 Points
Some of the greatest wines available to human kind (@KG's in Tavelsjö (Umeå)): The perfect wine for the classic gentleman in me. Definitely the best vintage port enjoyed so far. This btl's aromas filled the kitchen as I was working out with the removal of the cork. It crumbled completely, but the wine was pristine.
This is an awesome wine, ultra balanced and with more tastes than I cared to write down, but the most prominent in this btl: licorice, stewed fruits, fresh hay, leather, aromas of autumn to name a few.
Perfect warmth on the palate and an incredible length.
Astonishing!
Was voted WOTN by some.
Pristine btls, like this one, will live for many many many more years.
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6/11/2013 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs Double Blind; 6/11/2013-6/14/2013 (TWO CHEFS, MIAMI, FL): The wine looks Caramel colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Pineapple, Espresso, Vanilla, Hazelnut, and Honey. The body is Medium. The wine has Satin-like texture. The wine finishes Long. Luis' Port. Barry thought it might be counterfeit, but the label matched the CellarTracker label. The Port had lost color, and had thrown a lot of sediment, which is often my experience, and does not detract from the wine.
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2/17/2013 - cweiss wrote:
Tet dinner. Fantastic. Seamless, beautifully balanced and long.
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1/31/2013 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 95 Points
A private lunch (Restaurant The Ledbury **, London, UK): Bottled by Grants of St James's. Incredibly lively, ruby-red colour; very fresh, classic nose opens up beautifully, violets and roses, bright red fruit, toasted nuts, spices, earth, deep, clean, precise, gunpowder, touch of jasmin, slightly dusty; wonderfully vibrant, classically structured, silky, harmonious, transparent, medium-weight, relatively dry, quite tannic; excellent length, some back-end heat, mint, complete. An excellent and elegant Taylor.
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1/19/2013 - 309VEB Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nothing wrong here but I was not blown away. Perhaps oversold by previous comments. Very smooth, Reminded me of a Tawny as opposed to a VP due to washed out color and muted fruit flavors. Very enjoyable and not at all hot. Decanted 3 plus hours.
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12/30/2012 - VoteferPedro wrote: 90 Points
This was decanted and served immediately with pear covered in chocalate sauce and every one loved it. The aromas of nuts and fig with a prune and milk chocoalatey palate was very good but not quite a Wow! I am not a port expert but would say this was excellent without seeming outstanding. After looking at the other notes we may have missed something by not giving more time in the decanter
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12/28/2012 - Too much practice. Likes this wine: 94 Points
Starting to thin out, but still not far from a peak. This was simply delicious and always a temptation. Thin, but not yet brown. Fruit has dropped away, leaving a sweet gentle liquor, not a blast of sugared tannic fruit. Wonderful Christmas treat. don't want to (and shouldn't) wait another year. It went fine with Stilton, but was not the usual quencher.
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12/28/2012 - peetee wrote: 95 Points
Again this was lovely and (viewing my last note) this time much more harmonious. I still find a taste in there slightly dominant to the others.... is it the spice... or perhaps a bacon or meatiness. Any way this time I found it intriguing and classy. Classic christmas cake and brandy nose and intense black fruits and spice (cloves?) flavours.
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11/6/2012 - danielk168 wrote: 93 Points
Opened 1 hour before drinking, not much experience with vintage port but agree with most recent comments, except I did not find any heat, it was very smooth and smell like aged brandy. The sweetness is subdued, I liked it. We easily finished the bottle in 3 hours.
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10/6/2012 - Javachip wrote: 93 Points
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 10/6/2012 (Carlsbad, California): Opened two hours before tasting, but not decanted. Light ruby-brick red. Mesmerizing bouquet of red fruit, milk chocolate, vanilla, spice, sweet oak. Unfortunately it was hot and harsh on the palate. It needs to be smelled at a leisurely pace, then sipped with discretion, like a liqueur. A longer decant probably would have helped. My #4 tonight. Addendum -- my notes on this wine are essentially the same as a previous tasting in 2009, in particular the need for a long decant.
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4/19/2012 - dream wrote: 94 Points
Perfectly mature and delicious vintage port with the perfect balance of seductive violet and spice fruit and earthy complexity with just a hint of sweetness. Drinking so beautifully now and very competitive, if slightly lighter-bodied, with any vintage of this great wine.
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4/8/2012 - wineshaman wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 6hrs, this has been in my cellar since 1994, as expected huge amounts of sediment, cork was saturated and broke in half during extraction. The nose was filled with brandy, nuts and fruitcake. On the palate, it was like a brandy infused fruitcake that went on and on, very muture vp, drank this on our 30th wedding aniversary. I will give this a 92 and wife a 100!
