Very special 53 year-old port. Definitely old and evolved: now a tawny rose colour and all the tannins have dropped out. Syrupy with rose petal, raspberry, redcurrant, and orange fruit. It lasted until day 2, when it became nutty.
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"An evening of Port with the Symingtons" at BBR (BBR): Quite developed. Little bit less backward and more developed than the outstanding W63 tasted alongside. Pretty punchy; there's a real weight to this that builds and builds.
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Grahams Vintage Port 1970. Å nyte en flaske moden portvin en søndags ettermiddag bør man gjøre oftere. Ren og flott nese med god intensitet. Avdempet sødme, dog likefullt tilstede som gir en smooth munnfølelse. Etter 53 år holder den seg forbausende godt - tåler flere år. Sunn vital frukt med god konsentrasjon og en pen friskhet. Lang presis finish med nedslipte tanniner. Man merker alkoholen i finish, men det er tross alt en Portvin. Ren meditasjon. 93p
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Sammamish Port Club - Vintage and Old White Ports (Sammamish, Washington): Clear, dark ruby with slight pink grapefruit on the edges. Red fruit with strawberry and some pleasant light Christmas spice notes on the nose. Warm, smooth, well-integrated flavor profile with red cassis and strawberry. Mouth-coating richness with nice warm spices. This wine is supple and almost elegant, but you can get a sense of power lurking just behind the scenes. A great, long finish.
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Cork slightly receding but most came out in one piece with the Durand. Fine and in excellent condition. Alcohol not sticking out but there was a tiny trace of hardness in the back palate that most didn't notice. Very good. Seemed rather young for its age. Maybe underground cellar too good.
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This was a stupendous 1970 from Berns cold cellar. This wine had the deepest darkest cherry fruit, with a lively sweetness, and length you could measure in leagues!! 53 years old and it’s alive and kicking, there was also mineralspice, notes of compote, with hints of dried cherry, orange peel, gingerbread. This wine had great texture, and a thrilling finish. I love great Port!!!!
This is a slight return a few days later… This was so great! It’s amazing how this bottle had so much powerful fruit, with that drive that great Port wine can have without being sweet or heavy. I mean this had penetrating red and black cherry, sharp acid, wonderful old sweet tobacco, Christmas spice, and a very fluid approach. I just kept sipping and sniffing, sipping and sniffing!
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Lovely, deep and concentrated. Prune, raisin, cherry, potipurri, sweet tobacco and touch of smoke with some warm spices. Mocha and walnut. Great nose. Next day vanilla and coffee liqueur showing on finish. Still going very strong and feeling very well balanced in terms of sweetness at this point.
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Color/App: light ruby core -> diffuse garnet rim; high viscosity. Fabulous, concentrated bouquet of strawberries, raspberries, fig, spicecake and raisins. Figs, raisins and berries on the semi-sweet palate. Simply great acidity and a long, long finish. Still so intense yet balanced, even after 50+ years of age! This vintage of Grahams has always been at my pinnacle of great Ports and this bottle just reinforces that. Heavenly. Love it still.
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Delicious port. Chocolate, prunes, figs and hint of tobacco on the palate. Mature port, well balanced and nice, long aftertaste. Very enjoyable during Christmas time. The wine looks tawny colored. The legs are slow. There is heavy sediment in the bottle.
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Rose hip, retains attractive colour; spirity bouquet, diminished fruit but after a couple hours showed well; lively palate, muffled red fruit, liquorice, date ; vigorous, extended finish. On this showing. Drink up.
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FTLOP 17th Anniversary; 11/18/2022-11/20/2022 (Seattle, Washington): Medium garnet with tinges of purple. Dark fruits, cola, chocolate, and a touch of spirit on the nose. Amazing richness on the palate with an exceptional balance between the acidity and sweetness. There was one spike of cloying sweetness at the end of the mid-palate, but otherwise, this was a round, balanced, and beautiful wine.
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Would have expected more sweetness from a porto but I am not complaining. Nice acidity to compensate the sweetness, not something I would open on my own
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Summer Mondo Event $200+ (Roswell, GA): Still fresh color with thin rim; high toned nose, red fruit, elegant, licorice, ripe berries, high toned on the palate but a little more restraint; elegant and refined this was almost overpowered by the flourless chocolate cake.
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Bought at auction (Blomquist) in 2020. APPEARANCE: The cork broke in two as soon as I gently started to open it. Heavy, solid deposit (as expected) which was easily decanted away. Medium garnet colour. Viscous. Long slow legs on the inside of the glass. NOSE: Strawberry jam, plum, prune, fig, raisins, hints of sweet tar and licorice. Later tea and rose hip. Moderate intensity of smell which increases over time. (89p) TASTE: The arrival is sweet, with luscious plum and some liquorice. On the mid palate typical port minerality or spice, assorted jams (plum, strawberry, fig), nice acidity and some rounded tannins. Closer to full than medium body. (88p) FINISH: A bit simple finish with a slightly burnt bitter touch to it. (85p) OVERALL: Significantly better on day two after opening (based on its day one appearance I would have scored it around 82-83 points. Alive but less vibrant and impressive than when I last tried it in 2012 (at a Symington tasting, 95 points). Given how others report this wine to still be in top shape and the auction provenance of my bottle, I think this may suffer from less than ideal previous cellaring. TOTAL SCORE: 87 points.
Lovely gentle spice and red fruited on the nose. Mature, rounded, smooth, elegant red fruits, nuts, coffee. An absolute delight and a rare treat. Thank you Alex. Went brilliantly with the Barbers cheddar and the Comte.
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A half bottle, Served with about an hour decant and consumed over the next 3 hours. white pepper ,cinnamon hints of walnut. Clean on the palate. Sweet and spicy. Ever so slightly hot. Fully mature. Good showing
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Birthday Lunch at Caprice (Private Room, Caprice Restaurant, Four Seasons Hotel, Two IFC, Hong Kong): Drank for our friends' joint 50th birthday. Original bottle, which was evident from the cork. Decanted for an hour or so before serving with magnificent French wild pigeon in a rich cocoa sauce then with 40-months Comte cheese and then a superb hazelnut soufle. Semi transparent garnet ruby. Nose is spirited, almost eau de vie, raspberries, roast coffee beans, chocolate. Palate is semi-sweet, very alcoholic in the stomach, segues into raisins and Christmas cake, rich and warming, rounds out nicely with time in the glass. Fully mature but not going anywhere downhill in my lifetime. 92+
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This bottle was from a 2011 "Private Cellar" direct release from Graham's. Decanted for 4 hours. The cork was in ridiculously good condition, seems like it was 15-20 years old (was this re-corked?). The color was a medium red with some garnet on the rim. This was still full of strawberry and plummy fruit, with baking spices, raisins and hints of licorice. Still holding a lot of sweetness and tannins. Slight heat, which hints that perhaps more decanting would have been in order. Youthful and vigorous. This was quite explosive and long on the palate. A gorgeous wine with still some upside (at least for these 2011 released bottles).
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Bottle had slight older seepage so I opened now rather than holding. Needn’t have worried - wine was in top condition. Decanted for 5 hours and out on substantial weight. Similar to my last experience with Graham’s 1970: lush waves of primarily red fruit - strawberry, darker plums, cherry - but with notable development - soft leather, dark chocolate, fig notes and a light mint element; spirit was very well integrated and the tannins soft. This is past the voluptuous stage but was still 50 years young really ****1/2-*****
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Mmmm.. having read all the positive comments below, I was disappointed. The nose of my bottle had a distinctive medicinal smell almost as if the alcohol had over take the fruit.. shame it was my last bottle. Colour ruby red -yes - so it hadn't been oxidized. I did get a hint of raisins on the nose and palate. However, the comment of " fruit explosion - lots of berry's - strawberry all over" I did NOT get. Suspect it was mine... wish I had had his bottle!
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Medium light red,some browning, lovely fragrant nose with good fruit and not overly spirity, nectar on the palate, so well balanced, smooth , hardly any tannin just a silky smooth flavoursome port at 50 years old. Gorgeous !
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4 years to the date and this has become an exceptional port. Caramel and ripe sweet plum and raisins interplay on the nose and palate. So smooth and velvety. Best port ive had as of yet Long sultana raisin finish. In a great place to drink right now.
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Purchased at retail and the condition of the bottle was perfect. Double decanted at 12pm and brought to Brooklyn Heights to celebrate Jimmy's 50th birthday, this being a birthyear wine. Very smooth entry, the fruits are more toward the darker and blacker side of the spectrum, plums and a bit of cassis, the fruit worn, the tannins faded, some walnut on the palate, with some light lingering spirit not fully integrated. This isn't especially sweet as Graham can be. The finish is nice and long and warming. This '70 Graham is elegant, resolved, good but not especially great. Enjoyed in the backyard, watching Trey Anastasio's Ghosts of the Forests, with takeout from Moonrise Izakaya, and good friends.
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What a fruit explosion - lots of berrys. In the mouth strawbeery all over. In the very long finish strawberry jam. Superb, the best Vintage I had so far.
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Heaven in a glass. Really feels quite young - colour still more red than brick, plenty of sweet fruit, treacle, spiced figs, a hint of chocolate and with all the complexity of a 50 year old wine. Fabulous!
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Decanted for 4 hours and 20 minutes. Still pretty dark in color for the age but bricking is present. Aromas of melted chocolate, raisins, prune, brown sugar and fruitcake. Flavors of melted chocolate, chocolate covered cherry, raisin, date, brown sugar and hint of iron. Ends with a 40-45 second finish with date and chocolate notes. At the 2 hour mark it was still very tight but totally open for business at the 4 hour mark.
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Port with Demetri Walters MW (Zoom!): Ruby with hints of browning. Nebbiolo-esque floral nose. Lots of dark caramel and figgy concentration. Really long. Lovely balance. Kapow!
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Special wine. This is about balance. The cork held and the intensity is all there without excessive fire from alcohol. No danger of falling apart but drinks great now.
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Mid ruby to a mid garnet at the rim. Nicely herbal edge to the mellow fruit. Not as sweet or full as one might expect, starting to show its age. Positive attack, but lacking some mid-palate depth and complexity. Nonetheless, a nice drink, but I wonder whether it’s fading now. ****
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Retains strong colour; nose of plums & figs, dense vigorous; all powerful, this is full on, power-packed, bags of fruit. Towering finish. Lingering. [6 hour decant, then (over) chilled as 32C, initially served too cool & so angular. End of evening 22C. TN reflects latter stage].
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Very nice medium tawny color. Prepares you already for whats coming. Very intense medicinal nose, blueberries, chocolate, molasse, spices. Same spiciness, dark chocolate, blueberry in the mouth with noticeable tannin grip. Sweet but not too much, with good acidity. Excellent length. Very nice port.
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This was another delicious example of the 1970 Grahams Porto. It continues to have lovely dark red fruit and a little dark chocolate. It did not seem as sweet as my last bottle, but that’s really only a perception after a long evening of wine consumption on New Year’s Eve.
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Old Burg Dinner at Marc's house outside DC (DC/Silver Spring MD): Heavy red fruit, heat and light earth on the nose. Very sweet red fruits that are still pretty tart. Slight hint of chocolate. Still seems pretty young with very little earth on the palate, obviously RS and heat. heavy body, medium tannins, with good acidity. Quite a good port, and starting to enter the beginnings of the mature phase. For more maturity, try it in 2025. Probably a 100yr port, easily.
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Holiday Champagne Gala (Park Ridge Country Club): Small glass, brief note. Black berries and cassis with dark chocolate and baking spice. Long finish ends with very elegant and finessed character. Very good now.
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Dat funk nose. Furnace and spice boxes. A little stewed. Finish is a little jacked and short. Maraschino liqueur elements. Complex, but felt lacking. I’ve had better bottles of this wine.
Second bottle was opened. Far better and on par. Light and balanced with intensity on the finish. A natural cherry coke streak. Xmas cake. Very fresh and bright in contrast. Marshmallow elements. Brilliant.
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2016 Vintage Port - the Symington Family Estates (Restaurant Entrepot Amsterdam): From a Tappit Hen (2,1 L), showing a very light colour with a brownish glow. In the taste I found raisins, soft spices and minerals. The alcohol is mostly packed in the body of the wine; a refined and good balance. This is not a blockbuster, but the elegance compensates a lot.
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WOW, I cannot imagine port tasting any better. for 48 yrs old, it had such a vibrancy, beautiful tertiary flavors with caramel and honeysucle, bright acidity and a 60 second finish. Opened with port tongs at Maple and Ash in Chicago - great experience all around.
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Beautiful bouquet of mouthwatering honied jams, berries, and smoked toasted nuts. Notes of cloves, cinnamon and cardamon make this like Christmas in a glass. Rose amber in color. A great birthday treat that held up for days and days of sipping.
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Pale garnet in colour. Nose smells of Christmas cake, spices and dark fruit. The palate has notes of cooked dark fruit, baked cherries, sweet spice and cloves. The palate has pronounced sweetness balanced by good acidity and a little heat on the finish.
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Pushed cork, leaky bottle. Cork fully saturated and broke in half. Filter to decanter, let sit 90 min. Color is bricked but still retaining medium cherry hues, transparent. I poured it back into bottle. Initially disjointed and spirity, this came together remarkably after a few hours - a testament to the rigor of port. Beautiful mature aromas of dried cherries, marzipan, graham cracker, spices and cedar. Flavors of dried black and red cherries, black mission figs, spices, brown sugar. Lovely acidity still keeping this balanced and gives an uplifting tang through a long, voluptuous finish. Great stuff.
