Just wow. Unbelievably youthful, purple color. Pipe tobacco, sweet plummy/currant, cocoa powder. Lush, dense mouthfeel, with considerable tannin structure. Alcohol is extremely well concealed beneath layers of fruit and spice. Great bottle!
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After almost 5 years between bottles, this has certainly improved. The sweet dark fruit is standing out prominently now that the tannins have resolved a bit more and the alcohol has subsided a bit, only noticeable on the tail end of the finish. ....and WOW, what an awesome nose! I've always thought the '85 Vintage Port blend was going to be the greatest Graham's VP of all time (even over the '66 and '70), but now this single quinta is making a good argument to take that spot. This bottle was opened due to winning a 7 bottle lot at TCWC's recent auction. Very happy I have a case of this in the cellar now! Surely this has at least a decade more to go before being completely resolved.
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Served at the appropriate temperature by a holiday luncheon guest, this 35-year-old Port is still deeply colored and delivers an aromatic profile of black plums, morello cherries, licorice liqueur, dark chocolate and holiday spice cake. Full-bodied and with nice balancing acidity, it offers flavors that mirror the nose, flashing no heat from its 20% alcohol when served just above cellar temperature. Layered in the middle and long on the back end, this is youthful and delicious. Enjoy it at any time over the next twenty years. Decant it off of its sediment (or gently pour) at this point and give it an hour or more of air if possible. Drink now-2041.
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Dark fruited nose with some molasses, mainly black cherry, on the palate flavors of red cherry, fig, has a ferrous quality to it, slightly smoky. Quite sweet, no tannins, mild acidity, moderate length finish. This is quite nice, had low expectations but this definitely exceeded them.
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Opened 2/1/20; for about 30 minutes after decanting had a chalky nose, odd, but blew off, then deep black berry nose and flavors with inky tarry finish, not crazy sweet for a port, very nice
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Whoa! nose - dark whore will cut you and watch you bleed out vibe. Dark fruits and iced Viet coffee. Just great across the board with rough v. gentle textures and a gorgeous sweetness that plays off bass notes in intricate harmony. Jungle drum and bass. Sexy and primal. Fucking awesome.
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Blackberries, purple plum, a little dark cherry, and some cocoa powder (more texture than on the palate). Still noticeable tannin, but nothing that interferes with the sweet fruit. The alcohol's presence is there yet only in the background. Good stuff! It could use 5 - 10 years laying down. Gonna be tough to leave it on the rack though.
This got so much better on the second and third night (opened 5/26) that it would be criminal not to amend the score upwards a point.
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Complex aromas of cocoa, brandied cherries, raspberries, blackberries and plum. The palate features cocoa and black cherry, a bit dusty but still fresh. Integrated strcutred/balanced tannins/acid, drinking beautifully now but will likely go at least another decade.
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I'm going to totally contradict my previous note. Very sweet nose of fruit cake, dried cherries and apricots. Delicious sweet red fruit palate and a slightly tannic quite sweet finish.
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Dark sweet raisins and milk chocolate. Fruits are black berry compote with black sweet plums rendered to a sweet tarry stock topped up with more black raisins and Christmas cake. Not the most refined of ports but satisfying comforting and moreish. Definitely a keeper.
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A surprise, as I neglected to read my previous tasting note. I was expecting a rather mature, thin wine, but what I got was youthful, powerful, and vibrant. In fact, it was one of the better ports I've had. Awesome.
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Bill's Summer Garden Offline (Vancouver, BC): Sweet and dense on the nose with loads of dark fruits and some dried fruit notes as well. Youthful yet somewhat soft in the mouth with more dark fruits to coat the palate. I had this back in ’09 and since then it has mellowed just a tad but still far from mature. This, along with some nice mild Dominican cigars was the perfect way to finish off the day. Excellent. 92+
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Deep red. Closed young nose. Sweet and tannic. Needs another 5 years before approaching again. Not as sweet as most Graham's vintage. Excellent but young.
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Bill's Monthly Lunch - December 2009 (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind - Deep ruby/purple in colour. Thick and sweet on the nose and palate. Dark fruits. Big, young and full bodied. I couldn't believe this was 23 years old when it was revealed. It needs another 23 years. Hold. Excellent. 91+
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Wow. Terrific nose on this, young, fresh, plummy. Not at all what I was expecting. Tannic and vibrant, and not mature. Delicious racy acidity bolstering potent fruit, with apparent sweetness not very high. Could have passed for a much younger wine. Everyone sucked this right down.