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2/28/2012 - cjsavino wrote: 94 Points
- Garnet color - Decanted for 4 hours before serving. The color had lightened, with a slight tawniness about it. Full of deep Carmel, raisin, and butterscotch.
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2/4/2012 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 94 Points
Alcohol :: NA
Light garnet that seems watery, but this is a brilliant disguise, so much intensity instead of watery. Elegant aromas of dried raisin, sweet plum, toffee, sweet candy, hazelnut and lots of seductive spices and herbs. It was sweet and light at first, but the wine slowly put on weight with air as well as acidity started to surface. I have never had a port with such intensity instead of power, full of finesse. Firm tannin but by no mean rough and hard give the concentrated, complex flavors of toffee, dried raisin, sweet plum, spices and black tea a perfect support. Fabulous grip and lingering at the long lasting finish.
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1/16/2012 - ecnemergut wrote: 98 Points
My favorite overall port of all-time.
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1/16/2012 - David J Cooper wrote: 94 Points
Dark red, young looking considering. Minerals and red fruit really stand out for me in the nose. Sweet red fruit flavours with some mineral and a pretty structured finish. Great stuff.
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1/13/2012 - godx wrote: 94 Points
Bill's Monthly Lunch - January 2012 (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind – Medium to dark red in colour easing towards the rim. Sweet and youthful on the nose with dark red fruits, spice and Christmas cake aromas. Flavours of dried red fruits, nuts, spice and hints of brown sugar. Sweet yet fresh with perfectly balanced structure. This is broad shouldered but refined and is extremely enjoyable to drink right now. Outstanding.
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1/1/2012 - Old Gent wrote: 95 Points
English Bottled (Tanners of Shrewsbury 1972)
Decanted - firm heavy deposit - bright claret colour - slight clean nose.
Taste impresses - vibrant and interesting - full and a sort of mellow fruitcake- long and lingering pleasantly on the end.
Excellent and quite a joy after keeping for many years - and more to go ( lucky to have some). Knocks spots off Gould Campbell 83 enjoyed last week.
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12/25/2011 - gelliott wrote: 92 Points
Color: Medium dark garnet with maybe just a hint of brick. Very clear in the glass - I managed to keep the fine sediment out of the decanter.
Nose: Very ripe strawberries, some more generic fruits like a fruit compote, and a significant amount of alcohol. There's something... dry?... and fruity as well, but not dried fruit. It's a light and airy note that's softly sweet. Of note, no trace of anything that screams "Taylor" like Christmas spices or black pepper.
Palate: At first taste, which was after ~4 hours in the decanter, quite hot and sharp. It wasn't looking good for dinner. But over the next 4 hours it started to mellow out a little bit. By dinner (D+8 hours) it was still pretty hot, but the sharpness had subsided and was replaced by a peppery note that actually complemented the heat, giving a firey impression. The fruits were neither bold nor soft, but rather struck a balance right in the middle. Mostly a mix of ripe strawberry and ripe red raspberry. Again, not a trace of that trademark Taylor spice. Even the peppery note seemed to be more related to the alcohol than to Vargellas. After dinner and a pause in festivities (D+12 hours) the heat had continued to mellow but the fruits had flattened a bit. This morning at D+24 hours everything is much more nicely integrated and smooth, but it's still bordering on hot.
Finish: The finish is fruity, warm, and fairly smooth. The length is good but not exceptional. Several different impressions of green (nice ones) come and go throughout.
92 points. While still excellent, this bottle fell short of expectations for a 1970 Taylor. The flavor was fine and could have been rated higher, but the persistent heat bothered me enough to drag down the score. It wasn't obnoxious but it definitely detracted from the experience.
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12/18/2011 - Ed Chen wrote: 90 Points
Holiday Tastings; 12/16/2011-12/20/2011 (Redlands): Intense raisiny nose and a midpalate that isn't quite integrated / too hot when opened, after 3 days, this improves, showing nuts, dusty black cherry, tar and anise; 90
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12/18/2011 - David J Cooper wrote: flawed
Mid light red. Sadly there was quite a mustiness blurring the fruit. Some nice fruit flavours, fig and cherry and a dry finish.
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11/19/2011 - ckinv368 wrote:
CT Texas Offline III; 11/18/2011-11/19/2011 (Galveston): Spicy, sweet, unctious, thick, really concentrated and full of stone fruit. Great port for sure. Exactly what a well-matured port coming into its own should be. Will be a great experience for years and years.