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David Pope's 60th (Medlar, London): Sweet, mellow, slightly herbal. Nicely resolved. I like Graham's. Could probably have done with a bit longer in the decanter to round out a little more, but this is lovely. ****
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Beautiful notes of mint, red plums, tobacco and chocolate. Lovely texture and very well balanced with alcohol well integrated into the wine. Stunning with the stuffing to go another 5-10 years with some more development. Perfect pairing with chocolate mousse cake. 95
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What a good bottle. Fragile saturated cork. Decanted 5 hours. Disappeared with great alacrity after Christmas lunch at Whitwell. Not quite the geraniums and roses of the 1963 or the 1966, but a thrilling acidity to balance the sweetness, and an overall result which hits many of the right spots. Lovely.
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2016 FTLOP Holiday Party (Sammamish, Washington): Dark amber Ruby in color. Some light Woody notes on the nose. Elegant mouth filled with Raspberry and some cherry on the palette. Full-bodied but very balanced with a long finish.
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Vintage Port 1970 Horisontal (Portvinsklubben 1981): Very impressive core of dark plum fruit. Quite sweet and flowery with a touch of fresh mint. Lots of intensity and primary flavors but also perhaps lacks a little acidity as it felt a bit flabby. Long and spicy aftertaste with plenty of complexity like black tea and dark chocolate. A wonderful wine!!
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Wine Dinner Extravaganza (David Burke's Primehouse - Chicago IL): Black berries with cinnamon, allspice, cloves and hints of sweet piquillo pepper. Less concentrated vs last time tried 2 years ago, but very long and elegant. I still think this has upside from here.
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Annual gathering with Chicago winos in Chicago - Burgs, SQNs and Cult cabs (David Burke's Primehouse): Really clean and mineral driven nose, strawberry and cherry candy, nutmeg, cinnamon and toffee. Medium concentration, clean red fruit driven palate impression, very polished and silky, strong presence of mineral and long finish with a hint of alcohol at the end. Very nice youthful port. I may be crazy but this needs another twenty years of cellaring to soften up like the 63 or 55 ports.
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Spontaneous decision to open a bottle so no decanting.... In retrospect this port would greatly have benefited from decanting for at least 4-5 hours based on what we tasted.. This wine still has significant tannins and overall great texture. While certainly showing the richness expected, there is also the broad array of aromas and it is only going to get better. How long to wait for the next bottle?
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The Port Forum Does Grahams VP in NYC (Lupulo Restaurant, NYC): My #3. Group #2 or #3. Balance with moderate red fruit, neither especially sweet nor tart. Smooth glycerin mouth feel. This is what a well-matured top of the line vintage port should taste like, but it still has life left in it.
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I have been d drinking this bottle of Porto over the past week. It is delicious! As always with Graham Porto, it is sweeter than the other houses. This one has lovely dark red, sweet fruit, a hint of cinnamon, good minerality and a long finish.
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Been drinking this for the last week. It was a great pour from Day 1 and continued to hold up well. It has all the great vintage port characteristics: dark fruit, leather, earth and that distinct sweetness. Can age for another decade. Great bottle.
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So much going on on the palate and on the nose. Drank this over two weeks and this port improved for every day, which confirms my assumption that a good vintage port needs a lifetime of cellaring. Drink slightly chilled, as this improves the balance and harmony. Cork totally soaked and fell apart after opening.
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My tasting out of the gate, right after decanting for my and Jill's birthday party. Fascinating bouquet of appealing old paper, spring woods and petals, saltwater taffy, bourbon, and creosote. Not quite as complex on the palate, at least initially, but sweet, intense, and somehow delicate. Surprisingly gulpable.
Late night update: passing the bottle. Heavenly.
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A 60th Birthday Dinner (Nopa, San Francisco): Decanted 4 hours prior. Light ruby throughout-very robust look for 45 year old Port. Poised, plummy, gently spicy, beautifully balanced and woven together, not too sweet, excellent acidity, still some residual tannin. Outstanding showing with another 10-15 years in hand and should become even more alluring.
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Clear ruby with almost sparkling gemstone like polish. Lots of polished ripe black maraschino cherries brandied in apricot liquer. Cough drops sweetishness with spiced Christmas pudding like nuance. cherry licourice chocolate and coffee toffee.
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Birthday dinner for Alex, William and Gina 2014 (Cove99, Peck Seah Street, Singapore): Very youthful and yummy. I double decanted this a day before, and then poured it back out into a decanter three hours before serving. It needed the air time too. There was a whiff of alcohol on both nose and palate on the first day, but this dissipated by the time we drank it proper. I was stunned by how youthful the wine was. The nose was fresh and lively, almost like a fortified Vosne Romanee, with red fruited aromas of raspberries and cherries flecked with Pinot shades of earth and bramble and lifted wood spice. Only a sweeter quince paste note in there marked it as something more Port-like. The palate shared that same vibrant freshness, with a lovely spine of fresh acidity running through pure notes of sweet cherries and raspberries infused with more of that gentle brambly spice and mineral and a twist of black tea and peppermint. The wine had the characteristic Graham's richness to it, but it was also markedly elegant, with gentle tannins and finely filigreed acidity lending a lightness and clarity to the sweet fruit. A nice long finish rounded it off, showing a little hint of raisins amidst a lovely mouthful of spice and bittersweet bramble. Over time, more traditional old Port notes of Middle-Eastern dates and figs and a whiff smoky cuban cigar started drifting out. It all adding up into an intoxicating melange, yet one that somehow always retained its purity and grace. Very nice indeed, yet given its vibrancy and youthfulness, I would not bet against this being even better in 10, even 20 years' time.
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Pulled the cork (not great shape, just pretty good) and left to breathe for 4 hours in the bottle. This was one of the best port experiences I've had in a while -- beautifully integrated, just the right balance of youthful dark fruit, acidity and secondary notes, with a lush texture. I agree with other notes that at least this bottle didn't show its age at all and seemed like a much younger wine.
Paired with assorted chocolates and stilton cheese. Left a half glass out overnight and it was still wonderful but had clearly transitioned (perhaps I could say "faded" but it was really more like it just started showing its age) to a more traditional 'older port' look, smell and taste.
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Super balanced and holding up v well. Translucent red color, no jammy fruit left. Drinking wonderfully.
Decanted it 8 hours ahead of time. Cork came out perfect in one go.
A glass that I left for a few hours w just a little in it tasted full of mint/eucalyptus. Only other wine i saw that happen with was a Fonseca 1963. In good company :)
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Note: This wine was open 24 hours prior to first drinking.
Color: Very clear red ruby. Looks very young for it's age as only a hint of browning on the edges. Based on appearance I never would have guessed this was a 44 year old wine. Looks more like a 20 year old port or 10 year old Burgundy.
Nose: Very sweet and very nice. I detect the alcohol in the smell but at the same time it is intoxicating as the fruit and vintage port aroma creates a desire to go back again and again for a second whiff.
Taste 24 hours: Rich and moderately full bodied. Sweet aftertaste on the finish which lingers on the taste buds for 30 seconds. The tannin's are all but gone but I feel this port will continue to age for a long, long time indeed. The 1970 fonseca Port I had one year ago had more complexity but this 1970 Graham has excellent balance and minimal heat on the finish(at least my bottle). More fruity in style but very, very good. The body, texture and fine balance make this wine stand out and is a fine example of how well the 1970 vintage can be. Bottle variation aside this wine is excellent. Score today 93+ and comparable but different from the 70 fonseca.
Taste 48 hours: Smoother with even better balance. More relaxed but otherwise similar to the previous day. Sweet ripe fruits with that vintage port taste which is hard to describe. Excellent++++
Taste 72 hours: This Graham is hitting it's stride now. Slightly improved from the previous day insofar everything is perfectly in harmony and it is so smooth going down with great purity of fruit. I believe this is at it's peak now. Score 94 points today.
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Christies London Dinner hosted by Johnny Symington - wines from the Symington Family reserves. The Symingtons' first vintage as owners of this historic Port. Showing a bit of age, clear edges deepening to red. Spicy glacéd red fruits in a medium frame, Graham's sweet core balanced by herby, minty grip. A touch of spirit heat in the background betrays its age. Still excellent at 44, but for drinking up over the next few years on this showing before it starts to fade.
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Tasted at Graham's Malvedos at the Symington Estate with fellow FTLOP tasters on our last day in the Douro Valley. Great flavor, not hot yet very smooth. Lots of long term flavor finish on the palate, creamy and distinctive house style, rich and ripe grapes, a hint of mint.
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Got the cork out in full which was nice. Fruit still came through even before the glass breathed out. We weren't sure how the fruit was showing at this time. Hint of tobacco and licorice. Very smooth finish.
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Two bottles opened and decanted, from two separate unidentified Uk bottlings. The first decanter was sublime, immense colour, really vivid with beautiful youthful bouquet, a palate which was completely integrated and gave the impression of satin. The second decanter was equally youthful in colour but the spirit came through more strongly and gave the wine a slightly dry edge. The tannin's here remain immense but the fruit in the first decanter completely covered them, whilst in the second they poked out a bit. The first decanter was a wonderful example of fine Vintage Port, good bottles of this vintage should have a 100+ year lifespan.
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Have little or no experience with port, but I really enjoyed this a lot. Sweet, but very nuanced and fine. Lots of complexity and intrigue. I could get used to drinking this often.
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Vintage Port (Fem Bord, Trondheim): Seems very primary still. Intense and sweet with dark fruits and chocolate/coffee. Rich and full of tannins in the finish. So much here, excellent wine.
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The bottle was in perfect condition. No seepage. The cork nearly came out in one go. It was soaked most of the way.
It was the oldest VP I tried, so don't have much for comparison, hence no score.
It was v v enjoyable. So smooth to drink, alcohol perfectly integrated. Red colored, perfectly translucid - tons of sediment came out. Decanted it 4 hrs from when dessert started, 6h30 from now.
Nearly finished the bottle along w my parents and in-laws (neither drinks much). At a point had emptied my glass and smelled it. Soooo wonderful. Hard to put it in words. The aromas were so nice, like noble wood, honey.
Didn't feel old at all. In fact, could see it mellow out further.
It was v sweet. I was ok w that but it was overwhelming for my father in law.
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Colour would make you guess it's 20, not 43 years old. Virtually no spirit on the nose - violets, dark fruit, flowers. Youthful, energetic, compact, this has plenty of life left in it. Delicious.
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Zachys in Chicago (EL Ideas - Chicago IL): Very good overall with a nutty, earthy character, hints of ripe figs and cherry. Slightly simpler than I recall vs when last opened 4-5 years ago, but maybe it was just too late to appreciate this tonight.
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Tremendous. I decanted and poured back into clean bottle. This had all of the markers of a beautiful well aged Port. Sweet figs and plums and lightly spiced tobacco leaf were some of the strong perceptions I tasted. I was really happy with how fresh this wine was. At 43 years old this dark beauty with slight pink on the edges was really spry and nimble. The wine had plenty of tart acid that gave it a very fresh and light bodied attack. Two of us nearly finished the bottle in a couple of hours.
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Palmer vertical: Deep cherry nose, stony, fresh, some raisin; long and fresh, surprising combination of youthfulness and an alcoholic finish. There are better bottles.
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Lovely dark ruby colour, doesn't look 43 years old in the slightest. Opened and poured into a Bordeaux glass. Very open- a lot of cherry, fig and fruitcake on the nose. All very well integrated now. Tastes as it smells and very long. Still has primary elements but I would say this is clearly in the zone for drinking now. Went very well with a Bolivar Rubusto with good friend MCA at the Pacific Cigar Club in Central.
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Returning to Wine & View Bar; 1/23/2013-2/1/2013 (Vaanta Airport - Helsinki): Can you believe this bottle is NOT ready to go at this point? Awesome! Red with a small trace of brownish colour. Of course it is absolutely drinkable and enjoyable now but, again, the best is yet to come. Amazing Port! Full of toffee, burned caramel and cream aromas. An authentic perfume. Sexy almost evil as the song used to say. On the palate conserves that dense nutty note we really appreciate Legs to run to the Folie this evening.... Terrific!
¿Te puedes creer que esta botella todavía no está lista ahora? ¡Qué belleza! Colorada con esos ribetes amarronados. Por supuesto está bebible y disfrutable pero, de nuevo, lo mejor está por llegar. ¡Maravilloso Oporto! Lleno de aromas a pastillas de café, caramelo quemado y crema. Un auténtico perfume. Como la canción solía decir, sexy casi maléfica. En boca conserva esa densa nota a frutos secos que tanto apreciamos. "Piernas" como para ir esta noche a lucirlas al Folie...¡terrorifica!
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Decanted one hour ahead. Medium ruby, but tansparent. Left masses of sediment in the bottle, but cheesecloth would have been warranted. Figs and plums. Fresh and rich. Extremely well integrated. A true delight.
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Medium red color with moderate transparency throughout. Decanted off expected amount of fine sediment. Aromas of fig, plum, licorice, and cherry. Palate is initially a bit medicinal with cherry cough drop notes. This subsides with an hour of air and the wine takes on ripe plum, fig, and spice notes that carry into the long finish. This is showing more sweetness than spirit and is drinking in prime form. Drink.
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A Portmaker's Dinner (Christie's Amsterdam): Remarkably deep and lively colour for a 42 year old wine; rich, sweet, excellent depth, touch of oak, slightly spirity, classic 1970 structure, still a hint of plumminess, complete, will last for a very long time. Drink now - 2030+.
