Horizontal of 1977 Fonseca, Taylor, Smith Wodehouse, and Sandeman at 3rd weekend of encampment. Roughest of the lot but still great three days later drunk in isolation with Logan.
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Age has lightened the color to a deep garnet. Very fragrant, with notes of spiced roasted plums, smoke, Christmas spices and a whiff of old wine cellar. The tannins have melted away to give way to a silky, velvety wine. Wonderful persistence. Excellent.
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Very plae rusty-ruby, almost translucent, tons of sediment on the bottom (I didn't decant--i've always been a fan of drinking all the dirty bits at the end which I think have concentrated earthy flavors and are delicious). This had silky dried cherry, cherry skin notes, more red fruits, most of the sweetness dropped out, very elegant, nice, lacked complexity but this was more about the texture palate; a lovely after dinner drink. Thanksgiving dinner at B's.
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Many years ago, I purchased a case of half bottles of this port and finished the last bottle about ten year ago I was worried that I had waited too long for my one full bottle. Instead I am delighted to find a lingering finish - over a minute, with not only the cherry and raspberry notes but also tobacco and graphite, with notes of Brazil nuts and just a hint of vanilla. Delightful.
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A had a forty year port to celebrate a 40th anniversary of the founding of the wine group. Someone brought this to the party. It is also my birth year so they gave me the remaining half bottle. I finished over six days. It was good and had spun off tons of sediment. Still plenty of power left. I still think it could go five or ten more if stored properly. I had coffee and strawberry/raspberry notes on my end. A little tawny like but it still was pleasant enough. I had a forty year old Tawny a few weeks back that just anniliated this in comparison. However, given all the elements this was a pretty good but not great port. Recommend drinking them soon if you have them since I sense it may be on the decline IMO.
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Found the last ~1/4 of this bottle in the back of the fridge. Has been open since mid-July, so wasn't sure what to expect. Turns out it's improved substantially! Bodes really well for hanging onto these bottles for another five-10 years.
Light-bodied and colored. Finish hangs on for 45-60 seconds. Slight heat. Quite aromatic. Walnuts, toffee, more walnuts, hazelnut, cafe con leche, raspberry, apricot. Driving acidity keeps it feeling fresh. Begs for a cigar. Drink now or hold through ~2025.
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FTLOP 12th Anniversary; 7/21/2017-7/23/2017 (Seattle, Washington): Transparent amber-brown in color. Some slightly musty and medicinal notes on the nose. An intense mouthfeel. A touch of TCA on the nose and palate. Bing cherry and some light spearmint on the palate. Full-bodied and unctuous through the long finish. Could use a little more acidity.
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Nice showing. Bottle in good shape -- no seepage or other signs of a hard life. This isn't veering towards tawny for me, just good, solid, aged VP. Light red color, silky with the tannins totally resolved. Chambord, caramel, vanilla, cherry, peanut. Initially quite boozy but blows off quickly. Have one more bottle; will aim to knock it off within two-three years. Paired with a Liga Privada T52, which totally overwhelmed the wine. Would advise a much lighter smoke.
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At 40 years old, this port has taken on some Tawny characteristics. It was soft and showing a bit of age but in a nice way. Made the port more approachable. Fair amount of sediment.
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Opened, filtered, aerated and decanted. Was very light in color vs. others I've had of this vintage. Very transparent and brownish red in color. Sipped slowly and enjoyed the experience, but it didn't knock my socks off. It just seemed to be missing something. Heavy on the brandy, light on the wine.
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Stored in cold cellar since release. No Leakage. Perfect cork high fill. Tawney but with some red. Good fruit, excellent balance, nice acidity. Medium body. Should be better for the vintage. Drink soon.
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Very light red/orange, more akin to a tawny port. Very easy going and light for this vintage, an easy and enjoyable drinker! Probably getting on a bit..
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I have been drinking port for 20 years , the majority of these wines to me are Ok . I had a bottle of 80+ year old Hoopers once that was just excellent ( almost ethereal ) a few years back . I had a bottle of this a few nights ago and thought it was very very good . Enjoyed alot .
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Disappointing given the other '77s I've had. This was part of a mixed lot I picked up a while ago -- as much as I love the Sandeman's logo and my visit in Oporto, the iwnes just ren't competitive with the lodges in the Symington's portfolio. This was over the hill, with only a bit of dried fruit left, but otherwise secondary flavors of tobacco and nuts. Finishes a little hot.