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11/19/2011 - GalvezGuy wrote: 92 Points
CT Texas III; 11/18/2011-11/21/2011 (Galveston, TX): Nose or raisin, prune, orange peel, dates, figs. On the palate, raisin, fig, dark chocolate, spice. Finishes with nice grip and acidity. Although very good, I was actually a little disappointed.
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10/24/2011 - DonalOB Likes this wine: 96 Points
Vintage Port Masterclass (Langham Place Hotel, Hong Kong): Very light ruby red with a delicate nose. Nuts and butterscotch - very interesting. This still looks like it's got plenty of life.
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10/4/2011 - HamishR wrote: 95 Points
A stunning port, beautifully mature and drinking perfectly. Lovely balance, long finish
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8/25/2011 - oenophilip wrote: 94 Points
Deep and complex nose of raisin, prune, maple syrup, orange zest, espresso, and vanilla bean. Thick velvety mouthfeel with a smooth medium plus body and surprising acid. The rich warm finish lasts for minutes.
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7/31/2011 - Biskuit wrote: 94 Points
Tasted on night two, was not decanted until night two, about two hours before tasting. Beautiful if a bit reticent nose, and simply delicious on the palate. A generic term, yes, but this was really just lip-smackingly good. A slight touch more heat than I would have liked, but great balance of sweetness, acidity, depth of flavor.
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5/23/2011 - Daniel R. wrote:
Pai bebeu com os Glatz. Disse que estava sublime.
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4/2/2011 - darvid wrote:
Just Another Lousy Day in Paradise (Yountville, CA): Served before and with dessert courses. Slightly cloudy medium amber. Autumnal, mildly sweet, not figgy, now supported by acid rather than tannin. Mouthfeel remains moderately full without any heaviness, not even a sense of alcohol, let alone being fortified. Fading glory or "sunset phase" - like the '63 Graham's tasted on 2/5/11, and perhaps less substantial. But still lively enough, delicious and satisfying.
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3/9/2011 - SimonG wrote:
Ian S's Haut Bailly Offline (The Ledbury, London): Lovely light ruby colour to tawny at the rim. Sweet fruited and quite light nose and attack. Spirity hot
finish. Really don't get non-tawny port. Spirit blows off a bit but still leaves me with a 'so what?' feeling. ***, no doubt more if port's your thing.
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2/26/2011 - EducatedDrunk wrote: 95 Points
Any Port in a storm (Chris Lipperts): Absolutely fabulous, best of the night. Great dried fruit flavors and raisins. Not overtly alcoholic, beautifully integrated tannins. Cork was a bit of a mess but no apparent ill-effects on the wine, and the wax capsule had gone. Drinking deliciously now. Great.
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2/5/2011 - Daniel R. wrote:
sublime
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1/2/2011 - peetee wrote: 91 Points
Lovely Port but somehow it didn't quite hang together as well as I would have liked on this occasion. Others seemed to really like it though. All the bits were there but not quite working well enough together. Cork was difficult to extract but in the end came out (albeit in two parts) ok. I agree with another comment - the alcohol seemed to dominate. But enjoyable nonetheless if a little disappointing. Perhaps should have decanted for longer than half an hour, but the rest of the family were getting impatient.
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12/28/2010 - CMz wrote: 96 Points
Exceptional bottle of a favorite port (3 hour decant, strained twice). Deep ruby w bricking on edge. Nose showing red berries, figs, and spice; same in the palate but more focused on strawberry, fig (and other dried fruit flavors that continued to change over the night), wonderful chocolate notes and spice. Just amazing; but still showing some heat behind a long mouth-coating finish.
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11/19/2010 - markjanes wrote:
Boys nite II, fall 2010 (Reno, NV): With something like this there is so much bottle variability we all might as well be posting about different wines... this bottle drank very well and was very young, slightly hot, and wonderfully deep and expressive. Good balance, great length and intensity, superb complexity. Decent finesse, great texture, classic expression of place... easily 'outstanding' wine.
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10/25/2010 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
TN: Huet, Donnhoff, Grey Stack, Brainaire, Jaffurs, Taylors and Ramey; 10/23/2010-10/25/2010: Found this was leaking in my cellar. The wax had dissolved and the cork was soaked completely. The cork crumbled on opening and the wine was strained into a decanter for a few hours. I am happy to say, it was delicious. Perfect, no, but delicious. Ruby red in color, clear and bright. The nose has chocolate raspberries. On the palate, this is very smooth with just a hint of heat. Lots of raspberries and a bit of mocha. Great balance. Very nice.