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Symington-smaking i regi av Aperitif (Gamle Logen, Oslo): Farge: Brunlig, med svak rødtone. Duft: Nydelig nese, kompleks, té, tørkede frukter, marsipan, nype, rosin, roser. Smak: Rik, kompleks, balansert, masse smak, lang ettersmak. Dette er en topp meditasjonsvin!
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Great depth of color, a generally youthful cherry-garnet. Fresh, expressive, inviting nose of cinnamon, chocolate, rhubarb, red berry, and anise. Similar profile on the palate, terrific balance, velvety mouthfeel, longish and very clean finish. Delicious now, not a lot of structure in this bottle, but this has the stuffing to survive many more years, showing only flashes of tawny character now. Christopher of London bottling, neck fill despite considerable fresh seepage.
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Fully mature, the color being brown but healthy. The wine had an odd nose of moth balls mixed in with sweet plums. Perhaps the bottle was flawed, but it was still a pleasant wine with sweet plums and only a little heat from the alcohol on the palate. This one was acquired upon release and stored in excellent conditions from that time, so I can't explain the odd nose. It was good with the chocolate mousse dessert.
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Followed previous taster notes for decanting: opened bottle at 10:30, decanted at 1:30 and rebottled for transit at 5:30. A very good bottle, removed the cork without degradation and ullage was low neck. The color was deep purple, clear (not cloudy) and slight brownish hue on the edge. The only hit on this port was it is still a little hot but not terribly in the way of texture or taste so it did not put the wine out of balance. Great, fine texture and lively fruit with hazelnut and fig in the background. Served with sharp and blue cheeses and chocolate. May buy more.
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Decanted for about 2 hours. Silky smooth in the mouth, lots of ripe fruit with some herbs. Mature but with plenty of energy left. Very long. A very good port
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Il s'agit d'un vin qui a maintenant 41 ans. Par conséquent, le bouchon est devenu très délicat. La nuance de la robe est marron. Très forte présence de dépôt. Le nez est surtout sur des notes mentholés, mais n'est pas désagréable. On parle aussi d'odeurs de vieux rhum. En bouche, c'est devenu de la soie. C'est ample, bien équilibré, fondu et sur un long déclin. On est impressionné quand on boit un vintage de cet âge vénérable, mais le prix vient naturellement avec...
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Took a decanter to Gisborough Hall for Harvey Rands's party, together with another decanter of the 1966. This was obviously the younger wine, slightly darker, sharper, more clear cut to look at. Lovely nose, just a whiff of spirit, delicious but just a touch sharper than the '66, not quite as great a wine. I doubt it will ever scale the heights of the '66.
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Drank to conclude 41st birthday dinner (port from birth year). This is everything a port should be. Rich and mellow. Great caramel and nut flavors. Need to track more down
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Earlier in the day my friend decanted the wine and we tried it but it had some tough tannins. By the time we were ready to drink it, 5-6 hours later, it was perfect. This had nice aromas of fig, dried cherry, raisin and a touch of earth. I could sit there and smell this all day! The palate had similar flavors with chocolate, raisin, fig and dried cherry that just coated your mouth. Had a excellent finish that lasted 40-50 seconds. I don't get to try that many old ports but I have to say that this is the finest I have ever had.
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Dark ruby with a hint of brown and a thin brown rim; subdued nose with some raisins, nuts and forest floor; licorice, dried cherries, nuts and some spice. A warm and alcoholic ending in an otherwise lovely, albeit slightly burned finish. Medium bodied with good intensity, long. A fine and elegant VP which is slightly unbalance due to the alcoholic finish.
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Any Port in a storm (Chris Lipperts): Good colour, nice concentration. Smooth and well integrated now. Again an edge of herbs on the palate - sage, almost. Nice fruit notes to it, too, but the herbs don't work for me. Drinking well now.
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Light ruby color, subtle nose, complex palette and long finish. Elegant wine that you need to think about. You can't talk over it -- it takes concentration. The more I concentrated on it the more I found. Without care the complexity would be lost. Not a big, explode in your mouth or overwhelm your nose Port. A more feminie sophisticated Port.
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Medium brick red with thinning at the rim. Decanted for 2 hours prior to consumption. Sweet fig, prune, plum, cherry, and Christmas pudding on the nose. Flavors follow the nose. Rich chocolate, cherry, fig, and a hint of licorice with a long, warming finish that has a bit of caramel and toffee. This really showed well between hours 2 and 6. The next day, some medicinal notes had crept in and this drank well for the following few days at this diminished level. Best drunk within 12 hours of decanting from this sample. Delicious now. Drink or hold.
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Excellent bottle with good ullage. Uncorked at home at 10:30am. Cork took two tries and crumbled on removal but miraculously none of it fell in wine. Sampled: pale amber color, nose and taste like an excellent tawny port but a bit hot alcohol and a bit rough. Let bottle settle until 1:30pm. Used steel filter and silver funnel to place in decanter, leaving dregs in bottle. Decanted until 5:30pm. Sampled again: dark amber brown color, slightly more subtle nose, and smoother taste but still fairly hot alcohol. Rinsed and dried bottle then, again using the filter and funnel, replaced wine back into bottle and stoppered for transport to the tasting. Removed stopper and let stand until pour at 8:15pm. In glass: pretty deep red with just a touch of purple and brown; soft notes of raisin, alcohol, almonds, oak, and fig on the nose; lovely taste of softer but still very warm alcohol, still like a fine tawny port but far more refined and very elegant, balanced, harmonious, perfect. Shared with 11 others (1-ounce pours) at close of tasting and rave reviews from all. Had enough left over for the seconds requested and to take home roughly quarter bottle. All who had it with the pumpkin pie agreed it was an excellent pairing.
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Red (pinot noir) color. Evolved nose, fruity still, not that dense (maybe needs more time). Velvety and smooth, round, blackcurrant and plum, perfect balance, delicate and long aftertaste. This is great and will be stay that way for many more years.
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Took a decanter to Crab & Lobster for dinner on eve of Jamie Ede's day at Kildale. First of the 1970s from my cellar. Much deeper in colour, sweeter, and seemingly much younger, than Graham 1966, which we have been drinking recently. Very enjoyable, and a great success with the team (which included Adam Brett-Smith from C & B). But no harm in leaving these for another few years yet, I think.
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(Old note) Elegant, mature nose. Balanced between red berries, plums, raisins, spices and hints of chocolate. Very elegant. Fully mature palate. Sweet, but not overly so. Balanced and smooth. Cinnamon and spices, but also fresh fruit left. Plums and raisins. The spiciness does not overwhelm the dried fruit. Splendid port in perfect drinking window!
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Opened on the eve of my 40th birthday, and once I got done mangling the cork, I was able to conclude that this is a really great wine! It has totally eased into itself, and yet it maintains a youthful vibrancy. Saving half of it in a screwcapped 375ml for later in the week... very much looking forward to it!
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Garnet core - quite faded with bricking at the rim; mellow, lifted fruits on the nose. Complex berry notes. No alcoholic whiff, lovely fruit! Absolutely delightful palate - warm, embracing flavours. Figs, dried fruits. Great length and lovely complex fruit notes on the finish. Goes on and on! Nutty notes, nougat, marzipan. Superb texture, silky and seductive.
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Decanted 12 hours. Brickish red-brown on the rim of the glass. Aromas of candied prunes, cherry, iodine and chocolate. Flavors include sweet cherries, strawberry, fig, hazelnut, and caramel. Tannins are fairly soft, finish is a little hot.
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Old Ports with Roy Hersh (Zucca, LA, CA): Chocolate covered cherries and wood show on a rich nose. Bright cherry and musty wood later on. Rich and thick palate on the short and syrupy side showing heat. Much like the Taylor's this didn't step up on the night though it didn't seem flawed.
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Rupert's Fourrier Clos St Jacques Offline (The Ledbury, London): Decanted 12 hours in advance. Again, lovely nose, a little smoother and more restrained. Sweet Graham's fruit, quite lovely. A tight minerally element that reins-in any heat on the finish. Really lovely. ****1/2
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IWFSC 751st Dinner (Les Nomades): Light purple color. Medium red/purple fruit with just a whiff of heat remining. Lovely sweet round palate. Showing very nicely.
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Very elegant, but not overpowering Port; takes concentration. Good color, beginning to have a brickish hue on the edges, lighter in color than I expected, complex nose that stops the conversation because of the need to concentrate. Complex pallette, but not really big in the mouth, more elegant almost feminine rather than explosive or overwhelming. While the experts say this will live a lot longer, I'm not so sure. Wonderful bottle.
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I don't have much experience with old vintage port. This wine--a splurge at $150 or so--surprised me. I expected it to be sweet, unctuous, powerful, complex, concentrated. Instead, it was balanced, understated, elegant, and refined. It's hard for me to rate a wine like this, which is simply delicious and will please most everyone but lacks any wow factor. I'll try: 90. It seemed to me that this wine was at or slightly past its peak of enjoyability.
Edit: Thinking back, I need to bump this up at least one point. It was a really good and memorable wine that we all enjoyed.
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Jen's Birthday (Lake Bluff, IL): Very dark cherry and plum on the nose with a healthy dose of cocoa and spice. Blueberry pie flavors on the palate. Alcohol is a bit overpowering on the nose and is obvious on the palate.
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Jen's birthday (Inovasi; Lake Bluff, IL): Reasonably ready to drink. Bright flavors, with less weight than expected. Ruby color. Medium-body. Carries its components well.
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Decanted about 6 hours and consumed over three days (stored overnight under gas at cellar temperature). Probably at it's best on the 2nd day.
Impressively sweet candied cherry nose which is quickly brought into balance with firm (39 year-old!) tannin and crisp acidity. Full on the palate and picked on weight every time I lifted the glass to my lips. Long finish.
A great wine, but lacking in the complexity of the sublime 1970 Taylor or Fonseca.
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Dark cherry fading to tea at the rim. Chocolate, sweet berry, tobacco, allspice, a bit of oxidation funk. Fairly overwhelming alcohol and minimal tannins. This bottle showed a bit of old seepage, and was certainly showing a shade less than its best, but still very enjoyable. This could benefit from a very long decant.
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I have tasted this Port several times and each and every time it has shown itself to be an absolutely stunning example of what Port can acheive. Now, first let me clear something up. This is a VERY sweet port.....and even though I don't have much of a sweet tooth and would probably never drink more than 1-2 glasses, the sweetness may or may not be overwhelming to others. However, albeit Graham VP's tendency to be a tad bit sweeter than the other prominent Port houses, this particular vintage blows away 98% of the other ports that I have tasted. It has a beautiful, though subtle, nose of chocolate covered cherries, mocha, sweet cream, stewed berries and spices ( cinnamon, nutmeg, a hint of allspice ), toffee, and ginger-spiced cake. On the palate is where the fireworks begin, though. There is a local place right down the street from me that makes the most amazingly delicious, super moist and buttery, melt in your mouth, pound cake which is absolutely covered in a crunchy cinnamon/sugar struesel. If that rich, sweet delight were to be drowned in marachino cherries and their juice, strawberries, and raspberries which had all been stewed and cooked down with some Kirch liquor and Chambord, then you would have a pretty close approximation of the flavors that expolde across your palate when tasting this port. It is phenomenal. Now, admittedly, every time I have tasted it, I had, for the previous hour or so, been tasting big, heavy and tannic reds, so the blast of sugar, fruit, and spices was a wonderful and welcome change for my taste buds. That doesn't change the fact that this port is absolutely spectacular. Easily 95-99 points, depending upon how well it has been stored, pairing, and the circumstances surrounding the tasting opportunity. I had it once paired with a crisp cinnamon and sugar crusted mini apple pie topped with a creamy-tart dollop of Roquefort. MMmmmm!!!
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Color is more vibrant than I expected given the maturity on this port. Nose is beautiful - caramel, fig, cherries abound. A little overpoweringly sweet for my taste, but not by much. Just makes the balance off a bit. Less spice flavors than I expected. Alcohol and acidity are both in line with expectations. Hints of chocolate on the finish. Overall, a real blockbuster!
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A bottle solidly in the "Oh my god" category for port. Defies every possible descriptor. Medium dark ruby... incredibly sweet, spicy nose: spice cake, fruits confit, figs, caramel. Long, sweet, irresistable. What a great VP! I've had many bottles but this was off scale.
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Was drunk in comparison with a 70's Taylor and 70's Fonseca. Although showed very well and was an excellent bottle of Port, was the least preferred of the three. Still showing signs of acidity, although still a reasonable amount of fruit as well.
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Retains a good depth of colour, brick red rim; initial iodine & bandages accompanied 'sweet' fruit on nose, later unfurled gracefully but not a powehouse nose; glorious palate from the outset, remains sweet, perfect pitch, expansive, all together. Stunning vigour on a lingering finish. At its peak now & the next 10 years.
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Decanted 3 hours ago. Darker than I thought it was going to be. Medium ruby color with very slight bricking of the rim. Ceader nose with dark cherries... then smoke and a hint of caramel. Very inviting! Great nose! Entry is very fruity and then spreads out to fill every crevice of the mouth. The glycerine in this Port is unbelieveable! Cherries, Coffee, and strawberries... with just a hint of casis. Mostly red fruits. Good acid kicks in to lighten it up. Obviously Graham's -- it's got the classic sweet and sour finish going on. The finish is medium bodied and is very fine. This Port doesn't assault you but lures you in. This reminds me of a younger version of the 1955 Graham's. It's still a bit young and the alcohol is peeking through on the finish. Nothing that a little more decant time won't take care of. Outstanding port!