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Garnet in color. Low rim variation. Slow legs. Nose: Raisin, Fig, Apricot, & Plum. On the palate: Blackberry, Cranberry, Raspberry, Red Currant, Black currant (cassis), with Fig, Raisin, and Prune. Medium/Full bodied. Silky texture. Long finish. Lots of fruit, very smooth, and long finish make this a great old Port. Excellent with high quality chocolates, dried fruits, or all by itself.
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Nice mahogany color. Prominent flavors of hazelnut, figs, quince jelly and toffee, with some floral notes as well. Still quite a few years of life left in this vintage, given proper storage.
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Bill's Monthly Lunch - December 2012 (Le Gavroche): This wasn’t a big Port and wasn’t super sweet either. Medium sweetness and body with maturing flavours and a nice nose as well. A little bit of heat on the palate. Smooth and drinking well. Very good.
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Stood up two days ahead of time, slow-oxed on the counter for ~6 hours. Lighter in the glass than expected, looking more like a 15-year old burg than a VP, and with relatively little sediment.
Reserved on the nose at first, eventually opening up a little with nutty and figgy notes. The palate was richer than expected from the nose, with well-developed notes of walnut, toffee, figs, and subtle floral notes in the finish. A sense of sweetness remains, and there's plenty of acid left to provide balance. Maybe not a knockout, but very tasty and a nice birthday treat.
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Bill's Monthly Lunch - December 2010 (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind – At this point of the lunch I was involved a few good discussions at the table so I wasn’t able to take any formal notes. Quite light in colour—a medium tawny—with a mature nose and nice flavours. It was smooth in mouth and probably at peak. Drink now. Very good.
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Even though this bottle showed more heat than the last one I had, it still had enough soft lavender and a sweetness up front and on the finish to be enjoyable. Based on the last couple bottles of this I've had from different sources, it is at peak and I don't see it getting any better, yet should hold here for another 3-5 years without issues. 88 points
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Surprisingly past it s prime. The port equivalence of petillance with a foamy though not unpleasant taste. Good fruit but dissipating. bottle was well stored so time or lack of clean bottle may be the issue.
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Deep red center, red to orange rim. Briar, sweet blackcurrant, burnt wood, caramelized citrus, dusty, redcurrant, slightly musty. Sweet, chlorine and dirty wood, redcurrants, aged red fruits, minerals (metallic), dried wet leaves, fair length. Drinking well now, fruit is good, but some (in my experience typical) chlorine and dirty wood notes from this vintage, good value for the price.
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Red center, red rim fading to brown (obvious age). Warm red fruits, cherries and almonds, notes of gasoline, toasted nuts, sweet. A little vegetal, raspberries, mature red fruit, sweet balanced with coconut and red cherries, acid at finish, good length. Drinking well now.
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Day 1: This was disappointing betcause it was way too light for a VP. My brother in law thought it was lightly corked, but I disagree, and corkiness did not increase over the following two days, so I doubt it. The alcohol predominated over the fruit and other flavors and those other flavors were very light. The touriga nacional flavor you find in port and in non-fortified Touriga Nacional wines just wasn't there except to a very minor extent. There was a hint of acetaone (nail polish remover) on the nose)
Day 2: I am always amazed how a lot of Port fleshes out with an extra day out of the bottle. This is still not a great VP and still disappointing, but much better than Day 1. It's light but definitely Port-like.
Day 3: Getting a little better, but still too much alcohol and a bit on acetone on the nose. You can get a tiny bit of roasted nuts on the nose, and cherry on the palate, but not a lot and the alcohol is still too strong.
Given a choice between this and the dreaded 83 Taylor, I would choose the Taylor, which puts it below what I would say is Roy's Hirsh's benchmark for the low end of mediocre.
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Agree with some other commentary that this bottle is probably on the tail end of its life, but this is still quite god. Color is sort of a dark brickish color. Nose was at first offputting. Definite presence of alchohol and little revealed in the way of fruit. At first thought it was done, but then I tasted it ... and here the flavors came together nicely. Still a solid core of fruits, with a great mouthfeel -- velvety textured. More to be added to this review on day 2 (tonight)
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drank with a group who all loved it. personally, i found major flaws. tasted alcohol with burning sensation in finish. nose revealled little and the mouth feel was just not great. very, very disappointing....