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10/10/2010 - tp096255 wrote: 92 Points
COLOR: Pale ruby/brick
NOTE: Cork was fully compromised, but most of the wax capsule was intact. This was not a pristine bottle. After 1 hr decant: Nose is still dominated by alcohol. Mouth is thick, tactile, with melted brown sugar, dates and tar. Finish is hot. Will follow up with another note tomorrow.
Tasted one week later after preserving in a 375 bottle w/very little ullage: Nose smells of walnut bread pudding, full of plump spiced raisins, a bit of heat, bits of spiced apple and apricot. Mouth is unctuous, loads of Italian brandied cherries, drunk dried apricots, cranberries rehydrated in vodka. Now this is a dessert in itself, and far more gratifying than when originally opened. Perhaps it's just my expectations, but I am truly blown away by this wine a week later. It's a party in my mouth! If any survives the night I'll report back. Please don't hate me if it's gone!
DECANT: Multiple hours.
GLASS USED: Zinfandel
TASTE: 9.2 (9.4- one week later)
COST: 165
VALUE: 2.0
TRY AGAIN: never
PAIRING:
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8/2/2010 - jeff nowak wrote: 92 Points
a very fine wine, but maybe not the best bottle; yet, the strength of character still displays.
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8/2/2010 - kstoddard Likes this wine: 93 Points
G6 (Dave): Brick red color. Aromas of black fruit with anise. Flavors of licorice, brown sugar, plumb and raisin. Nice balance with bright acidity. Rich complex finish.
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7/24/2010 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points
The sludge that came out of this thing! Clear, complex nose, faint dried rose petal, nut skins, brandy, cofee, maple dried strawberry, and dusty orange; at or just past peak; light but the fortification shows. Decent balance held for nine days. Outstanding.
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6/6/2010 - bowesmana wrote: 95 Points
Level was down to the top of the neck and has not been stored in optimal conditions. I was unable to open it much before we wanted to drink it. There was an initial pepperiness in the first mouthful, but over the following two hours, it started to open up and develop with complex flavours. Colour was still very red, but a lovely brick hue. With 4 of us drinking over a game of cards, it didn't last long!
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5/19/2010 - BradE wrote: flawed
Flawed bottle, IMHO.
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5/19/2010 - Vinsant wrote: 96 Points
An outstanding bottle. Big dark fruit, caramel, and chocolate covered nuts. Tasted very young but extremely smooth and complex. Wish I had days to enjoy this. A nice surprise! Thanks Scott!
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5/8/2010 - sithinfiltrator wrote: 95 Points
Tasted as part of a port tasting hosted by Glenn Elliott on 4/30/10. Lisa 97, Vic 93
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4/24/2010 - overhill wrote:
Matt's pre-birthday dinner (Matt's house): No rating since i do not normally drink port
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3/5/2010 - WetRock wrote:
Old Ports with Roy Hersh (Zucca, LA, CA): Nose of chocolate, cherries, wood and heat. Big but not expressive and showing lots of heat. Damaged?
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2/5/2010 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
TN: Amarones, Soves and Ports: Purple in color, mostly clear and bright. This took some time to open. At first blush, I found it showing chocolate and raisins but found it think with lots of heat. It had been decanting 5 hours and for my tastes, that was not enough. Some vigorous swirling and it continued to improve in my glass. It also put on weight. I think this drinks much younger than its years.
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12/31/2009 - gelliott wrote: 95 Points
Color: A deep and rich garnet that fades through an orange-ish pink to clear at the rim.
Nose: Strawberries filled the room while decanting and are the primary note in the glass. Some lime and raspberry, too. A light dusty mineral shows up after the fruits have been inhaled, and might possibly also be called black pepper. Alcohol is noticable only if you really look for it.
Palate: The first impression is rich and meaty, almost like a juicy pepper-crusted steak. The fruits then show up but are difficult to distinguish. Warmth builds evenly in your mouth, and the trademark Taylor spiciness is very present in this bottle. Tannins and acidity are both still very strong for a 40-yr old Port, but they're not going to knock your socks off. The body weight is light, and really the only "flaw" with this bottle.
Finish: Tannins and faint warmth lead off. There's a very faint deep sugary note... not exactly molasses, but more like cotton candy taken down a couple of octaves. The finish is extremely long and very even. The tail is Granny Smith apples and some light grape skin.