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Showing some age at the rim - thinning color. Otherwise, ruby-red color with plenty of thickness. Nose shows candied prunes, raisins, iodine, and a generally red fruited presence. On the palate, this initially had a high sweet medicinal note to it. After 20 hours in decanter, this integrated and the presentation was more of candied prunes with the medicinal note showing on the long finish. By day three, the wine had fully integrated and was showing deep chocolate character (milk chocolate on day two, bittersweet chocolate on day three). Very pleasant, mature, and will make a good old port in 25 more years. Seemingly better balanced than the '66 from Magnum in July.
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Lovely port and perfectly mature now. Light ruby/cranberry with a slightly limpid, syrupy flow. Nose of white chocolate, floral tones, cassis sorbet. Balanced and long on the palate with endless waves of sweet fruit.
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Opened very volatile on the nose but with time revealed notes of coffee, cherry, kirsch, chocolate and violet. Extremely classy on the palate, with moderate sweetness and exceptional length. I was surprised at the lovely balance of this wine on the palate after the volatility and alcohol on the nose. Will last for decades.
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Limpid, medium cranberry. Nose offers red current syrup, white chocolate, coffee, spices, some noticable alcohol. Long and balanced on the palate, with tart/sweet red current flavors, mouth-coating, velvety finish. Very long and elegant. Clearly approaching maturity.
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Spectacular. Triple decanted and breathed for 1 hour. Prominent prunes and dates. Enjoyed with a Havana Punch Royal Coronation in Grand Cayman. It doesn't get much better than this.
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Purchased a glass off the wine list after dinner at Isabella's. The lighting was very dim, but the color appeared very youthful. Notes of black currant, plum and blackberry. The palate is still rather tannic and slightly hot. There wasn't much fruit, except for a light presence on the attack, but that was soon overshadowed by the heat and tannin.
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Dinner Party at Home w/ Pinots & d'Yquem (Milford): Decanted for 10 hours. Ripe, spicy fruit. Cherry/fruitcake flavors with a wonderful mouthfeel. Complex and extremely well balanced. No overt "spirity" quality. Luscious and long. Seems like it could still improve.
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Toronto Offline at Reds with Ian Darshan Cauble: Did not get to give this the time it deserved, but an exteremly sweet chocolate nose, amazing concentration, good punch, tannis are resolved, but this wine will go on for a long time. And I think improve, as it is still showing somewhat primary plummy fruit.
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Sweet, long, very rich and intense. Awesome port; basically unchanged since my 2005 notes. That same hint of candied orange and dark chocolate is still evident. What a great world, to have stuff like this in it!
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Light garnet core fades gradually to a wide clear rim. Really spirity nose. There's some fresh flowers and spice too. Soft on the palate with a deep core of very sweet dark red and black fruits in the center. Long finish. Not as good as a recent bottle of the 1970 Taylor in December -- but very good.
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Opened and decanted 7 hours before drinking. Poured back in bottle 3 hours before drinking.
Dark red, some lightening at rim without bricking. Nice complex nose, full bodied sweet fruit with good complexity, resolved tannins, smooth long finish. Outst
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Ruby. A stunning port. Nose of scented geraniums and cassis, bitter orange, chocolate Extremely long and balanced with wave upon wave of rich, ripe, cassis fruit and that same hint of oranges and chocolate. Alcohol and sweetness are well integrated, for Graham’s, and in fact this port is not exceptionally sweet. 97, with a very long life ahead of it.
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(From a bottle that had been open, though with the cork replaced, for just under a week) A mature garnet colour. The nose is chocolatey, very fruity and quite figgy. Sweet and fruity on the palate. Impeccable balance. Really lovely. Excellent.
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This has mellowed considerably since a couple of years ago, at least this bottle. Well integrated, not too alcoholic or fiery, not as sweet as before and all the better for it. Gaining in complexity and interest. Cherry, plum and a hint of raison. Fully mature at last.
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Group #4, My #9 - Deep, almost opaque purple. Forward hot aroma of black cherry and hints of chocolate. Sweet jammy opulent fruit on the palate with plenty of tanin and acidity. 4/05
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An Evening With Roy Hersh and Justin Wells (Roy's Place): Licorice on the nose with a complex, ever changing palate of raisin, black cherry, etc. Smooth, extremely well balanced with a nice long zippy finish. Nice acidity. Once again my love of port is affirmed.
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Portfolio Ref # PORT B1 Setting: Study Group / Bests at Paul Farrell's Appearance: bright, medium garnet core with very little fading, very viscous legs Nose: heady and very intense nose, boozy, raisiny with still mouthwatering acidity Palate: semi-sweet, hight than average acid and alcohol, full bodied with a very long finish, very extracted fruit flavours with a wonderful balance Comments: Perfection!
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Opened to decant through cheesecloth at 10am. The cork came out cleanly and with no incident. Initial smell of violet, beautiful! Revisited this about 11 hours later, and wow what a remarkable wine, the best port I have ever tasted. The nose has mint, chocolate and violets, a bare hint of spirit but very distinguished and complex. The palate and finish on this were unreal, pure fireworks in the mouth, what a display! The descriptors are thin, but the memory of this one is incredible!
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2/24/2024 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 97 Points
MAGNUM Vintage Port (CUT restaurant Beverly Hills): Out of magnum and the second wine of the flight. Really a bright color, wonderful taste and finish.sweet spice, opulent.
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12/27/2023 - Doc Malvern Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very special 53 year-old port. Definitely old and evolved: now a tawny rose colour and all the tannins have dropped out. Syrupy with rose petal, raspberry, redcurrant, and orange fruit. It lasted until day 2, when it became nutty.
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12/8/2023 - Jamieson12o Likes this wine: 91 Points
NLWTS - Fortified at M&L Warren Street (Must & Lees Warren Street): Almost brown! Not a tonne of sweetness. But really quite emphatic and pruney. I think this is lovely - if not the most vigorous. Showed less well than another G70 tasted ~2 weeks ago.
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12/8/2023 - oenanthe Likes this wine: 88 Points
Fortified Evening with the TWS North London Group (Must & Lees, Warren Street): Quite clear, browning. Brown sugar and christmas cake, strongly acidic, low register fruit now. High-toned, sweet, svelte, little left of any richness it may once have had but quite finessed.
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12/8/2023 - docdavid Likes this wine: 94 Points
Outstanding port. Maintained dark color
licorice vanilla cherries
Opened 6 hours before drank with chocolate dessert
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11/28/2023 - Jamieson12o Likes this wine: 93 Points
"An evening of Port with the Symingtons" at BBR (BBR): Quite developed. Little bit less backward and more developed than the outstanding W63 tasted alongside. Pretty punchy; there's a real weight to this that builds and builds.
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11/18/2023 - docdavid Likes this wine: 94 Points
Outstanding port. Maintained dark color
licorice vanilla cherries
Opened 6 hours before drank with chocolate dessert
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11/4/2023 - hajoha wrote: 93 Points
Grahams Vintage Port 1970.
Å nyte en flaske moden portvin en søndags ettermiddag bør man gjøre oftere.
Ren og flott nese med god intensitet.
Avdempet sødme, dog likefullt tilstede som gir en smooth munnfølelse.
Etter 53 år holder den seg forbausende godt - tåler flere år.
Sunn vital frukt med god konsentrasjon og en pen friskhet.
Lang presis finish med nedslipte tanniner.
Man merker alkoholen i finish, men det er tross alt en Portvin.
Ren meditasjon. 93p
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9/16/2023 - theportguy wrote: 94 Points
Sammamish Port Club - Vintage and Old White Ports (Sammamish, Washington): Clear, dark ruby with slight pink grapefruit on the edges. Red fruit with strawberry and some pleasant light Christmas spice notes on the nose. Warm, smooth, well-integrated flavor profile with red cassis and strawberry. Mouth-coating richness with nice warm spices. This wine is supple and almost elegant, but you can get a sense of power lurking just behind the scenes. A great, long finish.
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8/17/2023 - john_s Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cork slightly receding but most came out in one piece with the Durand. Fine and in excellent condition. Alcohol not sticking out but there was a tiny trace of hardness in the back palate that most didn't notice. Very good. Seemed rather young for its age. Maybe underground cellar too good.
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7/28/2023 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 98 Points
This was a stupendous 1970 from Berns cold cellar. This wine had the deepest darkest cherry fruit, with a lively sweetness, and length you could measure in leagues!! 53 years old and it’s alive and kicking, there was also mineralspice, notes of compote, with hints of dried cherry, orange peel, gingerbread. This wine had great texture, and a thrilling finish. I love great Port!!!!
This is a slight return a few days later… This was so great! It’s amazing how this bottle had so much powerful fruit, with that drive that great Port wine can have without being sweet or heavy. I mean this had penetrating red and black cherry, sharp acid, wonderful old sweet tobacco, Christmas spice, and a very fluid approach. I just kept sipping and sniffing, sipping and sniffing!
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6/29/2023 - remyworldpeace Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely, deep and concentrated. Prune, raisin, cherry, potipurri, sweet tobacco and touch of smoke with some warm spices. Mocha and walnut. Great nose. Next day vanilla and coffee liqueur showing on finish. Still going very strong and feeling very well balanced in terms of sweetness at this point.
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4/9/2023 - Enophile90266 wrote: 89 Points
It was better than expected !
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4/8/2023 - BVal Likes this wine: 96 Points
Color/App: light ruby core -> diffuse garnet rim; high viscosity. Fabulous, concentrated bouquet of strawberries, raspberries, fig, spicecake and raisins. Figs, raisins and berries on the semi-sweet palate. Simply great acidity and a long, long finish. Still so intense yet balanced, even after 50+ years of age! This vintage of Grahams has always been at my pinnacle of great Ports and this bottle just reinforces that. Heavenly. Love it still.
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3/18/2023 - Nacnud wrote:
Cork was moldy and fell right thru into the wine. Another old wine bites the dust...
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12/30/2022 - Lord of the Bottles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Super smooth if a touch alcoholic. Plenty of red fruit and chocolate. Long finish. Amazing how young this tastes at 52 years old.
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12/29/2022 - Skylark 53 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious port. Chocolate, prunes, figs and hint of tobacco on the palate. Mature port, well balanced and nice, long aftertaste. Very enjoyable during Christmas time.
The wine looks tawny colored. The legs are slow. There is heavy sediment in the bottle.
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12/24/2022 - sooper65 wrote: 95 Points
Ethereal .. just delightful
Supreme balance
This is the joy of vintage Port
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12/19/2022 - David Johnstone wrote: 93 Points
Lovely with cheese and really smooth
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11/20/2022 - chbeaumont wrote: 94 Points
Rose hip, retains attractive colour; spirity bouquet, diminished fruit but after a couple hours showed well; lively palate, muffled red fruit, liquorice, date ; vigorous, extended finish. On this showing. Drink up.
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11/19/2022 - theportguy wrote: 96 Points
FTLOP 17th Anniversary; 11/18/2022-11/20/2022 (Seattle, Washington): Medium garnet with tinges of purple. Dark fruits, cola, chocolate, and a touch of spirit on the nose. Amazing richness on the palate with an exceptional balance between the acidity and sweetness. There was one spike of cloying sweetness at the end of the mid-palate, but otherwise, this was a round, balanced, and beautiful wine.
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8/27/2022 - Hanibal wrote: 92 Points
Would have expected more sweetness from a porto but I am not complaining. Nice acidity to compensate the sweetness, not something I would open on my own
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6/26/2022 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Summer Mondo Event $200+ (Roswell, GA): Still fresh color with thin rim; high toned nose, red fruit, elegant, licorice, ripe berries, high toned on the palate but a little more restraint; elegant and refined this was almost overpowered by the flourless chocolate cake.
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6/10/2022 - Wrighty Likes this wine: 94 Points
The other wine or the night. Fully mature port, so well integrated.
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12/26/2021 - SAND Likes this wine: 87 Points
Bought at auction (Blomquist) in 2020.
APPEARANCE: The cork broke in two as soon as I gently started to open it. Heavy, solid deposit (as expected) which was easily decanted away. Medium garnet colour. Viscous. Long slow legs on the inside of the glass. NOSE: Strawberry jam, plum, prune, fig, raisins, hints of sweet tar and licorice. Later tea and rose hip. Moderate intensity of smell which increases over time. (89p) TASTE: The arrival is sweet, with luscious plum and some liquorice. On the mid palate typical port minerality or spice, assorted jams (plum, strawberry, fig), nice acidity and some rounded tannins. Closer to full than medium body. (88p)
FINISH: A bit simple finish with a slightly burnt bitter touch to it. (85p) OVERALL: Significantly better on day two after opening (based on its day one appearance I would have scored it around 82-83 points. Alive but less vibrant and impressive than when I last tried it in 2012 (at a Symington tasting, 95 points). Given how others report this wine to still be in top shape and the auction provenance of my bottle, I think this may suffer from less than ideal previous cellaring. TOTAL SCORE: 87 points.
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12/17/2021 - Adrian Wood Likes this wine: 96 Points
Lovely gentle spice and red fruited on the nose. Mature, rounded, smooth, elegant red fruits, nuts, coffee. An absolute delight and a rare treat. Thank you Alex. Went brilliantly with the Barbers cheddar and the Comte.
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10/14/2021 - jhngo wrote: 83 Points
Medicinal sweet
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7/24/2021 - theportguy wrote: 95 Points
FTLOP 16th Anniversary Tasting; 7/23/2021-7/24/2021 (Seattle, Washington): Amber-red in color. Spice and red fruits on the nose. So incredibly balanced and elegant with touches of cola, chocolate, and espresso. Very long, elegant finish.