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7/29/2023 - crewald wrote:
Horizontal of 1977 Fonseca, Taylor, Smith Wodehouse, and Sandeman at 3rd weekend of encampment. Roughest of the lot but still great three days later drunk in isolation with Logan.
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4/28/2023 - mdefreitas wrote: 94 Points
Age has lightened the color to a deep garnet. Very fragrant, with notes of spiced roasted plums, smoke, Christmas spices and a whiff of old wine cellar. The tannins have melted away to give way to a silky, velvety wine. Wonderful persistence. Excellent.
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11/25/2021 - peternelson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very plae rusty-ruby, almost translucent, tons of sediment on the bottom (I didn't decant--i've always been a fan of drinking all the dirty bits at the end which I think have concentrated earthy flavors and are delicious). This had silky dried cherry, cherry skin notes, more red fruits, most of the sweetness dropped out, very elegant, nice, lacked complexity but this was more about the texture palate; a lovely after dinner drink. Thanksgiving dinner at B's.
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7/10/2021 - RayOB wrote: 91 Points
Drank in London
Still young and fresh
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4/8/2021 - mvick wrote: 92 Points
Many years ago, I purchased a case of half bottles of this port and finished the last bottle about ten year ago I was worried that I had waited too long for my one full bottle. Instead I am delighted to find a lingering finish - over a minute, with not only the cherry and raspberry notes but also tobacco and graphite, with notes of Brazil nuts and just a hint of vanilla. Delightful.
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12/27/2017 - travelme Likes this wine: 88 Points
A had a forty year port to celebrate a 40th anniversary of the founding of the wine group. Someone brought this to the party. It is also my birth year so they gave me the remaining half bottle. I finished over six days. It was good and had spun off tons of sediment. Still plenty of power left. I still think it could go five or ten more if stored properly. I had coffee and strawberry/raspberry notes on my end. A little tawny like but it still was pleasant enough. I had a forty year old Tawny a few weeks back that just anniliated this in comparison. However, given all the elements this was a pretty good but not great port. Recommend drinking them soon if you have them since I sense it may be on the decline IMO.
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9/30/2017 - tomherer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Found the last ~1/4 of this bottle in the back of the fridge. Has been open since mid-July, so wasn't sure what to expect. Turns out it's improved substantially! Bodes really well for hanging onto these bottles for another five-10 years.
Light-bodied and colored. Finish hangs on for 45-60 seconds. Slight heat. Quite aromatic. Walnuts, toffee, more walnuts, hazelnut, cafe con leche, raspberry, apricot. Driving acidity keeps it feeling fresh. Begs for a cigar. Drink now or hold through ~2025.
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7/23/2017 - theportguy wrote: 91 Points
FTLOP 12th Anniversary; 7/21/2017-7/23/2017 (Seattle, Washington): Transparent amber-brown in color. Some slightly musty and medicinal notes on the nose. An intense mouthfeel. A touch of TCA on the nose and palate. Bing cherry and some light spearmint on the palate. Full-bodied and unctuous through the long finish. Could use a little more acidity.
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6/10/2017 - tomherer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice showing. Bottle in good shape -- no seepage or other signs of a hard life. This isn't veering towards tawny for me, just good, solid, aged VP. Light red color, silky with the tannins totally resolved. Chambord, caramel, vanilla, cherry, peanut. Initially quite boozy but blows off quickly. Have one more bottle; will aim to knock it off within two-three years. Paired with a Liga Privada T52, which totally overwhelmed the wine. Would advise a much lighter smoke.
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5/4/2017 - spectrumphoto wrote: 93 Points
At 40 years old, this port has taken on some Tawny characteristics. It was soft and showing a bit of age but in a nice way. Made the port more approachable. Fair amount of sediment.
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2/6/2017 - Ralph_ wrote: 86 Points
drink up
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10/25/2015 - Vino2Vino wrote: 87 Points
Opened, filtered, aerated and decanted. Was very light in color vs. others I've had of this vintage. Very transparent and brownish red in color. Sipped slowly and enjoyed the experience, but it didn't knock my socks off. It just seemed to be missing something. Heavy on the brandy, light on the wine.