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12/25/2009 - pmilne wrote: 98 Points
Everything it was billed to be. On advice of other posters, decanted and let sit for 5 hrs. Wonderful nose of brandy mixed with raisans, plums, currants, blacberry, vanilla, and caramel. Almost too many flavors to note them all. The mix continues on the palate with an earthy and chocolate/mocha flavor arising. Finsh is phenomenal - so smooth, silky, and mouth coating. Hard to notice the alcohol (it is there), and the tannins and acidity are present, but in check, very balanced, integrated, and delivered properly.
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11/21/2009 - Javachip wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for sediment; tasting began after 10 minutes. Medium brick-ruby red, slightly hazy. Fabulous bouquet of dried figs, strawberry preserves, milk chocolate, and marzipan. At first, this was alcoholic and brandy-like on the palate, but after 30 minutes everything settled into place, and then just got better and better. A 98 point nose with a 92 point palate.
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10/14/2009 - ecnemergut wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic as before... MY favorite all time VP.
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9/21/2009 - kris.h wrote: 96 Points
Another spectacular showing of 1970 Taylor. Seems to be in a really good place. I'm not sure if this will get better with additional age but it will change and continue to drink well for 20+ years.
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9/14/2009 - Khamen wrote: 100 Points
How can a wine pushing 40 still drink "young"?! Pale ruby colour with a limpid clarity at the rim. Chocolate, spices and sweet dark fruit on the nose. Extremely elegant but surprisngly showing some heat which, although not overpowering, still detracts just a touch from the otherwise supreme mellowness. Extraordnary finesse showcasing a broad palate of flavours, running from plums and black fruit through layers of caramel, cocoa and a rich spiciness. Wonderful balance and a sweet glowing finish of stunning length. No longer the brooding fiery monster of youth, this magnificent port is still showing a little attitude as it slips into middle age. Drink it now with pleasure but there really is no rush. That tiny flare of alcohol will surely settle eventually, and at the moment is the only thing that stands between this and perfection. Wonderful stuff and a truly profound vintage from Taylor's.
Much delayed EDIT : Now here's a thing. Noticed a tiny bit of this which had been sitting in a loosely stoppered decanter since I opened a bottle for a guest nearly a week ago. It really wasn't much but after 5 days of air this was STUNNING. The spirity/alc-ish tinge had gone leaving a supremely mellow mouthful of rich, nutty and very pure fruit and a staggering finish. Shame it was only a mouthful but lesson learned. This stuff is going to be immortal and I have no hesitation in awarding a perfect score on this evidence. The finest aged port I have ever tasted. Quite simply astounding wine.
The mother of all delayed EDITS : 7 weeks and 3 days in decanter and this is still bright, focussed and delicious. Amazing stuff...
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8/15/2009 - bigdogflow wrote: 97 Points
Amazing from start to finish!!!
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6/23/2009 - ecnemergut wrote: 97 Points
Decanted initially about 5 hours and consumed over three nights (being stored at cellar temp each day). Consistent with past notes. A fantastic port for the ages.
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6/3/2009 - jnichols wrote: 92 Points
Amazing fruit on nose, very strong raisins. Spirit still coming through on nose and palate. Excellent wine, with plenty of time.
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5/9/2009 - herberto wrote: 93 Points
Very good. Youthful at 39 years old. I think this wine may have failed to wow because it came at the very end of a very long evening with very many very good wines. But it was clearly a great, ageworthy vintage of a great Port.
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4/15/2009 - WineArchitect wrote: 95 Points
A rather unusual bottle! Upon opeing and pouring the first glass we noted that the color was a very pale tranparent pink rose in color. Within 30 minutes, the color began to deepen in color and the aromas and flavors awakened and intensified. Flavors of intense cherry, chocolate with a kick of alcahol. A solid 30 second finish to a great bottle of Port.
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4/12/2009 - ydris wrote:
Drunk with friends Easter Saturday. It was shipped a month ago and I drove it to their house and opened it almost right away. I don't know if these things were the cause but the inside of the bottle was coated with black and there were speckles in the glasses. All that said though the wine was excellent. Fiery with alchohol with deep flavor. I shall look forward to the next and a comparison with Fonseca
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4/7/2009 - ecnemergut wrote: 97 Points
Just incredible.
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4/4/2009 - Shags wrote: 96 Points
Port just doesn't get any better
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4/2/2009 - FransS wrote: 92 Points
Very good, but not top. At the moment this port is missing definition. It is a very good port searching for a certain direction.
Although nearly 39 years old, I think this wine is in a midperiod leaving the period of youth and fruit and entering the period of ripeness,
abricots and cacao. At the moment this port is generous, a little bit too alcoholic and is suported by a real body; the colour is lively, but ripe.