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4/4/2021 - paulf wrote: 94 Points
A half bottle, Served with about an hour decant and consumed over the next 3 hours. white pepper ,cinnamon hints of walnut. Clean on the palate. Sweet and spicy. Ever so slightly hot. Fully mature. Good showing
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1/31/2021 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 92 Points
Birthday Lunch at Caprice (Private Room, Caprice Restaurant, Four Seasons Hotel, Two IFC, Hong Kong): Drank for our friends' joint 50th birthday. Original bottle, which was evident from the cork. Decanted for an hour or so before serving with magnificent French wild pigeon in a rich cocoa sauce then with 40-months Comte cheese and then a superb hazelnut soufle. Semi transparent garnet ruby. Nose is spirited, almost eau de vie, raspberries, roast coffee beans, chocolate. Palate is semi-sweet, very alcoholic in the stomach, segues into raisins and Christmas cake, rich and warming, rounds out nicely with time in the glass. Fully mature but not going anywhere downhill in my lifetime. 92+
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1/9/2021 - mdefreitas wrote: 94 Points
This bottle was from a 2011 "Private Cellar" direct release from Graham's. Decanted for 4 hours. The cork was in ridiculously good condition, seems like it was 15-20 years old (was this re-corked?). The color was a medium red with some garnet on the rim. This was still full of strawberry and plummy fruit, with baking spices, raisins and hints of licorice. Still holding a lot of sweetness and tannins. Slight heat, which hints that perhaps more decanting would have been in order. Youthful and vigorous. This was quite explosive and long on the palate. A gorgeous wine with still some upside (at least for these 2011 released bottles).
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1/2/2021 - MAOC wrote:
Bottle had slight older seepage so I opened now rather than holding. Needn’t have worried - wine was in top condition. Decanted for 5 hours and out on substantial weight. Similar to my last experience with Graham’s 1970: lush waves of primarily red fruit - strawberry, darker plums, cherry - but with notable development - soft leather, dark chocolate, fig notes and a light mint element; spirit was very well integrated and the tannins soft. This is past the voluptuous stage but was still 50 years young really ****1/2-*****
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12/27/2020 - Zaltostephen wrote: 89 Points
Mmmm.. having read all the positive comments below, I was disappointed. The nose of my bottle had a distinctive medicinal smell almost as if the alcohol had over take the fruit.. shame it was my last bottle. Colour ruby red -yes - so it hadn't been oxidized. I did get a hint of raisins on the nose and palate. However, the comment of " fruit explosion - lots of berry's - strawberry all over" I did NOT get. Suspect it was mine... wish I had had his bottle!
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12/25/2020 - gout wrote: 96 Points
Medium light red,some browning, lovely fragrant nose with good fruit and not overly spirity, nectar on the palate, so well balanced, smooth , hardly any tannin just a silky smooth flavoursome port at 50 years old. Gorgeous !
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12/25/2020 - mimik Likes this wine: 96 Points
4 years to the date and this has become an exceptional port. Caramel and ripe sweet plum and raisins interplay on the nose and palate. So smooth and velvety. Best port ive had as of yet Long sultana raisin finish. In a great place to drink right now.
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11/16/2020 - hargy Likes this wine: 92 Points
certainly mature and probably at its peak - plenty of fruit and of good length it is, if anything, a bit too sweet for my liking
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11/6/2020 - Pknut wrote:
Purchased at retail and the condition of the bottle was perfect. Double decanted at 12pm and brought to Brooklyn Heights to celebrate Jimmy's 50th birthday, this being a birthyear wine. Very smooth entry, the fruits are more toward the darker and blacker side of the spectrum, plums and a bit of cassis, the fruit worn, the tannins faded, some walnut on the palate, with some light lingering spirit not fully integrated. This isn't especially sweet as Graham can be. The finish is nice and long and warming. This '70 Graham is elegant, resolved, good but not especially great. Enjoyed in the backyard, watching Trey Anastasio's Ghosts of the Forests, with takeout from Moonrise Izakaya, and good friends.
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8/16/2020 - Delinquent Likes this wine: 97 Points
What a fruit explosion - lots of berrys. In the mouth strawbeery all over. In the very long finish strawberry jam. Superb, the best Vintage I had so far.
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7/23/2020 - empire80 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Heaven in a glass. Really feels quite young - colour still more red than brick, plenty of sweet fruit, treacle, spiced figs, a hint of chocolate and with all the complexity of a 50 year old wine. Fabulous!
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6/20/2020 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for 4 hours and 20 minutes. Still pretty dark in color for the age but bricking is present. Aromas of melted chocolate, raisins, prune, brown sugar and fruitcake. Flavors of melted chocolate, chocolate covered cherry, raisin, date, brown sugar and hint of iron. Ends with a 40-45 second finish with date and chocolate notes. At the 2 hour mark it was still very tight but totally open for business at the 4 hour mark.
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5/20/2020 - NickA Likes this wine: 94 Points
Port with Demetri Walters MW (Zoom!): Ruby with hints of browning. Nebbiolo-esque floral nose. Lots of dark caramel and figgy concentration. Really long. Lovely balance. Kapow!
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4/11/2020 - BMarchuska Likes this wine: 96 Points
Doesn't get much better than this, although still has a couple years left!
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3/24/2020 - sooper65 wrote: 95 Points
gorgeousness in a glass
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2/29/2020 - ephorn Likes this wine: 96 Points
Special wine. This is about balance. The cork held and the intensity is all there without excessive fire from alcohol.
No danger of falling apart but drinks great now.
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2/15/2020 - Ralph_ wrote: 92 Points
not the best bottle
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11/23/2019 - LWI wrote: 97 Points
Astonishing youthful, balanced and complex. Elegance over power.
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9/24/2019 - SimonG wrote: 92 Points
Mid ruby to a mid garnet at the rim. Nicely herbal edge to the mellow fruit. Not as sweet or full as one might expect, starting to show its age. Positive attack, but lacking some mid-palate depth and complexity. Nonetheless, a nice drink, but I wonder whether it’s fading now. ****
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8/30/2019 - chbeaumont wrote: 97 Points
Retains strong colour; nose of plums & figs, dense vigorous; all powerful, this is full on, power-packed, bags of fruit. Towering finish. Lingering.
[6 hour decant, then (over) chilled as 32C, initially served too cool & so angular. End of evening 22C. TN reflects latter stage].
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8/1/2019 - Rollerball wrote: 95 Points
Cork soaked to the bone all the way to the top. Thank you Durand!!
Night one, superb especially with Tessa’s thick dense chocolate chip cookies (per request!).
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3/2/2019 - Chekib m. Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice medium tawny color. Prepares you already for whats coming.
Very intense medicinal nose, blueberries, chocolate, molasse, spices.
Same spiciness, dark chocolate, blueberry in the mouth with noticeable tannin grip.
Sweet but not too much, with good acidity. Excellent length.
Very nice port.
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1/11/2019 - dpolivy wrote:
Vindredi (2016 Ports + California Cabernet) (Bellevue, WA): Surprisingly fresh, with lots of sweet fruit still. Very elegant, with smooth integrated tannin, and a lovely lengthy finish.
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1/1/2019 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was another delicious example of the 1970 Grahams Porto. It continues to have lovely dark red fruit and a little dark chocolate. It did not seem as sweet as my last bottle, but that’s really only a perception after a long evening of wine consumption on New Year’s Eve.
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12/29/2018 - ericindc Likes this wine:
Old Burg Dinner at Marc's house outside DC (DC/Silver Spring MD): Heavy red fruit, heat and light earth on the nose. Very sweet red fruits that are still pretty tart. Slight hint of chocolate. Still seems pretty young with very little earth on the palate, obviously RS and heat. heavy body, medium tannins, with good acidity. Quite a good port, and starting to enter the beginnings of the mature phase. For more maturity, try it in 2025. Probably a 100yr port, easily.
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12/22/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Holiday Champagne Gala (Park Ridge Country Club): Small glass, brief note. Black berries and cassis with dark chocolate and baking spice. Long finish ends with very elegant and finessed character. Very good now.
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9/29/2018 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Dat funk nose. Furnace and spice boxes. A little stewed. Finish is a little jacked and short. Maraschino liqueur elements. Complex, but felt lacking. I’ve had better bottles of this wine.
Second bottle was opened. Far better and on par. Light and balanced with intensity on the finish. A natural cherry coke streak. Xmas cake. Very fresh and bright in contrast. Marshmallow elements. Brilliant.
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6/5/2018 - FransS wrote: 94 Points
2016 Vintage Port - the Symington Family Estates (Restaurant Entrepot Amsterdam): From a Tappit Hen (2,1 L), showing a very light colour with a brownish glow. In the taste I found raisins, soft spices and minerals. The alcohol is mostly packed in the body of the wine; a refined and good balance.
This is not a blockbuster, but the elegance compensates a lot.
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5/25/2018 - lepetitchateau wrote: 95 Points
A huge treat, showing smokey, cedary and briary fruit load with vibrant acidity and complexity.
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4/23/2018 - floating_cellar wrote: 100 Points
WOW, I cannot imagine port tasting any better. for 48 yrs old, it had such a vibrancy, beautiful tertiary flavors with caramel and honeysucle, bright acidity and a 60 second finish. Opened with port tongs at Maple and Ash in Chicago - great experience all around.
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1/13/2018 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 94 Points
Graham/Barton tasting-cum-lunch (Restaurant Bak, Amsterdam, NL): Oporto bottled. Rich and fresh, still very structured, cedary and classical, elegantly sweet, bright tannic structure, warm spices, lovely liquoreux, long.
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11/15/2017 - JT-007 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful bouquet of mouthwatering honied jams, berries, and smoked toasted nuts. Notes of cloves, cinnamon and cardamon make this like Christmas in a glass. Rose amber in color. A great birthday treat that held up for days and days of sipping.
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11/5/2017 - A.Hansen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pale garnet in colour. Nose smells of Christmas cake, spices and dark fruit. The palate has notes of cooked dark fruit, baked cherries, sweet spice and cloves. The palate has pronounced sweetness balanced by good acidity and a little heat on the finish.
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8/5/2017 - Vinacull wrote: 94 Points
Pushed cork, leaky bottle. Cork fully saturated and broke in half. Filter to decanter, let sit 90 min. Color is bricked but still retaining medium cherry hues, transparent. I poured it back into bottle. Initially disjointed and spirity, this came together remarkably after a few hours - a testament to the rigor of port. Beautiful mature aromas of dried cherries, marzipan, graham cracker, spices and cedar. Flavors of dried black and red cherries, black mission figs, spices, brown sugar. Lovely acidity still keeping this balanced and gives an uplifting tang through a long, voluptuous finish. Great stuff.
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7/17/2017 - kevin h wrote: 89 Points
Red fruits, showing maturity on the nose. Hot and a bit spirity
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6/11/2017 - chbeaumont wrote: 95 Points
Languid, complete. Superb. Remains at its peak.
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6/3/2017 - JS1056 wrote: 95 Points
Put's a cap on the evening, with flour less chocolate cake. Everything a vintage port should be...And then just a little more.
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4/30/2017 - KenK Likes this wine: 95 Points
Really good bottle, beautifully rich dried sweet plums. About as good as port gets.
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2/24/2017 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
David Pope's 60th (Medlar, London): Sweet, mellow, slightly herbal. Nicely resolved. I like Graham's. Could probably have done with a bit longer in the decanter to round out a little more, but this is lovely. ****
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12/31/2016 - Winepassion4life Likes this wine: 92 Points
New Year's Eve with Carine, Fredéric, Nadia. Delicious! Open third bottle in 2020.
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12/25/2016 - mimik Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful notes of mint, red plums, tobacco and chocolate. Lovely texture and very well balanced with alcohol well integrated into the wine. Stunning with the stuffing to go another 5-10 years with some more development. Perfect pairing with chocolate mousse cake. 95
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12/25/2016 - Remony wrote: 94 Points
What a good bottle. Fragile saturated cork. Decanted 5 hours. Disappeared with great alacrity after Christmas lunch at Whitwell. Not quite the geraniums and roses of the 1963 or the 1966, but a thrilling acidity to balance the sweetness, and an overall result which hits many of the right spots. Lovely.
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12/5/2016 - kakpoo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose of bramble and pine. Glycerine texture on the palate with refreshing strawberry. Finish is smooth and elegant. Very well balanced at this time.
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12/2/2016 - theportguy wrote: 94 Points
2016 FTLOP Holiday Party (Sammamish, Washington): Dark amber Ruby in color. Some light Woody notes on the nose. Elegant mouth filled with Raspberry and some cherry on the palette. Full-bodied but very balanced with a long finish.
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11/22/2016 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Nose: B+/B++ Palate: A-
My #3, Group's #2 (69 pts). Tasted blind.
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7/23/2016 - theportguy wrote: 95 Points
FTLOP 11th Anniversary; 7/22/2016-7/24/2016 (Sammamish, Washington): Dark ruby in color. Red currant on the nose. Balanced tannins on the extremely rich palate. Some dusty notes on the finish.
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5/23/2016 - canan wrote: 94 Points
Vintage Port 1970 Horisontal (Portvinsklubben 1981): Very impressive core of dark plum fruit. Quite sweet and flowery with a touch of fresh mint.
Lots of intensity and primary flavors but also perhaps lacks a little acidity as it felt a bit flabby.
Long and spicy aftertaste with plenty of complexity like black tea and dark chocolate.