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Served this port slightly cooled and it presented with a layers of plum, candy corn, slight maple syrup and ripe juicy berries. The nose wasn't as fragrant as I had anticipated, but overall a very good port. It is EXTREMELY important to decant these ports, as there is generally an incredible amount of sediment in the bottle. Done properly, you can enjoy over 95% of the bottle.
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Very dark purple in color. Plum and blackberry on the nose. Blackberry and bing cherry on the palate. Great tannins on the mid-palate. Medium- to full-bodied. The tannins are rocking on this wine! This is a BIG wine. A touch of cassis on the finish.
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Robe assez foncée, lame cerise avec une pointe orangée très subtile. Nez aromatique et très raffiné, offrant des notes de "cherry blossom", de menthe poivrée, d'épices douces et de grand havane. Les termes me manquent, mais c'est un grand vin. Finesse, grâce, une main de fer dans un gant de velour.
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7/7/2022 - robmatic wrote: 93 Points
Just wow. Unbelievably youthful, purple color. Pipe tobacco, sweet plummy/currant, cocoa powder. Lush, dense mouthfeel, with considerable tannin structure. Alcohol is extremely well concealed beneath layers of fruit and spice. Great bottle!
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3/18/2022 - CranBurgundy Likes this wine: 95 Points
After almost 5 years between bottles, this has certainly improved. The sweet dark fruit is standing out prominently now that the tannins have resolved a bit more and the alcohol has subsided a bit, only noticeable on the tail end of the finish. ....and WOW, what an awesome nose! I've always thought the '85 Vintage Port blend was going to be the greatest Graham's VP of all time (even over the '66 and '70), but now this single quinta is making a good argument to take that spot. This bottle was opened due to winning a 7 bottle lot at TCWC's recent auction. Very happy I have a case of this in the cellar now! Surely this has at least a decade more to go before being completely resolved.
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12/10/2021 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 93 Points
Served at the appropriate temperature by a holiday luncheon guest, this 35-year-old Port is still deeply colored and delivers an aromatic profile of black plums, morello cherries, licorice liqueur, dark chocolate and holiday spice cake. Full-bodied and with nice balancing acidity, it offers flavors that mirror the nose, flashing no heat from its 20% alcohol when served just above cellar temperature. Layered in the middle and long on the back end, this is youthful and delicious. Enjoy it at any time over the next twenty years. Decant it off of its sediment (or gently pour) at this point and give it an hour or more of air if possible. Drink now-2041.
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3/15/2020 - Teaky Likes this wine:
Dark fruited nose with some molasses, mainly black cherry, on the palate flavors of red cherry, fig, has a ferrous quality to it, slightly smoky. Quite sweet, no tannins, mild acidity, moderate length finish. This is quite nice, had low expectations but this definitely exceeded them.
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2/2/2020 - JCWmedia Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened 2/1/20; for about 30 minutes after decanting had a chalky nose, odd, but blew off, then deep black berry nose and flavors with inky tarry finish, not crazy sweet for a port, very nice
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12/1/2018 - robmatic wrote: 91 Points
Very good. No hurry to drink these. Elegant, feminine juice probably at its peak.
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9/29/2018 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Whoa! nose - dark whore will cut you and watch you bleed out vibe. Dark fruits and iced Viet coffee. Just great across the board with rough v. gentle textures and a gorgeous sweetness that plays off bass notes in intricate harmony. Jungle drum and bass. Sexy and primal. Fucking awesome.
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5/27/2017 - CranBurgundy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Blackberries, purple plum, a little dark cherry, and some cocoa powder (more texture than on the palate). Still noticeable tannin, but nothing that interferes with the sweet fruit. The alcohol's presence is there yet only in the background. Good stuff! It could use 5 - 10 years laying down. Gonna be tough to leave it on the rack though.
This got so much better on the second and third night (opened 5/26) that it would be criminal not to amend the score upwards a point.
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4/22/2017 - robmatic wrote: 92 Points
Still quite youthful, but drinking very well now. Gave it an extended decanting and it was velvety smooth, very nice.
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11/22/2016 - europat55 wrote: 90 Points
Nose: B++ Palate: B++
My #5, Group's #5 (80 pts). Tasted blind.