I will wait a few years with opening the other bottles for further enjoyment.
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3/29/2009 - drycab wrote: 95 Points
There isn't a hard edge in this wine. It's just plain wonderful. Got to find more!
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12/31/2008 - ecnemergut wrote: 94 Points
Decanted about 5 hours and consumed over 3 hours. Wonderful nose of cherry and chocolate and subtle flower--violet? Wonderfully full, round, and sweet on the palate with no heat on the finish. This is a great port that will easily last another 20 years.... That said, this bottle is missing that quality that would move it from excellent to sublime.
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12/31/2008 - BradE wrote:
Ten Years Ago: An excellent bottle of port. Sweet but not overbearing, not ragged edges, simply wonderful port.
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12/23/2008 - mdefreitas wrote: 94 Points
Powerful intensity, but without any jagged edges. Piercing cherry and spiced plums. Some slight medicinal notes. Considering the impact this makes on the palate, it is still quite elegant and refined. Not bad, considering this was a slightly leaking bottle.
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12/13/2008 - Clarkmeister wrote: 93 Points
Wow, two ports in three nights. Big stuffing and typical sugary sweet overwhelming nose. Big but not overwhelming on the palate. I liked it.
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11/7/2008 - futronic wrote: 90 Points
Wino Guys Weekend (WGW) #2; 11/7/2008-11/8/2008: Ruddy iced tea colour. Aromas of sultana raisins, cocoa, and prunes. Full-bodied, spicy, with ton of alcohol, sultana raisins, and walnuts.
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10/20/2008 - David J Cooper wrote:
Deep red. Very young nose. Lots of very sweet red fruit and brown sugar. I thought it was a Graham's from the 80's. Fantastic Port.
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10/17/2008 - HamishR wrote: 97 Points
Still deep colour and youthful (one taster thought it was a 1994!), fine nose and excellent balance, a bit sweeter with a toch of alcohol showing but a great Port! Ready now and for the next 15 years.
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8/9/2008 - lm10128 wrote: 98 Points
Powerful aroma of blackberries and cherries, strong berry flavor, slight pucker then the sweetness sets in to finish in a romantic medly of berry and chocolate flavor which seduces one to indulge another sip. I truly enjoyed this one - LM
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7/26/2008 - jc-mmb wrote: 96 Points
wow. terrific. appealing nose without heat. sweet fruits and some caramel-chocolate thing going on. palate is a stunner. terrific chocolate cherries, plums and a little licorice. i did not get any hint of prunes - which is nice. soft, velvety palate and a finsh that keeps you coming back for more.
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7/5/2008 - dougie wrote: 95 Points
A great wine. Still big and rich, but you can taste a lot of finesse also. Amazing wine, wish I had more. Decanted for 3 hours- and it never lost anything or even changed during the next 4 hours.
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6/2/2008 - kstoddard wrote: 93 Points
G7 (Pat): Caramel, liquorice and cherry. Nice complexity on the mid palate with a very elegant finish. Very good balance.
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5/26/2008 - acheng wrote: 93 Points
There is nothing quite like drinking a birth year wine on your birthday. Then again, I have never opened such old bottles before. It was a mess and my brother ended up pouring the wine through a corkscrew size hole through the half dislodged cork.
Light brick color. The aroma of marzipan, fig, cherry liquer and date just filled the room during the 15 minutes we spent extracting the cork which made us all the more impatient to taste this elixir. Such amateurs! Anyway, beautiful proportion with interminable length. Still young! Keeps improving through the ensuing 2 hours. To be honest, not as good as the 63 I had at Smith and Wollensky 5 years ago. But the whole experience of celebrating with my family and the family effort of extracting the cork more than made up for the difference. Outstanding and memorable.
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3/15/2008 - fandj wrote: 92 Points
Delicious, drinking beautifully. I forgot how delicious an old port can be.
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2/27/2008 - egroves wrote: 92 Points
Leo brought this to our Protugal tasting. Medium weight, complex flavors, but no chocolate. Very little spice.
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2/3/2008 - KPB wrote: 95 Points
A stunner. Very pale pink with amber tones, and a limid appearance. The nose is quite sweet but complex, showing aromas of molten white chocolate, vanilla, candied cranberries, orange peel, spices. On the palate, that sweetness dominates yet the wine is so long and complex that you find lots of things beneath the surface. A mature port, lovely stuff.