A wonderful wine!!
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5/20/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Wine Dinner Extravaganza (David Burke's Primehouse - Chicago IL): Black berries with cinnamon, allspice, cloves and hints of sweet piquillo pepper. Less concentrated vs last time tried 2 years ago, but very long and elegant. I still think this has upside from here.
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5/20/2016 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
Annual gathering with Chicago winos in Chicago - Burgs, SQNs and Cult cabs (David Burke's Primehouse): Really clean and mineral driven nose, strawberry and cherry candy, nutmeg, cinnamon and toffee. Medium concentration, clean red fruit driven palate impression, very polished and silky, strong presence of mineral and long finish with a hint of alcohol at the end. Very nice youthful port. I may be crazy but this needs another twenty years of cellaring to soften up like the 63 or 55 ports.
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5/18/2016 - vagrantone Likes this wine: 93 Points
Spontaneous decision to open a bottle so no decanting....
In retrospect this port would greatly have benefited from decanting for at least 4-5 hours based on what we tasted..
This wine still has significant tannins and overall great texture. While certainly showing the richness expected, there is also the broad array of aromas and it is only going to get better. How long to wait for the next bottle?
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5/7/2016 - David J Cooper wrote: flawed
Sadly corked.
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4/26/2016 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 93 Points
100th Meeting of the George H Rezak Society (Kendall College Chicago IL): Decanted for 5 hours, Amber color, caramel, orange peel, developed quite nicely and a great way to spend the end of an evening.
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4/1/2016 - J @ y H @ c k wrote: 93 Points
The Port Forum Does Grahams VP in NYC (Lupulo Restaurant, NYC): My #3. Group #2 or #3. Balance with moderate red fruit, neither especially sweet nor tart. Smooth glycerin mouth feel. This is what a well-matured top of the line vintage port should taste like, but it still has life left in it.
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2/6/2016 - Rogershkg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent colour. Deep nose. Still plenty of fruit on the palate. Really enjoyable
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1/3/2016 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 93 Points
I have been d drinking this bottle of Porto over the past week. It is delicious! As always with Graham Porto, it is sweeter than the other houses. This one has lovely dark red, sweet fruit, a hint of cinnamon, good minerality and a long finish.
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1/1/2016 - Silveroakkid Likes this wine: 96 Points
Been drinking this for the last week. It was a great pour from Day 1 and continued to hold up well. It has all the great vintage port characteristics: dark fruit, leather, earth and that distinct sweetness. Can age for another decade. Great bottle.
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11/4/2015 - Philippe_C wrote: 86 Points
dried red cherries, a hint of disturbing aceton, figues, leather... very sweet figues, overipe dark raisins, lacking a bit of freshness
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10/11/2015 - Sundbyberg wrote: 94 Points
So much going on on the palate and on the nose. Drank this over two weeks and this port improved for every day, which confirms my assumption that a good vintage port needs a lifetime of cellaring. Drink slightly chilled, as this improves the balance and harmony.
Cork totally soaked and fell apart after opening.
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8/17/2015 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 90 Points
Light on the palate, almost tawny like, a bit stringent , decanted 3 hrs and will drink over the next few days. Not like other btls I have had.
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7/31/2015 - Rollerball wrote: 95 Points
My tasting out of the gate, right after decanting for my and Jill's birthday party. Fascinating bouquet of appealing old paper, spring woods and petals, saltwater taffy, bourbon, and creosote. Not quite as complex on the palate, at least initially, but sweet, intense, and somehow delicate. Surprisingly gulpable.
Late night update: passing the bottle. Heavenly.
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7/31/2015 - David J Cooper wrote: flawed
Not much here. Everything turned down to 2 in volume.
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5/13/2015 - RayOB wrote: 94 Points
Drank at Davy's
Nose of dark fruit, spice and tea. Smooth integrated palate with a beautiful finish. Lovely.
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2/21/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
A 60th Birthday Dinner (Nopa, San Francisco): Decanted 4 hours prior. Light ruby throughout-very robust look for 45 year old Port. Poised, plummy, gently spicy, beautifully balanced and woven together, not too sweet, excellent acidity, still some residual tannin. Outstanding showing with another 10-15 years in hand and should become even more alluring.
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12/21/2014 - Alex H wrote: 91 Points
Clear ruby with almost sparkling gemstone like polish. Lots of polished ripe black maraschino cherries brandied in apricot liquer. Cough drops sweetishness with spiced Christmas pudding like nuance. cherry licourice chocolate and coffee toffee.
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12/19/2014 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
Birthday dinner for Alex, William and Gina 2014 (Cove99, Peck Seah Street, Singapore): Very youthful and yummy. I double decanted this a day before, and then poured it back out into a decanter three hours before serving. It needed the air time too. There was a whiff of alcohol on both nose and palate on the first day, but this dissipated by the time we drank it proper. I was stunned by how youthful the wine was. The nose was fresh and lively, almost like a fortified Vosne Romanee, with red fruited aromas of raspberries and cherries flecked with Pinot shades of earth and bramble and lifted wood spice. Only a sweeter quince paste note in there marked it as something more Port-like. The palate shared that same vibrant freshness, with a lovely spine of fresh acidity running through pure notes of sweet cherries and raspberries infused with more of that gentle brambly spice and mineral and a twist of black tea and peppermint. The wine had the characteristic Graham's richness to it, but it was also markedly elegant, with gentle tannins and finely filigreed acidity lending a lightness and clarity to the sweet fruit. A nice long finish rounded it off, showing a little hint of raisins amidst a lovely mouthful of spice and bittersweet bramble. Over time, more traditional old Port notes of Middle-Eastern dates and figs and a whiff smoky cuban cigar started drifting out. It all adding up into an intoxicating melange, yet one that somehow always retained its purity and grace. Very nice indeed, yet given its vibrancy and youthfulness, I would not bet against this being even better in 10, even 20 years' time.
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12/6/2014 - MLD70 Likes this wine:
Pulled the cork (not great shape, just pretty good) and left to breathe for 4 hours in the bottle. This was one of the best port experiences I've had in a while -- beautifully integrated, just the right balance of youthful dark fruit, acidity and secondary notes, with a lush texture. I agree with other notes that at least this bottle didn't show its age at all and seemed like a much younger wine.
Paired with assorted chocolates and stilton cheese. Left a half glass out overnight and it was still wonderful but had clearly transitioned (perhaps I could say "faded" but it was really more like it just started showing its age) to a more traditional 'older port' look, smell and taste.
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11/28/2014 - msimoes Likes this wine: 94 Points
Super balanced and holding up v well. Translucent red color, no jammy fruit left. Drinking wonderfully.
Decanted it 8 hours ahead of time. Cork came out perfect in one go.
A glass that I left for a few hours w just a little in it tasted full of mint/eucalyptus. Only other wine i saw that happen with was a Fonseca 1963. In good company :)
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11/26/2014 - Johnnybegood Likes this wine: 93 Points
Note: This wine was open 24 hours prior to first drinking.
Color: Very clear red ruby. Looks very young for it's age as only a hint of browning on the edges. Based on appearance I never would have guessed this was a 44 year old wine. Looks more like a 20 year old port or 10 year old Burgundy.
Nose: Very sweet and very nice. I detect the alcohol in the smell but at the same time it is intoxicating as the fruit and vintage port aroma creates a desire to go back again and again for a second whiff.
Taste 24 hours: Rich and moderately full bodied. Sweet aftertaste on the finish which lingers on the taste buds for 30 seconds. The tannin's are all but gone but I feel this port will continue to age for a long, long time indeed. The 1970 fonseca Port I had one year ago had more complexity but this 1970 Graham has excellent balance and minimal heat on the finish(at least my bottle). More fruity in style but very, very good. The body, texture and fine balance make this wine stand out and is a fine example of how well the 1970 vintage can be. Bottle variation aside this wine is excellent. Score today 93+ and comparable but different from the 70 fonseca.
Taste 48 hours: Smoother with even better balance. More relaxed but otherwise similar to the previous day. Sweet ripe fruits with that vintage port taste which is hard to describe. Excellent++++
Taste 72 hours: This Graham is hitting it's stride now. Slightly improved from the previous day insofar everything is perfectly in harmony and it is so smooth going down with great purity of fruit. I believe this is at it's peak now. Score 94 points today.
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10/22/2014 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
Christies London Dinner hosted by Johnny Symington - wines from the Symington Family reserves.
The Symingtons' first vintage as owners of this historic Port.
Showing a bit of age, clear edges deepening to red. Spicy glacéd red fruits in a medium frame, Graham's sweet core balanced by herby, minty grip. A touch of spirit heat in the background betrays its age.
Still excellent at 44, but for drinking up over the next few years on this showing before it starts to fade.
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10/4/2014 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 97 Points
Tasted at Graham's Malvedos at the Symington Estate with fellow FTLOP tasters on our last day in the Douro Valley. Great flavor, not hot yet very smooth. Lots of long term flavor finish on the palate, creamy and distinctive house style, rich and ripe grapes, a hint of mint.
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9/8/2014 - admid wrote: 94 Points
MW Sebastian Bredal Wine dinner (Restaurant Festningen, Oslo): Ap: dark ruby
Ar: Dried berries, sweet dried figs, dried plums, chocolate and tobacco. Very good intensity.
Full bodied and balanced. Intense palate.
Very good length
50+4+14+18+8
Great old port in great shape and appears younger than it's 44 years
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8/3/2014 - MemorialWineFan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Got the cork out in full which was nice. Fruit still came through even before the glass breathed out. We weren't sure how the fruit was showing at this time. Hint of tobacco and licorice. Very smooth finish.
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8/3/2014 - Ricardohd Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good mature port. Quite hot on the finish though. Enjoyable but not amazing considering the price.
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7/28/2014 - Chimer Likes this wine: 96 Points
Two bottles opened and decanted, from two separate unidentified Uk bottlings. The first decanter was sublime, immense colour, really vivid with beautiful youthful bouquet, a palate which was completely integrated and gave the impression of satin. The second decanter was equally youthful in colour but the spirit came through more strongly and gave the wine a slightly dry edge. The tannin's here remain immense but the fruit in the first decanter completely covered them, whilst in the second they poked out a bit. The first decanter was a wonderful example of fine Vintage Port, good bottles of this vintage should have a 100+ year lifespan.
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6/23/2014 - Dale M wrote:
Have little or no experience with port, but I really enjoyed this a lot. Sweet, but very nuanced and fine. Lots of complexity and intrigue. I could get used to drinking this often.
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3/1/2014 - EndreS Likes this wine:
Vintage Port (Fem Bord, Trondheim): Seems very primary still. Intense and sweet with dark fruits and chocolate/coffee. Rich and full of tannins in the finish. So much here, excellent wine.
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3/1/2014 - LWI wrote: 94 Points
A Portnight (Fem Bord, Trondheim): Coffee, chocolate, dark berries, nuts, quite youthful, primary fruit still there.
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1/6/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Chicago Wine Flock..."Various Expressions of Pinot Noir" (My home - Chicago IL): Popped, decanted and poured. Lots of fig and date with rich dried cherry. Very long, balanced and elegant. Seemed much better than another bottle from a few months ago.
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12/26/2013 - msimoes Likes this wine: 94 Points
The bottle was in perfect condition. No seepage. The cork nearly came out in one go. It was soaked most of the way.
It was the oldest VP I tried, so don't have much for comparison, hence no score.
It was v v enjoyable. So smooth to drink, alcohol perfectly integrated. Red colored, perfectly translucid - tons of sediment came out. Decanted it 4 hrs from when dessert started, 6h30 from now.
Nearly finished the bottle along w my parents and in-laws (neither drinks much). At a point had emptied my glass and smelled it. Soooo wonderful. Hard to put it in words. The aromas were so nice, like noble wood, honey.
Didn't feel old at all. In fact, could see it mellow out further.
It was v sweet. I was ok w that but it was overwhelming for my father in law.
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12/22/2013 - LWI wrote: 96 Points
Deep, balckthorn and other dark berries, mint, christmas spices, fresh. Impressive and rather youthful.
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12/15/2013 - Captain Haddock Likes this wine: 95 Points
Colour would make you guess it's 20, not 43 years old. Virtually no spirit on the nose - violets, dark fruit, flowers. Youthful, energetic, compact, this has plenty of life left in it. Delicious.
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10/28/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Zachys in Chicago (EL Ideas - Chicago IL): Very good overall with a nutty, earthy character, hints of ripe figs and cherry. Slightly simpler than I recall vs when last opened 4-5 years ago, but maybe it was just too late to appreciate this tonight.
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10/19/2013 - Rogershkg wrote: 95 Points
- Crimsom color and aromas of blackberry, raspberry and black currant and has flavours of black currant, blackberry and raspberry with a long finish.
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8/21/2013 - ecnemergut wrote: 95 Points
Sublime.
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7/15/2013 - Charlie Carnes Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tremendous. I decanted and poured back into clean bottle. This had all of the markers of a beautiful well aged Port. Sweet figs and plums and lightly spiced tobacco leaf were some of the strong perceptions I tasted. I was really happy with how fresh this wine was. At 43 years old this dark beauty with slight pink on the edges was really spry and nimble. The wine had plenty of tart acid that gave it a very fresh and light bodied attack. Two of us nearly finished the bottle in a couple of hours.
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6/8/2013 - BBG London wrote: 93 Points
Drunk Vintners Dinner 06.06.13. Still vibrant and drinking well.
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5/12/2013 - CamoDave wrote: 95 Points
- Medium forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of walnut and prune with a medium/full body with a medium finish - Stellar for the value.
