First vintage port. Vibrant ruby red red in the glass. Poor shows that not nearly as viscous as an aged port. Light aromatics. Medium body. Rich cherry notes with some plum and vanilla. Too much fruit for what I’m looking for in when I reach for a port. I’m assuming that has to do with age vs. quality. Quality seems like a very pure and balanced just more fruit than what I’m looking for.
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Quite young and dense inky black. Ripe and sweet and alcoholic and quite tannic. But lots of stuffing and quite flavorful 94+ Hold, even if it is so tasty now.
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Pop and pour to evaluate my semi-bulk purchase of this wine at Grocery Outlet. Very nice, clean, fruit and alcohol and sweetness, all seem in good balance. Fruit forward currently with plum, dark cherry, cocoa. Minor secondary flavors of prune, raisin. Should develop and last forever, will keep buying opportunistically via GO.
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Powerful and enchanting blue and purple berry driven bouquet. In this way, it smells like the finest quality pancake syrup. Really pretty! The wine also tastes like it smells, berry liqueur-like flavors and textures exciting and caressing the palate.
There is substance here too, conveyed mostly through black sand and crushed granite minerality, along with dark coco powder and dark chocolate ganache-like textures.
It drinks great as a stand alone and it paired beautifully with seasoned brisket and roasted vegetables.
All in all, rock solid. This noted, the pro scores are inflated. Open-knit and forward in style, the wine did not develop much over the four days. Delicious and satisfying, but comparisons to the substance-driven 2011 vintage are flat wrong. Drink by 2035-2038.
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Virtual Grahams Tasting (Sammamish, Washington): Dark opaque purple with some light purple-garnet on the edges. Light notes of the granite lagars and some herbal notes on the nose. An expressive approach of lush blackberry with smooth tannins rolling through the mid-palate. Smooth, balanced finish.
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Full bodied and sweet palate with vibrant floral and ripe red fruity flavors and gentle tannic grip. Painfully young but already so delicious. Had a glass at the Bon Vivant bar.
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Tasting at Graham's (Graham's 1890 Lodge, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal): I am not used to tasting vintage ports this young - but I must say this showed quite nicely even in its infancy. It was really primary on the nose, but still very attractive, with tons of plums and black cherry and blackberry aromas, alongside lovely accents of herb, dried earth, and some peppery spice. Very nice, but oh-so youthful. The same thing could be said of the palate. Here, we had a veritable explosion of fruit on the attack - more red cherries alongside the darker tones picked-up on the nose this time round - and then a lovely blush of violets. I really liked the feel on the wine. Full, lush, yet there was such a lovely fresh balance to it all. There was what seemed like a little drop in intensity on the midpalate at first, but then the wine unfolded into a long, complete finish that stretched out a bed of fine, chewy tannins. Clearly still a baby though - this needs decades in the bottle to slowly unwind its great potential. 93++
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Super primary but so full of fruit and so pretty. Notes of black currant/cassis, crushed violets, sweet spices, some notes from the oak, also some savory notes and tobacco. Full bodied anf dense with prettt high aciditu and high tannin that is almost hidden under the fruit. Great length. Another great wine in the making. (95+)
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Decanted an hour and found it too hot. Decanted another 12 hours which allowed the alcohol nose to burn off. Nose of spicy orange zest and raspberry. Soft mouthfeel that coats your mouth and throat. Blueberry pie and vanilla cream with a hint of tar on the finish.
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The nose showed dusty dried florals, red licorice, spiced orange peel, and hints of menthol. On the palate, I found velvety textures with spiced red and black fruits, hints of zesty citrus with building minerality that saturated the senses. The finish was long with plum, blackberry, violette pastille and sweet inner florals.
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Raw grape and sauvage nose with a crotch element. Lovely creamy texture. Great fruit. Jovial. Suave and direct. Very symmetrical and correct with stuffing … which does betray a little too much softness. Certainly has a vibe and presence though.
Sweet notes of black fruit, burn oranges, strawberries, on the palate I found lush sweet fruits, candied cherries, mint with gripping ripe tannins. The palate was lush, round and enticing. This is one for the cellar and to re-visit in 10 years. Impressive, lush and beautiful sweet layers of fruit.
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4/18/2024 - novicemike wrote: 89 Points
First vintage port. Vibrant ruby red red in the glass. Poor shows that not nearly as viscous as an aged port. Light aromatics. Medium body. Rich cherry notes with some plum and vanilla. Too much fruit for what I’m looking for in when I reach for a port. I’m assuming that has to do with age vs. quality. Quality seems like a very pure and balanced just more fruit than what I’m looking for.
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10/6/2023 - AaronVG Likes this wine: 95 Points
So I have been drinking this over the last couple of years using my coravin, tonight’s glass was earth shattering.
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12/23/2022 - cos65 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Quite young and dense inky black.
Ripe and sweet and alcoholic and quite tannic.
But lots of stuffing and quite flavorful
94+
Hold, even if it is so tasty now.