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1/5/2008 - theportguy wrote: 97 Points
Open 36 hours. Fennel and licorice. A hint of strawberry on the nose. Slight heat on the approach. Very long finish. Mouth-coating suppleness. Very elegant with a wonderful balance.
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12/12/2007 - ronnieroots wrote: 95 Points
I loved this port, and although it will certainly be better after lots of extra years in the cellar, I can't help to love a powerful port like this. This was showing younger than the magnum we had in 2005, and will age for ages. I saved a bit in my glass that I sipped through the evening, it kept amazing me.
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12/6/2007 - mdefreitas wrote: 93 Points
Taylor vs Fonseca @ The Warwick (NYC): A bit darker than the companion 1970. Cherry liquor, spice, more fruit and a longer finish than the companion 1970. Fonseca? WRONG.
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11/11/2007 - kris.h wrote: 97 Points
I have had the pleasure to taste this wine 4 times now. This may be the best showing yet. The nose was incredibly fragrant giving lots of red fruits, chocolate, cinnamon, and plums. The palate was rich, lush, and full bodied with soft supple tannins. perfect balance and no heat from the aguardente. Just a nice warm finish that went on and on.
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11/10/2007 - EhrlichDY wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and consumed with dessert. This port is amazing with dense concentrated prune and dark fruit. Still showing very youthful, this will keep for a long time to come.
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9/15/2007 - theportguy wrote: 97 Points
Rich and full-bodied, hints of herbs on the nose. The approach was a little tight given the short decant time (3 hours), but was lightly sweet, with cherry and plum. The mid-palate gave way to some light cinnamon and some wonderfully balanced acidity. The finish was long and pronounced, with well-rounded tannins. This was a magnificent bottle! I purchased this 1970 Taylor at auction for a mere $49. It was, by far, the best find I have had so far. The auction house's policy is for multiple bottle lots, to display the picture of the bottle with the worst condition. In this case, the bottle had a severely stained label, suggesting that it might be a bad bottle. I decided to take my chances and bid on a bottle, with my final price, including shipping, about $49. When the bottle arrived, I was thrilled to see its condition. The wax capsule was almost completely intact, although the one small crack might have been enough to let air in past the cork. The rest of the bottle looked great - no label stains, and I could see through the light-green glass that the level was high shoulder. Things looked promising... At my brother-in-law's wedding this weekend, I brought the 1970 Taylor, as well as pristine 1970 Warre, thinking that if I opened the Taylor and it was, in fact, a bad bottle, I could open the Warre instead and I could salvage the evening. I decided at the last minute to decant the Warre and bring it to the rehearsal dinner instead of the Taylor, and it was a very nice bottle. On Saturday for the Wedding reception, I brought the 1970 Taylor's Vintage Port. I hadn't decanted it yet, and the caterers ran me out of the small kitchen, so I was relegated to an upstairs bathroom to chip away the wax capsule and examine the cork. The cork was a little darker than I anticipated it would be, and inserting a corkscrew revealed that the cork was very soft and crumbly. An Ah-So was produced to ease the cork out, which crumbled but finally came out. And now, the moment of truth... I poured an ounce or two into a glass and took my first smell - the aroma was lush and wonderful. One small sip and I knew that I'd stumbled onto a treasure...
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8/12/2007 - jjclips2 wrote: 92 Points
Barbecue with friends and a humble winemaker (Somewhere Downtown!): Still youthful. Beautiful ruby colour with the smallest amount of a caramel highlight. The nose is full blasted, in your face with intensity. At first it was alcohol, but blows off eventually. Still fairly primary with fruits, dried cherry, figs, prunes, hints of bitter chocolate covered nuts. Same with the palate. Fairly primary, fruit driven, simple, but pleasant, and needs time. Decanted for quite a while too. This goes to show that great port needs patience. I just hope this wine doesn't outlast the guy whose cellar this came from!!! A great way to end the best tasting I ever have, and possibly ever will attend.
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7/3/2007 - Milhous wrote: 95 Points
it's been too long since i had this. lovely cherry and licorice with spices and a very long finish. great stuff
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3/17/2007 - moutondoc wrote: 95 Points
I agree with all of the comments, this was an impressive port that is drinking beautifully.
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12/31/2006 - Nanda wrote: 97 Points
New Years Eve Dinner (The Platnick's --- Evanston, IL): Spectacular wine. Still fresh and lively with concentrated fruits. Figs, caramel, vanilla and red fruits. Elegant, seamless and long.
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12/22/2006 - cofidis2 wrote: 97 Points
WOW, decanted 9 hours prior and it was just singing. A great bottle.