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5/7/2013 - LWI wrote: 93 Points
Palmer vertical: Deep cherry nose, stony, fresh, some raisin; long and fresh, surprising combination of youthfulness and an alcoholic finish. There are better bottles.
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4/12/2013 - dchain Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely dark ruby colour, doesn't look 43 years old in the slightest. Opened and poured into a Bordeaux glass. Very open- a lot of cherry, fig and fruitcake on the nose. All very well integrated now. Tastes as it smells and very long. Still has primary elements but I would say this is clearly in the zone for drinking now. Went very well with a Bolivar Rubusto with good friend MCA at the Pacific Cigar Club in Central.
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2/28/2013 - france 44 wrote: 98 Points
One of the best ports ever bottled. Fig, plum, chocolate with a 45 second finish. David.
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1/23/2013 - Harley1199 wrote: 95 Points
Returning to Wine & View Bar; 1/23/2013-2/1/2013 (Vaanta Airport - Helsinki): Can you believe this bottle is NOT ready to go at this point? Awesome! Red with a small trace of brownish colour.
Of course it is absolutely drinkable and enjoyable now but, again, the best is yet to come. Amazing Port! Full of toffee, burned caramel and cream aromas. An authentic perfume. Sexy almost evil as the song used to say.
On the palate conserves that dense nutty note we really appreciate
Legs to run to the Folie this evening.... Terrific!
¿Te puedes creer que esta botella todavía no está lista ahora?
¡Qué belleza! Colorada con esos ribetes amarronados.
Por supuesto está bebible y disfrutable pero, de nuevo, lo mejor está por llegar. ¡Maravilloso Oporto!
Lleno de aromas a pastillas de café, caramelo quemado y crema. Un auténtico perfume. Como la canción solía decir, sexy casi maléfica.
En boca conserva esa densa nota a frutos secos que tanto apreciamos.
"Piernas" como para ir esta noche a lucirlas al Folie...¡terrorifica!
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12/29/2012 - kevin h wrote: 89 Points
Solid port, good condition but it didn't really shine over 3 days. Red fruits and a bit spirity.
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12/29/2012 - M.Batard wrote: 94 Points
Decanted one hour ahead. Medium ruby, but tansparent. Left masses of sediment in the bottle, but cheesecloth would have been warranted. Figs and plums. Fresh and rich. Extremely well integrated. A true delight.
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12/25/2012 - lgd112768 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for several hours. Lots of sediment (as expected). Delicious!
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12/24/2012 - St Paul wrote: 95 Points
Need to be decanted for a few hours but hey the reward is really nice. Lovely fudge, chocolate, raisins....really lovely Port
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11/22/2012 - fredb Likes this wine:
Medium red color with moderate transparency throughout. Decanted off expected amount of fine sediment. Aromas of fig, plum, licorice, and cherry. Palate is initially a bit medicinal with cherry cough drop notes. This subsides with an hour of air and the wine takes on ripe plum, fig, and spice notes that carry into the long finish. This is showing more sweetness than spirit and is drinking in prime form. Drink.
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11/5/2012 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 95 Points
A Portmaker's Dinner (Christie's Amsterdam): Remarkably deep and lively colour for a 42 year old wine; rich, sweet, excellent depth, touch of oak, slightly spirity, classic 1970 structure, still a hint of plumminess, complete, will last for a very long time. Drink now - 2030+.
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10/31/2012 - SAND Likes this wine: 95 Points
Symington-smaking i regi av Aperitif (Gamle Logen, Oslo): Farge: Brunlig, med svak rødtone.
Duft: Nydelig nese, kompleks, té, tørkede frukter, marsipan, nype, rosin, roser.
Smak: Rik, kompleks, balansert, masse smak, lang ettersmak.
Dette er en topp meditasjonsvin!
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10/31/2012 - AreH wrote:
rike bær, runde tanniner, lang ettersmak. noe karamell, kaffe.
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8/10/2012 - Chrisinroch wrote:
No formal notes, but this is a wonderful mature complex wine. Hazelnuts and candied fruit. No woodiness or hard edges, just a great wine.
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5/2/2012 - petitblanc wrote: 94 Points
Great depth of color, a generally youthful cherry-garnet. Fresh, expressive, inviting nose of cinnamon, chocolate, rhubarb, red berry, and anise. Similar profile on the palate, terrific balance, velvety mouthfeel, longish and very clean finish. Delicious now, not a lot of structure in this bottle, but this has the stuffing to survive many more years, showing only flashes of tawny character now. Christopher of London bottling, neck fill despite considerable fresh seepage.
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4/25/2012 - Border Boss wrote: 88 Points
Fully mature, the color being brown but healthy. The wine had an odd nose of moth balls mixed in with sweet plums. Perhaps the bottle was flawed, but it was still a pleasant wine with sweet plums and only a little heat from the alcohol on the palate. This one was acquired upon release and stored in excellent conditions from that time, so I can't explain the odd nose. It was good with the chocolate mousse dessert.
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2/12/2012 - ours de vin wrote: 92 Points
Followed previous taster notes for decanting: opened bottle at 10:30, decanted at 1:30 and rebottled for transit at 5:30. A very good bottle, removed the cork without degradation and ullage was low neck. The color was deep purple, clear (not cloudy) and slight brownish hue on the edge. The only hit on this port was it is still a little hot but not terribly in the way of texture or taste so it did not put the wine out of balance. Great, fine texture and lively fruit with hazelnut and fig in the background. Served with sharp and blue cheeses and chocolate. May buy more.
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12/26/2011 - kingkanu wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for about 2 hours. Silky smooth in the mouth, lots of ripe fruit with some herbs. Mature but with plenty of energy left. Very long. A very good port
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12/24/2011 - sooper65 wrote: 96 Points
fab vintage port - uber purity, gorgeous texture and sweetness... yummmmm
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12/10/2011 - Partenaire wrote: 90 Points
Il s'agit d'un vin qui a maintenant 41 ans. Par conséquent, le bouchon est devenu très délicat. La nuance de la robe est marron. Très forte présence de dépôt. Le nez est surtout sur des notes mentholés, mais n'est pas désagréable. On parle aussi d'odeurs de vieux rhum. En bouche, c'est devenu de la soie. C'est ample, bien équilibré, fondu et sur un long déclin. On est impressionné quand on boit un vintage de cet âge vénérable, mais le prix vient naturellement avec...
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12/5/2011 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Great bottle and fully mature. Everything is round and perfectly integrated and well balanced. Soft, smooth and complex. Beautiful!
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12/1/2011 - bmagic wrote:
Nose - sweet candy and bubblegum. Palate - crunchy black fruits; concentrated and ripe. Just a few rough edges in the mid palate. Long finish. Ready!
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10/23/2011 - Remony wrote: 94 Points
Took a decanter to Gisborough Hall for Harvey Rands's party, together with another decanter of the 1966. This was obviously the younger wine, slightly darker, sharper, more clear cut to look at. Lovely nose, just a whiff of spirit, delicious but just a touch sharper than the '66, not quite as great a wine. I doubt it will ever scale the heights of the '66.
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9/12/2011 - Sennma wrote: 96 Points
Drank to conclude 41st birthday dinner (port from birth year). This is everything a port should be. Rich and mellow. Great caramel and nut flavors. Need to track more down
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7/24/2011 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Earlier in the day my friend decanted the wine and we tried it but it had some tough tannins. By the time we were ready to drink it, 5-6 hours later, it was perfect. This had nice aromas of fig, dried cherry, raisin and a touch of earth. I could sit there and smell this all day! The palate had similar flavors with chocolate, raisin, fig and dried cherry that just coated your mouth. Had a excellent finish that lasted 40-50 seconds. I don't get to try that many old ports but I have to say that this is the finest I have ever had.
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5/21/2011 - LWI wrote: 93 Points
Dark ruby with a hint of brown and a thin brown rim; subdued nose with some raisins, nuts and forest floor; licorice, dried cherries, nuts and some spice. A warm and alcoholic ending in an otherwise lovely, albeit slightly burned finish. Medium bodied with good intensity, long. A fine and elegant VP which is slightly unbalance due to the alcoholic finish.
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2/26/2011 - EducatedDrunk wrote: 89 Points
Any Port in a storm (Chris Lipperts): Good colour, nice concentration. Smooth and well integrated now. Again an edge of herbs on the palate - sage, almost. Nice fruit notes to it, too, but the herbs don't work for me. Drinking well now.
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12/28/2010 - JulienGraves wrote: 94 Points
Light ruby color, subtle nose, complex palette and long finish. Elegant wine that you need to think about. You can't talk over it -- it takes concentration. The more I concentrated on it the more I found. Without care the complexity would be lost. Not a big, explode in your mouth or overwhelm your nose Port. A more feminie sophisticated Port.
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12/18/2010 - fredb Likes this wine:
Medium brick red with thinning at the rim. Decanted for 2 hours prior to consumption. Sweet fig, prune, plum, cherry, and Christmas pudding on the nose. Flavors follow the nose. Rich chocolate, cherry, fig, and a hint of licorice with a long, warming finish that has a bit of caramel and toffee. This really showed well between hours 2 and 6. The next day, some medicinal notes had crept in and this drank well for the following few days at this diminished level. Best drunk within 12 hours of decanting from this sample. Delicious now. Drink or hold.
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11/18/2010 - merrimacga wrote: 95 Points
Excellent bottle with good ullage. Uncorked at home at 10:30am. Cork took two tries and crumbled on removal but miraculously none of it fell in wine. Sampled: pale amber color, nose and taste like an excellent tawny port but a bit hot alcohol and a bit rough. Let bottle settle until 1:30pm. Used steel filter and silver funnel to place in decanter, leaving dregs in bottle. Decanted until 5:30pm. Sampled again: dark amber brown color, slightly more subtle nose, and smoother taste but still fairly hot alcohol. Rinsed and dried bottle then, again using the filter and funnel, replaced wine back into bottle and stoppered for transport to the tasting. Removed stopper and let stand until pour at 8:15pm. In glass: pretty deep red with just a touch of purple and brown; soft notes of raisin, alcohol, almonds, oak, and fig on the nose; lovely taste of softer but still very warm alcohol, still like a fine tawny port but far more refined and very elegant, balanced, harmonious, perfect. Shared with 11 others (1-ounce pours) at close of tasting and rave reviews from all. Had enough left over for the seconds requested and to take home roughly quarter bottle. All who had it with the pumpkin pie agreed it was an excellent pairing.
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11/14/2010 - kostaslonis wrote: 98 Points
Decanter Fine Wine Encounter; 11/13/2010-11/14/2010 (Landmark Hotel, London): (Decanter Fine Wine Encounter Vintage Port Masterclass)
Red (pinot noir) color. Evolved nose, fruity still, not that dense (maybe needs more time). Velvety and smooth, round, blackcurrant and plum, perfect balance, delicate and long aftertaste. This is great and will be stay that way for many more years.
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11/14/2010 - Remony wrote: 93 Points
Took a decanter to Crab & Lobster for dinner on eve of Jamie Ede's day at Kildale. First of the 1970s from my cellar. Much deeper in colour, sweeter, and seemingly much younger, than Graham 1966, which we have been drinking recently. Very enjoyable, and a great success with the team (which included Adam Brett-Smith from C & B). But no harm in leaving these for another few years yet, I think.
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10/23/2010 - Argrath wrote: 94 Points
(Old note)
Elegant, mature nose. Balanced between red berries, plums, raisins, spices and hints of chocolate. Very elegant.
Fully mature palate. Sweet, but not overly so. Balanced and smooth. Cinnamon and spices, but also fresh fruit left. Plums and raisins. The spiciness does not overwhelm the dried fruit. Splendid port in perfect drinking window!
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6/24/2010 - chbeaumont Likes this wine: 95 Points
Colour remains strong; this was excellent, complete, bags of vitality. Drunk along side Q da Noval this showed itself as clearly superior. Classy.
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5/17/2010 - BradE wrote:
Some burnt toast on the nose. Took some time to develop in the glass, and for me was good, not great.
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4/24/2010 - Sparkotron wrote: 95 Points
Opened on the eve of my 40th birthday, and once I got done mangling the cork, I was able to conclude that this is a really great wine! It has totally eased into itself, and yet it maintains a youthful vibrancy. Saving half of it in a screwcapped 375ml for later in the week... very much looking forward to it!
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4/16/2010 - vespasian wrote: 98 Points
Garnet core - quite faded with bricking at the rim; mellow, lifted fruits on the nose. Complex berry notes. No alcoholic whiff, lovely fruit! Absolutely delightful palate - warm, embracing flavours. Figs, dried fruits. Great length and lovely complex fruit notes on the finish. Goes on and on! Nutty notes, nougat, marzipan. Superb texture, silky and seductive.
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4/2/2010 - rhps00 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 12 hours. Brickish red-brown on the rim of the glass. Aromas of candied prunes, cherry, iodine and chocolate. Flavors include sweet cherries, strawberry, fig, hazelnut, and caramel. Tannins are fairly soft, finish is a little hot.
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3/5/2010 - WetRock wrote:
Old Ports with Roy Hersh (Zucca, LA, CA): Chocolate covered cherries and wood show on a rich nose. Bright cherry and musty wood later on. Rich and thick palate on the short and syrupy side showing heat. Much like the Taylor's this didn't step up on the night though it didn't seem flawed.