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10/18/2015 - Thoughtful Likes this wine: 92 Points
Stored in cold cellar since release. No Leakage. Perfect cork high fill. Tawney but with some red. Good fruit, excellent balance, nice acidity. Medium body.
Should be better for the vintage. Drink soon.
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6/10/2015 - Krowson wrote: 90 Points
Very light red/orange, more akin to a tawny port. Very easy going and light for this vintage, an easy and enjoyable drinker! Probably getting on a bit..
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4/27/2015 - jsebiri wrote:
I have been drinking port for 20 years , the majority of these wines to me are Ok . I had a bottle of 80+ year old Hoopers once that was just excellent ( almost ethereal ) a few years back . I had a bottle of this a few nights ago and thought it was very very good . Enjoyed alot .
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12/27/2014 - ews3 wrote: 85 Points
Disappointing given the other '77s I've had. This was part of a mixed lot I picked up a while ago -- as much as I love the Sandeman's logo and my visit in Oporto, the iwnes just ren't competitive with the lodges in the Symington's portfolio. This was over the hill, with only a bit of dried fruit left, but otherwise secondary flavors of tobacco and nuts. Finishes a little hot.
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5/24/2014 - CamWheeler wrote: flawed
Iberian Tasting: Corked.
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4/24/2014 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
orange red colour
sweet nose, some spice and mushrooms
quite a bit of tannin
fades nicely
peppery finish
very long
pretty good
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10/5/2013 - LFCHALA wrote: 92 Points
Balanced. Wonderful aroma. Raisin. Beating with glove
Drunk at Pearl and Ash Restaurant- New York
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8/26/2013 - urban_dk wrote: 90 Points
Flavor notes consistent with last bottle. Really noticed the dried-flowers bouquet on this one.
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1/30/2013 - KenK wrote: 89 Points
Light with good, but relatively simple flavors. Quite delicate.
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1/8/2013 - CognacFrank Likes this wine: 90 Points
Garnet in color. Low rim variation. Slow legs. Nose: Raisin, Fig, Apricot, & Plum. On the palate: Blackberry, Cranberry, Raspberry, Red Currant, Black currant (cassis), with Fig, Raisin, and Prune. Medium/Full bodied. Silky texture. Long finish. Lots of fruit, very smooth, and long finish make this a great old Port. Excellent with high quality chocolates, dried fruits, or all by itself.
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1/1/2013 - urban_dk wrote: 90 Points
Nice mahogany color. Prominent flavors of hazelnut, figs, quince jelly and toffee, with some floral notes as well. Still quite a few years of life left in this vintage, given proper storage.
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12/7/2012 - godx wrote: 89 Points
Bill's Monthly Lunch - December 2012 (Le Gavroche): This wasn’t a big Port and wasn’t super sweet either. Medium sweetness and body with maturing flavours and a nice nose as well. A little bit of heat on the palate. Smooth and drinking well. Very good.
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7/17/2012 - Weston3220 wrote:
Port Night (Paul's Abode): Port Tasting Night 1960 - 2007:
Dark fruit spice [root beer], decaying floral notes
put down might be slightly corked? [tho a lot of people rated this there number one wine of the night]
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6/23/2012 - henrygjeffreys wrote:
perfumed nose
spicy, some nuttiness very long finish
tick
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3/24/2012 - bretrooks wrote:
Stood up two days ahead of time, slow-oxed on the counter for ~6 hours. Lighter in the glass than expected, looking more like a 15-year old burg than a VP, and with relatively little sediment.
Reserved on the nose at first, eventually opening up a little with nutty and figgy notes. The palate was richer than expected from the nose, with well-developed notes of walnut, toffee, figs, and subtle floral notes in the finish. A sense of sweetness remains, and there's plenty of acid left to provide balance. Maybe not a knockout, but very tasty and a nice birthday treat.
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12/31/2010 - HamishR wrote: 93 Points
Lovely, medium mahogany,sweet, balanced nose, toffee, elagant on palate, medium sweet, nicely mature and delicious!
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12/10/2010 - HamishR wrote: 93 Points
Lovely, medium mahogany,sweet, balanced nose, toffee, elagant on palate, medium sweet, nicely mature and delicious!