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9/25/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote:
Dinner with the Cassettas (The Square, London): Slight spirity edge to the nose, some nutmeg and christmas cake, still very primary, soft fruit and dark chocolate. Can't rate.
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9/16/2006 - HamishR wrote: 95 Points
One of the Alberta bottles, lovely deep tawny, fine and stylish!
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8/26/2006 - kris.h wrote: 91 Points
30th Birthday Dinner (Le Gourmand: Seattle, WA): Medium red and good clarity. Soft tannin and balanced acidity. Smooth and sweet in the mouth. The nose is a pleasing mixture of cherry, cinnamon, ginger, and plum. Complex warm finish. A very nice port but not the best bottle of this that I have had as this one displayed a very strong spirity character on the nose as well as on the palate. Even with four to six hours of decanting, the alcohol was very strong. The next day after double decanting back into the bottle the alcohol slightly subsided but it was still very apparent.
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12/11/2005 - kris.h wrote: 96 Points
SWS Port Tasting (Seattle, WA): My notes are not detailed on this one other than saying it is red in color with a very long finish that goes on and on. Also noted that this was $12 on release!
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11/23/2005 - skwid wrote:
Pretty tasty port. Not harsh at all good fruit. Lots of sediment in the bottle but things poured fine with only standing the bottle up for a day.
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6/1/2005 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
Bottle showed signs of prior leakage. Sensational nose showing plums, caramel and raisins. Flavors of blackberry, chocolate and vanilla. Fruit evolves into multiple layers of flavor, with rich creme brulee and creme caramel. Long intense finish. Stayed precisely the same for several days vacuum sealed.
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4/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 95 Points
Group #1, My #1 - Medium crimson garnet. Forward round aroma of red fruit and cookie dough / bubble gum. Really rich and lovely. 4/05
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12/31/2004 - HamishR wrote: 98 Points
Deep colour, still youthful, fine nose and full and young on palate. Will last another 30 years! One of the London bottlings, level a little bit low at bottom neck.
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12/26/2004 - Jeff W wrote:
Smooth, unctuous, powerful. This is a heavyweight. The initial impression is of sweetness on the palate, followed immediately by brilliant acidity. The finish goes on forever, but is slightly hot. dg+
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12/2/2004 - Eric wrote: 92 Points
Roy Hersh's 1990 & older tasting of "Wines that don't suck" (Sammamish, WA, USA): Spirit, toffee, and spice-cake. Hmm, a little too spirity, but Roy felt that was from a bit too much decanting. It had a tough act to follow with the 1959 Guiraud, but it is an awfully nice Port.
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11/11/2004 - Blair Curtis wrote: 98 Points
Port Dinner with Roy Hersh and Robert Bower (Taylor/Fonseca) and Others (Rainier Club, Seattle): Second time in a month with this wine. Showed remarkably the same (this one only fractionally fresher). Glorious nose of baking spices (mainly cinnamon) and licorice/anise. On the palate, a candied sweetness plus an inner mouth perfume that the Fonseca lacks at present. A little nutty flavour and marzipan. Also cinnamon hearts candy. Beautiful stucture with fine tannins supporting the substantial frame. This wine must have hit peak. I don't expect any sudden decline, but this is a great drink right now. My WOTN.
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10/9/2004 - Blair Curtis wrote: 97 Points
Delyap's Killer '99 Cabathon (An unnamed, very hospitable restaurant): My contribution on the evening. Great mature Port. Electric ruby color. Cherry cough syrup, baking spices (incl. cinnamon), and sweet mature fruit. Touch of spirit. Generally super - spicy and exciting.
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9/4/2004 - LWI wrote: 95 Points
Still dark. Secondary aromas of coffee and leather. Medium sweet, very good structure. Not yet at its peak. Alas, my last bottle. Purchased in 1977 for about $ 9.
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8/22/2004 - HamishR wrote: 97 Points
Fine, youthful still - someone thought it was a ’94! - good grip, medium sweet, good length! Black fruit and hints of chocolate, cream and toffee.
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11/19/2000 - Henman wrote:
(Lingon)berryish nose.Strong,fruity with som heat from the alcohol.
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11/7/1998 - mdefreitas wrote: 95 Points
CT Group does Bordeaux vs Cal Cabs @ Jeff S: Nice nose of sweet raisen-like fruit. Dried black fruits and floral scents. Beautiful finish. Mature and ready to drink, yet will hold for more years. Smooth as silk. Heavy sediment.
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4/12/1981 - LWI wrote: 94 Points
Very dry and very structured, closed. Will outlive us all? Rating just tentative.
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