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11/14/2016 - David_T Likes this wine: 93 Points
Complex aromas of cocoa, brandied cherries, raspberries, blackberries and plum. The palate features cocoa and black cherry, a bit dusty but still fresh. Integrated strcutred/balanced tannins/acid, drinking beautifully now but will likely go at least another decade.
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10/1/2016 - EJEJ wrote:
Wonderful. Rich. No syrup. Homogeneous. Lingers. No raisin. 98 ior 99
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8/8/2016 - David J Cooper wrote: 90 Points
I'm going to totally contradict my previous note. Very sweet nose of fruit cake, dried cherries and apricots. Delicious sweet red fruit palate and a slightly tannic quite sweet finish.
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3/11/2016 - Alex H wrote: 91 Points
Dark sweet raisins and milk chocolate. Fruits are black berry compote with black sweet plums rendered to a sweet tarry stock topped up with more black raisins and Christmas cake. Not the most refined of ports but satisfying comforting and moreish. Definitely a keeper.
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12/10/2014 - Deux Chevaux Likes this wine:
Lovely -- deep, rich, and it remained so over a week of sipping.
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11/17/2012 - robmatic wrote: 93 Points
A surprise, as I neglected to read my previous tasting note. I was expecting a rather mature, thin wine, but what I got was youthful, powerful, and vibrant. In fact, it was one of the better ports I've had. Awesome.
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9/8/2012 - godx wrote: 92 Points
Bill's Summer Garden Offline (Vancouver, BC): Sweet and dense on the nose with loads of dark fruits and some dried fruit notes as well. Youthful yet somewhat soft in the mouth with more dark fruits to coat the palate. I had this back in ’09 and since then it has mellowed just a tad but still far from mature. This, along with some nice mild Dominican cigars was the perfect way to finish off the day. Excellent. 92+
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3/3/2011 - spendergast wrote: 91 Points
A nice port with subdued fruit, caramel, dusty tannins, nice finish.
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9/12/2010 - smcg wrote: 90 Points
Smooth/soft, pleasant, not overly complex.
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12/27/2009 - DaleW wrote:
Big, raisiny, running a bit hot (even for port). Sweet, aromatic, long. B
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12/5/2009 - David J Cooper wrote:
Deep red. Closed young nose. Sweet and tannic. Needs another 5 years before approaching again. Not as sweet as most Graham's vintage. Excellent but young.
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12/4/2009 - godx wrote: 91 Points
Bill's Monthly Lunch - December 2009 (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind - Deep ruby/purple in colour. Thick and sweet on the nose and palate. Dark fruits. Big, young and full bodied. I couldn't believe this was 23 years old when it was revealed. It needs another 23 years. Hold. Excellent. 91+
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6/25/2009 - smcg wrote: 92 Points
Still powerful, but drinking very well, with softened tannins. Plums, cherries, and some leather/cinnamon.
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11/29/2007 - robmatic wrote: 93 Points
Wow. Terrific nose on this, young, fresh, plummy. Not at all what I was expecting. Tannic and vibrant, and not mature. Delicious racy acidity bolstering potent fruit, with apparent sweetness not very high. Could have passed for a much younger wine. Everyone sucked this right down.
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11/29/2007 - jamscreator wrote: 89 Points
Served this port slightly cooled and it presented with a layers of plum, candy corn, slight maple syrup and ripe juicy berries. The nose wasn't as fragrant as I had anticipated, but overall a very good port. It is EXTREMELY important to decant these ports, as there is generally an incredible amount of sediment in the bottle. Done properly, you can enjoy over 95% of the bottle.
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10/5/2007 - theportguy wrote: 95 Points
Very dark purple in color. Plum and blackberry on the nose. Blackberry and bing cherry on the palate. Great tannins on the mid-palate. Medium- to full-bodied. The tannins are rocking on this wine! This is a BIG wine. A touch of cassis on the finish.
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5/24/2006 - Partenaire wrote: 92 Points
Robe assez foncée, lame cerise avec une pointe orangée très subtile. Nez aromatique et très raffiné, offrant des notes de "cherry blossom", de menthe poivrée, d'épices douces et de grand havane. Les termes me manquent, mais c'est un grand vin. Finesse, grâce, une main de fer dans un gant de velour.
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10/10/1992 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose of sage, dried tea, and dark fruit, more of the same on the palate, tasty, touch simple, a value at $11 a bottle, medium body, long sweet finish.
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