MNB: Fortified Wines

Tasted Monday, October 9, 2017 by RajivAyyangar with 326 views

Flight 1 - Two Ruby-colored wines (2 Notes)

2013 Mas Karolina Maury

France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Maury

(blind)
Medium plus ruby-purple, no rim variation.
Medium aromatics of ripe red cherry and slightly raisinated fruit. Strawberry jam. More red-fruited than number 2. Slight ethyl acetate (VA).
Sweet - 10-15g/L RS (wow... actually 90g). 20% (actually 17%). Medium tannins - fine. Medium acid (on the low side). Generic black fruit. Little signs of aging.
On re-tasting - more spice - nutmeg and clove new oak. Hrmmmm.

Laterals:
- Ruby Port - entry level.
- LBV - no, it would have more age and complexity
- young Vintage port - no, would be way more tannic and show more signs of oak, and be higher quality - midpalate intensity.
- VDN, e.g. Banyuls - no, would show more oxidation typically. Would have lighter color (Grenache based).

Guess: Ruby Port, entry level.

90g of RS, 3 weeks maceration

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NV Graham Porto Six Grapes Reserve

Portugal, Douro, Porto

(blind)
Opaque ruby-purple, staining the glass.
Medium aromatics of ripe black cherry, more black fruited than the first, slight coffee (oak), and some ethyl acetate (VA).
Sweet - 10-15g/L RS. 20% alcohol (actually 19%), medium plus tannins and medium plus acid. More structured than the first wine. Some signs of oak - coffee and caramel - on the finish.

Laterals:
- Ruby Port - could be
- LBV - would show more signs of age and oxidation
- Vintage port - could be, but I'd expect more grip.

Final: Ruby port, higher quality.

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Flight 2 - Two Tawny-colored wines (2 Notes)

NV Graham Porto 10 Year Old Tawny

Portugal, Douro, Porto

(blind)
Pale ruby to a tawny rim.
Extremely dusty nose - dusty date skins, dried fruit, slight dried black cherry.

20g RS, 20% alcohol, high acid, medium plus tannins. Nutty and oxidative - almond skins, date skins.

Laterals
- LBV Port - structured but also well aged showing oxidation. Structure is still aggressive.
- Madeira - not oxidative enough and color is wrong. Also Madeira doesn't have tannins.
- Tawny Port - could be this as well but would be softer in structure.

Final call: LBV Port around 10 years?

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NV Emilio Lustau (Almacenista) Oloroso Juan Garcia Jarana Pata de Gallina 1/38

Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry

Extremely pale tawny, with a hint of copper.
Oxidative nose - salty almond skins, dusty dried figs, dates. No red fruit on the nose.
Dry, 18% alcohol, sharp medium plus acid, weight to midpalate. dry almond skins finish - warm and bitter and saline.

Laterals:
- Oloroso sherry - higher alcohol than 15% - too high for Flor to survive, and more oxidative than biological.
- Fino sherry - alcohol is too high, and it's too oxidative in nature. Also too dark in color for Fino.

Final call: Oloroso Sherry.

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Flight 3 - Two light tawny-colored wines (2 Notes)

NV Cossart Gordon & Co. Madeira Bual 5 Years Old 78 Points

Portugal, Madeira

(blind)
Pale tawny color.
Not very aromatic - some VA, slight oxidation - faint nuttiness.
15 g/L RS, 17% (actually 19%) alcohol, high acid, medium minus tannins. Some oxidation. Some almond skins on the finish - very confused as to what this could be.

Laterals:
- Madeira - too youthful, not madeirized enough.
- Sherry - would be a sweet style - too high alcohol for fino. Cream sherry? Not a dessert sherry.
- Port - white port? - too oxidative.
- VDN with extensive aging?

Final conclusion: Sherry?

Very poor example - not developed enough.

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NV Blandy's Madeira Malmsey 5 Years Old 80 Points

Portugal, Madeira

(blind)
Dark copper color.
Explosive nose of chocolate-chip cookies.
Slight RS - 10g, 17% alcohol (actually 19%), high+ acid - long (high TA), and log finish - dried dates.

Given the high acid and extremely oxidative nature, I believe this is a Madeira.
Conclusion: Dry Madeira - Sercial (or Verdelho) - 10 year.

This is a very poor example - simple, austere for malmsey.

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Flight 4 - Grab bag (3 Notes)

NV Hartley & Gibson's Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Dry Fino

Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry

(non-blind) -
Medium gold color.
Faded apple core nose. Slight carrot-saffron (flor?). Slight almond skin.
On the palate, dry, 15%, sour raisin-carrot notes, medium plus acid - very light. A bit short and faded. Lacking punch.
A faded Fino Sherry.

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NV Alvear Montilla-Moriles Fino 90 Points

Spain, Andalucía, Montilla-Moriles

100% PX
Medium yellow color.
Fresh apple, faded apple core, and slight spiced carrot flor. There's a leesy-yeasty quality (flor?). Oxidative but fresh - almost green apple juice character. Orange peel, bitter orange oil. Surprisingly aromatic.
Dry, notes of sotolon (turmeric/flor), 15% alcohol, fresh light palate, elevated acid, bitter almond skin saline finish. Very light and crisp.

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NV Niepoort Porto Tawny 87 Points

Portugal, Douro, Porto

(blind)
Pale ruby, cloudy.
High-toned nose of pomegranate, tart red fruit.
20g RS, 16% alcohol (way off - 19.5%), high acid, medium minus tannins - soft and silky. Has a slightly medicinal (VA and alcohol) quality to it. Stem inclusion? It's a bit piney. Semicarbonic? Like a fortified Beaujolais.

Based on the red-fruitedness and lighter color, I think this is a VDN. Possibly Banyuls or Rasteau.

Actually Tawny port!?
Super fresh. Weird style for tawny.

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