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12/10/2010 - godx wrote: 89 Points
Bill's Monthly Lunch - December 2010 (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind – At this point of the lunch I was involved a few good discussions at the table so I wasn’t able to take any formal notes. Quite light in colour—a medium tawny—with a mature nose and nice flavours. It was smooth in mouth and probably at peak. Drink now. Very good.
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8/14/2010 - cofidis2 wrote: 88 Points
Even though this bottle showed more heat than the last one I had, it still had enough soft lavender and a sweetness up front and on the finish to be enjoyable. Based on the last couple bottles of this I've had from different sources, it is at peak and I don't see it getting any better, yet should hold here for another 3-5 years without issues. 88 points
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7/19/2010 - Sotto325 wrote: 80 Points
Surprisingly past it s prime. The port equivalence of petillance with a foamy though not unpleasant taste. Good fruit but dissipating. bottle was well stored so time or lack of clean bottle may be the issue.
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5/19/2010 - BradE wrote:
Class and breed are evident, yet still only partially showing its ultimate development. Any bottles owned should be put to the bottom of the cellar.
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2/19/2010 - pdadams66 wrote: 88 Points
Deep red center, red to orange rim.
Briar, sweet blackcurrant, burnt wood, caramelized citrus, dusty, redcurrant, slightly musty.
Sweet, chlorine and dirty wood, redcurrants, aged red fruits, minerals (metallic), dried wet leaves, fair length.
Drinking well now, fruit is good, but some (in my experience typical) chlorine and dirty wood notes from this vintage, good value for the price.
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12/19/2009 - pdadams66 wrote: 89 Points
Red center, red rim fading to brown (obvious age).
Warm red fruits, cherries and almonds, notes of gasoline, toasted nuts, sweet.
A little vegetal, raspberries, mature red fruit, sweet balanced with coconut and red cherries, acid at finish, good length.
Drinking well now.
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11/28/2009 - J @ y H @ c k wrote: 84 Points
Decanted 5 hours.
Day 1: This was disappointing betcause it was way too light for a VP. My brother in law thought it was lightly corked, but I disagree, and corkiness did not increase over the following two days, so I doubt it. The alcohol predominated over the fruit and other flavors and those other flavors were very light. The touriga nacional flavor you find in port and in non-fortified Touriga Nacional wines just wasn't there except to a very minor extent. There was a hint of acetaone (nail polish remover) on the nose)
Day 2: I am always amazed how a lot of Port fleshes out with an extra day out of the bottle. This is still not a great VP and still disappointing, but much better than Day 1. It's light but definitely Port-like.
Day 3: Getting a little better, but still too much alcohol and a bit on acetone on the nose. You can get a tiny bit of roasted nuts on the nose, and cherry on the palate, but not a lot and the alcohol is still too strong.
Given a choice between this and the dreaded 83 Taylor, I would choose the Taylor, which puts it below what I would say is Roy's Hirsh's benchmark for the low end of mediocre.
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9/9/2008 - Phin wrote:
This bottle was well cellared and has lots of life left. Rich and full. Not as dense as the Dows but thicker than the Warres.
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11/24/2006 - agbailey wrote: 91 Points
Agree with some other commentary that this bottle is probably on the tail end of its life, but this is still quite god. Color is sort of a dark brickish color. Nose was at first offputting. Definite presence of alchohol and little revealed in the way of fruit. At first thought it was done, but then I tasted it ... and here the flavors came together nicely. Still a solid core of fruits, with a great mouthfeel -- velvety textured. More to be added to this review on day 2 (tonight)
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3/12/2006 - carlwhat wrote: 81 Points
drank with a group who all loved it. personally, i found major flaws. tasted alcohol with burning sensation in finish. nose revealled little and the mouth feel was just not great. very, very disappointing....
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12/16/2005 - Saunders wrote:
Bottle way over the hill
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12/11/2005 - kris.h wrote: flawed
SWS Port Tasting (Seattle, WA): Corked!
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11/15/2002 - Burgundy Al wrote: 83 Points
Tasting. Simple fruit without the intensity I expected. Short.
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11/10/2002 - HamishR wrote:
Tasted at Commanderie dinner at Gusto di Quattro. Lovely, sweet, soft and ready.
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