The Port Forum Does Grahams VP in NYC

Lupulo Restaurant, NYC
Tasted Friday, April 1, 2016 by J @ y H @ c k with 514 views

Introduction

The Port Forum put together a Grahams semi-vertical to welcome Daniel Jewesbury of Belfast, Ireland, to New York City. He carried with him a 1955 and a 1963. Miguel added a 1970, 1977 and 1983, while I managed to snag a 1985 at auction in early March so I could make a meaningful contribution. Conversation varied from fast cars and where to drive a Ferrari in Tuscany to wading through sheep shit it Louth while looking at ancient Druidish mounds, the legal implications of email hacking and the contribution of Irish expats thrown out by the Brits to the Bordeaux wine industry. Where else do you think names like Barton, Lynch, Brown and Becker come from?

Flight 1 (6 Notes)

  • 1955 Graham Porto Vintage 96 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    Outstanding, not only is it not on the downside, but still a tiny bit of bite indicating that it may have a bit more time before it actually reached its plateau. Velvety smooth and sexy/slutty. Fruit driven with the alcohol in check. dark red fruit. No caramel, no nuts indicating oxidation has not yet set in. Just pure and smooth. Consensus WOTN.

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  • 1963 Graham Porto Vintage 89 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    A bit on the thin and light side. Less than I expected but not a bad wine. I think this was just not the best bottle. Fruit driven and not overly advanced. The bottle looked like it had been through a war, but I do not know what to make of that. In lesser company, this might have been higher rated. but in the company of the other wines we had, this was not notable.

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  • 1970 Graham Porto Vintage 93 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    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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  • 1977 Graham Porto Vintage 94 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    My #2. Groups either #2 or #3 against the 1970, which was my #3. They were close. Very good balance but still enough grip to indicate that it has years to go. This one had sweet cherry fruit, but the sweet was not from the sweetness of the port. It was an independent sense of sweetness from the fruit.

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  • 1983 Graham Porto Vintage 91 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    The most backward of the group. More so than the 1985. Still very tannic, but I do not know the decant regime. I rate this based upon potential, because it is similar in a linear and youthful way to the other Grahams we had tonight. Big red fruit but again with potential for complexity if it breaks out from the tightness, but it's got a long way to go. Definitely over 10 years unless someone forgot to decant. Maybe the guy who brought this can post the decant regime.

    I have the 1983 Quinta do Noval, which was from the yuk period at Quinta do Noval. For every ounce of thinness and inadequacy there is in that, this has an equal amount o force and power waiting to break out.

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  • 1985 Graham Porto Vintage 92 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    My contribution. Decanted at 2 pm. Decanted clean through cheesecloth and then washed out the bottle. Th decant wa clean but the bottle was full of massive crud. Very glad I had left it upright in the bottle for 10 days. Poured back into the bottle at 7 pm. dinner at 8:30 pm. Too young. Enjoyable but still tannic with a bit of bite and astringency despite the sweetness. Pleasurable but when it compares to the 1955, the 1977 and the 1970, it is not up to the best. Needs another 10-ish years at least.

    Brought some home and finished it on day two. The tannins were gone and it had lightened up a bit. Lost the bite and was smoother, but less intense. sweet red fruit.

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