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11/22/2021 - ChrisinCowiche wrote:
Pop and pour to evaluate my semi-bulk purchase of this wine at Grocery Outlet. Very nice, clean, fruit and alcohol and sweetness, all seem in good balance. Fruit forward currently with plum, dark cherry, cocoa. Minor secondary flavors of prune, raisin. Should develop and last forever, will keep buying opportunistically via GO.
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6/29/2021 - richshoes Likes this wine: 95 Points
Feminine, elegant, refined...molasses with hints of tar, coal, raisins
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6/22/2021 - richshoes Likes this wine: 94 Points
Feminine refined wine--dark raisin flavor profile
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2/4/2021 - Motz wrote: 94 Points
Over four days.
Powerful and enchanting blue and purple berry driven bouquet. In this way, it smells like the finest quality pancake syrup. Really pretty! The wine also tastes like it smells, berry liqueur-like flavors and textures exciting and caressing the palate.
There is substance here too, conveyed mostly through black sand and crushed granite minerality, along with dark coco powder and dark chocolate ganache-like textures.
It drinks great as a stand alone and it paired beautifully with seasoned brisket and roasted vegetables.
All in all, rock solid. This noted, the pro scores are inflated. Open-knit and forward in style, the wine did not develop much over the four days. Delicious and satisfying, but comparisons to the substance-driven 2011 vintage are flat wrong. Drink by 2035-2038.
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12/5/2020 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful! Full of red fruit flavors, and very soft and smooth on the palate.
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10/10/2020 - smcg Likes this wine: 95 Points
Inky color, full and rich, drinkable now
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8/28/2020 - NickA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Premium Tasting at Graham's (Graham's Port Lodge): Actually pretty ready to enjoy - not too rich and intense, lovely structure, tempted to give a higher score already.
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5/22/2020 - theportguy wrote: 93 Points
Virtual Grahams Tasting (Sammamish, Washington): Dark opaque purple with some light purple-garnet on the edges. Light notes of the granite lagars and some herbal notes on the nose. An expressive approach of lush blackberry with smooth tannins rolling through the mid-palate. Smooth, balanced finish.
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7/12/2019 - Henman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Full bodied and sweet palate with vibrant floral and ripe red fruity flavors and gentle tannic grip. Painfully young but already so delicious. Had a glass at the Bon Vivant bar.
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6/2/2019 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Tasting at Graham's (Graham's 1890 Lodge, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal): I am not used to tasting vintage ports this young - but I must say this showed quite nicely even in its infancy. It was really primary on the nose, but still very attractive, with tons of plums and black cherry and blackberry aromas, alongside lovely accents of herb, dried earth, and some peppery spice. Very nice, but oh-so youthful. The same thing could be said of the palate. Here, we had a veritable explosion of fruit on the attack - more red cherries alongside the darker tones picked-up on the nose this time round - and then a lovely blush of violets. I really liked the feel on the wine. Full, lush, yet there was such a lovely fresh balance to it all. There was what seemed like a little drop in intensity on the midpalate at first, but then the wine unfolded into a long, complete finish that stretched out a bed of fine, chewy tannins. Clearly still a baby though - this needs decades in the bottle to slowly unwind its great potential. 93++
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3/22/2019 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Super primary but so full of fruit and so pretty. Notes of black currant/cassis, crushed violets, sweet spices, some notes from the oak, also some savory notes and tobacco. Full bodied anf dense with prettt high aciditu and high tannin that is almost hidden under the fruit. Great length. Another great wine in the making. (95+)
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1/1/2019 - lewisrise Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted an hour and found it too hot. Decanted another 12 hours which allowed the alcohol nose to burn off. Nose of spicy orange zest and raspberry. Soft mouthfeel that coats your mouth and throat. Blueberry pie and vanilla cream with a hint of tar on the finish.
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11/30/2018 - berlinhotel Likes this wine: 96 Points
Kurzprobe WorldofPort Portweinmesse Leverkusen:
95-96+
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10/15/2018 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
The nose showed dusty dried florals, red licorice, spiced orange peel, and hints of menthol. On the palate, I found velvety textures with spiced red and black fruits, hints of zesty citrus with building minerality that saturated the senses. The finish was long with plum, blackberry, violette pastille and sweet inner florals.
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9/29/2018 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Raw grape and sauvage nose with a crotch element. Lovely creamy texture. Great fruit. Jovial. Suave and direct. Very symmetrical and correct with stuffing … which does betray a little too much softness. Certainly has a vibe and presence though.
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9/13/2018 - Alexander Smith wrote: 94 Points
Sweet notes of black fruit, burn oranges, strawberries, on the palate I found lush sweet fruits, candied cherries, mint with gripping ripe tannins. The palate was lush, round and enticing. This is one for the cellar and to re-visit in 10 years. Impressive, lush and beautiful sweet layers of fruit.
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7/31/2018 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
RIch and soft and very fruity, of course. Very soft on the palate.
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6/5/2018 - FransS wrote: 94 Points
2016 Vintage Port - the Symington Family Estates (Restaurant Entrepot Amsterdam): The colour is close to black, just a bit less refined and persistent than The Stone Terraces, and showing here a more classic style . A style, compared to the the older vintages, with less sweetness, 6,325 cases made.
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