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1/21/2010 - SimonG wrote: 94 Points
Rupert's Fourrier Clos St Jacques Offline (The Ledbury, London): Decanted 12 hours in advance. Again, lovely nose, a little smoother and more restrained. Sweet Graham's fruit, quite lovely. A tight minerally element that reins-in any heat on the finish. Really lovely. ****1/2
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1/13/2010 - jlgnml wrote: 93 Points
Sweet, rich, structure, finese finish.
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1/12/2010 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
IWFSC 751st Dinner (Les Nomades): Light purple color. Medium red/purple fruit with just a whiff of heat remining. Lovely sweet round palate. Showing very nicely.
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1/12/2010 - jlgnml wrote: 93 Points
IWFSC 751st Dinner (Les Nomades): Sweet, has structure, age worthy and finese.
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12/27/2009 - JulienGraves wrote: 94 Points
Very elegant, but not overpowering Port; takes concentration. Good color, beginning to have a brickish hue on the edges, lighter in color than I expected, complex nose that stops the conversation because of the need to concentrate. Complex pallette, but not really big in the mouth, more elegant almost feminine rather than explosive or overwhelming. While the experts say this will live a lot longer, I'm not so sure. Wonderful bottle.
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12/26/2009 - rmalloy wrote: 91 Points
I don't have much experience with old vintage port. This wine--a splurge at $150 or so--surprised me. I expected it to be sweet, unctuous, powerful, complex, concentrated. Instead, it was balanced, understated, elegant, and refined. It's hard for me to rate a wine like this, which is simply delicious and will please most everyone but lacks any wow factor. I'll try: 90. It seemed to me that this wine was at or slightly past its peak of enjoyability.
Edit: Thinking back, I need to bump this up at least one point. It was a really good and memorable wine that we all enjoyed.
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11/12/2009 - MatthewF wrote:
Jen's Birthday (Lake Bluff, IL): Very dark cherry and plum on the nose with a healthy dose of cocoa and spice. Blueberry pie flavors on the palate. Alcohol is a bit overpowering on the nose and is obvious on the palate.
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11/12/2009 - psmith wrote:
Jen's birthday (Inovasi; Lake Bluff, IL): Reasonably ready to drink. Bright flavors, with less weight than expected. Ruby color. Medium-body. Carries its components well.
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9/3/2009 - ecnemergut wrote: 94 Points
Decanted about 6 hours and consumed over three days (stored overnight under gas at cellar temperature). Probably at it's best on the 2nd day.
Impressively sweet candied cherry nose which is quickly brought into balance with firm (39 year-old!) tannin and crisp acidity. Full on the palate and picked on weight every time I lifted the glass to my lips. Long finish.
A great wine, but lacking in the complexity of the sublime 1970 Taylor or Fonseca.
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7/18/2009 - petitblanc wrote: 92 Points
Dark cherry fading to tea at the rim. Chocolate, sweet berry, tobacco, allspice, a bit of oxidation funk. Fairly overwhelming alcohol and minimal tannins. This bottle showed a bit of old seepage, and was certainly showing a shade less than its best, but still very enjoyable. This could benefit from a very long decant.
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7/17/2009 - Jester wrote: 98 Points
I have tasted this Port several times and each and every time it has shown itself to be an absolutely stunning example of what Port can acheive. Now, first let me clear something up. This is a VERY sweet port.....and even though I don't have much of a sweet tooth and would probably never drink more than 1-2 glasses, the sweetness may or may not be overwhelming to others. However, albeit Graham VP's tendency to be a tad bit sweeter than the other prominent Port houses, this particular vintage blows away 98% of the other ports that I have tasted. It has a beautiful, though subtle, nose of chocolate covered cherries, mocha, sweet cream, stewed berries and spices ( cinnamon, nutmeg, a hint of allspice ), toffee, and ginger-spiced cake. On the palate is where the fireworks begin, though. There is a local place right down the street from me that makes the most amazingly delicious, super moist and buttery, melt in your mouth, pound cake which is absolutely covered in a crunchy cinnamon/sugar struesel. If that rich, sweet delight were to be drowned in marachino cherries and their juice, strawberries, and raspberries which had all been stewed and cooked down with some Kirch liquor and Chambord, then you would have a pretty close approximation of the flavors that expolde across your palate when tasting this port. It is phenomenal. Now, admittedly, every time I have tasted it, I had, for the previous hour or so, been tasting big, heavy and tannic reds, so the blast of sugar, fruit, and spices was a wonderful and welcome change for my taste buds. That doesn't change the fact that this port is absolutely spectacular. Easily 95-99 points, depending upon how well it has been stored, pairing, and the circumstances surrounding the tasting opportunity. I had it once paired with a crisp cinnamon and sugar crusted mini apple pie topped with a creamy-tart dollop of Roquefort. MMmmmm!!!
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7/1/2009 - mwhitmoe wrote: 95 Points
Color is more vibrant than I expected given the maturity on this port. Nose is beautiful - caramel, fig, cherries abound. A little overpoweringly sweet for my taste, but not by much. Just makes the balance off a bit. Less spice flavors than I expected. Alcohol and acidity are both in line with expectations. Hints of chocolate on the finish. Overall, a real blockbuster!
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6/19/2009 - KPB wrote: 100 Points
A bottle solidly in the "Oh my god" category for port. Defies every possible descriptor. Medium dark ruby... incredibly sweet, spicy nose: spice cake, fruits confit, figs, caramel. Long, sweet, irresistable. What a great VP! I've had many bottles but this was off scale.
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4/25/2009 - Shags wrote: 95 Points
Was drunk in comparison with a 70's Taylor and 70's Fonseca. Although showed very well and was an excellent bottle of Port, was the least preferred of the three. Still showing signs of acidity, although still a reasonable amount of fruit as well.
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3/29/2009 - chbeaumont wrote: 97 Points
Retains a good depth of colour, brick red rim; initial iodine & bandages accompanied 'sweet' fruit on nose, later unfurled gracefully but not a powehouse nose; glorious palate from the outset, remains sweet, perfect pitch, expansive, all together. Stunning vigour on a lingering finish. At its peak now & the next 10 years.
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2/25/2009 - dbkitc wrote: 95 Points
Mature red-brick color. Caramel, coffee, wood chips and velvet fruit. Glorious depth on the finish. (95)
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12/20/2008 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
So much power and length. Big start, bigger finish. Better after open a few days.
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10/1/2008 - PortFanatic wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 3 hours ago. Darker than I thought it was going to be. Medium ruby color with very slight bricking of the rim. Ceader nose with dark cherries... then smoke and a hint of caramel. Very inviting! Great nose! Entry is very fruity and then spreads out to fill every crevice of the mouth. The glycerine in this Port is unbelieveable! Cherries, Coffee, and strawberries... with just a hint of casis. Mostly red fruits. Good acid kicks in to lighten it up. Obviously Graham's -- it's got the classic sweet and sour finish going on. The finish is medium bodied and is very fine. This Port doesn't assault you but lures you in. This reminds me of a younger version of the 1955 Graham's. It's still a bit young and the alcohol is peeking through on the finish. Nothing that a little more decant time won't take care of. Outstanding port!
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8/31/2008 - fredb wrote:
Showing some age at the rim - thinning color. Otherwise, ruby-red color with plenty of thickness. Nose shows candied prunes, raisins, iodine, and a generally red fruited presence. On the palate, this initially had a high sweet medicinal note to it. After 20 hours in decanter, this integrated and the presentation was more of candied prunes with the medicinal note showing on the long finish. By day three, the wine had fully integrated and was showing deep chocolate character (milk chocolate on day two, bittersweet chocolate on day three). Very pleasant, mature, and will make a good old port in 25 more years. Seemingly better balanced than the '66 from Magnum in July.
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8/9/2007 - KPB wrote: 98 Points
Lovely port and perfectly mature now. Light ruby/cranberry with a slightly limpid, syrupy flow. Nose of white chocolate, floral tones, cassis sorbet. Balanced and long on the palate with endless waves of sweet fruit.
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5/19/2007 - CamWheeler wrote: 94 Points
Opened very volatile on the nose but with time revealed notes of coffee, cherry, kirsch, chocolate and violet. Extremely classy on the palate, with moderate sweetness and exceptional length. I was surprised at the lovely balance of this wine on the palate after the volatility and alcohol on the nose. Will last for decades.
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5/8/2007 - KPB wrote: 95 Points
Limpid, medium cranberry. Nose offers red current syrup, white chocolate, coffee, spices, some noticable alcohol. Long and balanced on the palate, with tart/sweet red current flavors, mouth-coating, velvety finish. Very long and elegant. Clearly approaching maturity.
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3/25/2007 - muzzy wrote: 99 Points
fabulous, mellow all it should be
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3/8/2007 - moutondoc wrote: 90 Points
Notes of cherry and kirsch, decanted for one hour lovely bottle.
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1/5/2007 - plitton wrote: 97 Points
Spectacular. Triple decanted and breathed for 1 hour. Prominent prunes and dates. Enjoyed with a Havana Punch Royal Coronation in Grand Cayman. It doesn't get much better than this.
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10/13/2006 - AllRed wrote: 86 Points
Purchased a glass off the wine list after dinner at Isabella's. The lighting was very dim, but the color appeared very youthful. Notes of black currant, plum and blackberry. The palate is still rather tannic and slightly hot. There wasn't much fruit, except for a light presence on the attack, but that was soon overshadowed by the heat and tannin.
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9/22/2006 - mdefreitas wrote: 94 Points
Dinner Party at Home w/ Pinots & d'Yquem (Milford): Decanted for 10 hours. Ripe, spicy fruit. Cherry/fruitcake flavors with a wonderful mouthfeel. Complex and extremely well balanced. No overt "spirity" quality. Luscious and long. Seems like it could still improve.
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3/28/2006 - beachbum wrote: 93 Points
Toronto Offline at Reds with Ian Darshan Cauble: Did not get to give this the time it deserved, but an exteremly sweet chocolate nose, amazing concentration, good punch, tannis are resolved, but this wine will go on for a long time. And I think improve, as it is still showing somewhat primary plummy fruit.
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3/20/2006 - KPB wrote: 96 Points
Sweet, long, very rich and intense. Awesome port; basically unchanged since my 2005 notes. That same hint of candied orange and dark chocolate is still evident. What a great world, to have stuff like this in it!
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2/25/2006 - KPB wrote:
Long and supple, but this bottle was marred by having the cork fall in and by the time we decanted it, was kind of murky. Unrated but excellant.
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2/15/2006 - BordeauxNut wrote:
Light garnet core fades gradually to a wide clear rim. Really spirity nose. There's some fresh flowers and spice too. Soft on the palate with a deep core of very sweet dark red and black fruits in the center. Long finish. Not as good as a recent bottle of the 1970 Taylor in December -- but very good.
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1/21/2006 - dbg wrote:
Opened and decanted 7 hours before drinking. Poured back in bottle 3
hours before drinking.
Dark red, some lightening at rim without bricking. Nice complex
nose, full bodied sweet fruit with good complexity, resolved tannins,
smooth long finish. Outst
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11/19/2005 - KPB wrote: 97 Points
Ruby. A stunning port. Nose of scented geraniums and cassis, bitter orange, chocolate Extremely long and balanced with wave upon wave of rich, ripe, cassis fruit and that same hint of oranges and chocolate. Alcohol and sweetness are well integrated, for Graham’s, and in fact this port is not exceptionally sweet. 97, with a very long life ahead of it.
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10/26/2005 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 96 Points
(From a bottle that had been open, though with the cork replaced, for just under a week) A mature garnet colour. The nose is chocolatey, very fruity and quite figgy. Sweet and fruity on the palate. Impeccable balance. Really lovely. Excellent.
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10/15/2005 - sdr wrote: 92 Points
This has mellowed considerably since a couple of years ago, at least this bottle. Well integrated, not too alcoholic or fiery, not as sweet as before and all the better for it. Gaining in complexity and interest. Cherry, plum and a hint of raison. Fully mature at last.
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4/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Group #4, My #9 - Deep, almost opaque purple. Forward hot aroma of black cherry and hints of chocolate. Sweet jammy opulent fruit on the palate with plenty of tanin and acidity. 4/05
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3/10/2005 - Tubbs wrote: 95 Points
An Evening With Roy Hersh and Justin Wells (Roy's Place): Licorice on the nose with a complex, ever changing palate of raisin, black cherry, etc. Smooth, extremely well balanced with a nice long zippy finish. Nice acidity. Once again my love of port is affirmed.
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2/29/2004 - Nuray wrote:
Portfolio Ref # PORT B1
Setting: Study Group / Bests at Paul Farrell's
Appearance: bright, medium garnet core with very little fading, very viscous legs
Nose: heady and very intense nose, boozy, raisiny with still mouthwatering acidity
Palate: semi-sweet, hight than average acid and alcohol, full bodied with a very long finish, very extracted fruit flavours with a wonderful balance
Comments: Perfection!
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9/27/2003 - Eric wrote: 97 Points
Opened to decant through cheesecloth at 10am. The cork came out cleanly and with no incident. Initial smell of violet, beautiful! Revisited this about 11 hours later, and wow what a remarkable wine, the best port I have ever tasted. The nose has mint, chocolate and violets, a bare hint of spirit but very distinguished and complex. The palate and finish on this were unreal, pure fireworks in the mouth, what a display! The descriptors are thin, but the memory of this one is incredible!
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4/12/2003 - chbeaumont wrote:
Lost note. Outstanding. Fortfied wine of the year.
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1/3/1998 - RogerG wrote:
round and smooth
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11/4/1981 - LWI wrote:
Initially round and warm. Very tough, tobacco and tannins, acid finish. Long development ahead. Ratings reserved.
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