2007 Vintage Ports

This was a great lineup of Port from top producers, and Beltramo's offered the complete flight for a very reasonable $30. This was the second time I've tasted through many of the '07s, and I'm finding them ripe, very tasty, but also lacking in the tannins and structure of some of the great recent years, like 2000 and '94. We were speculating at the tasting that many Port producers may intentionally be going for a more approachable style these days, and backing off on the tannins. I'm sure I will learn more about that when I visit the Douro with Roy Hersh on his "Fortification Tour" later this year.

The Fonseca was definitely in a class of its own, with immense power and structure that some others were lacking, but the Quinta do Noval, Graham and Taylor also showed very well.

Gary Chevsky and Richard

• 2007 Smith Woodhouse Porto Vintage 92 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Opaque very dark red violet color; nice berry, blackberry, plum, oak nose with a sense of pepper; tasty, ripe berry, herbes de Provence, blackberry palate; medium-plus finish

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• 2007 Warre Porto Vintage 92 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Opaque, very dark red violet color; black fruit, chocolate, berry nose; tight, rich, deep berry, blackberry, plum palate; long finish 92+ pts.

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• 2007 Croft Porto Vintage 91 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Very dark red violet color; dark chocolate, oak, black fruit nose; dark chocolate, black fruit, tar, blackberry, vanilla palate, lacking tannins and structure; medium-plus finish

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• 2007 Quinta do Vesuvio Porto Vintage 93 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Opaque very dark red violet color; black raspberry, black cherry, garrigue nose; tasty, complex, herbes de Provence, black fruit, plum palate; long finish

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• 2007 Quinta do Noval Porto Vintage 95 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Opaque, very dark red violet color; graphite, licorice, black fruit, plum nose; tasty, juicy, ripe black fruit, licorice, dark chocolate, blackberry palate, with depth and polish; long finish

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• 2007 Graham Porto Vintage 94 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Opaque, very dark red violet color; pepper, herbal, graphite, black fruit, chocolate, oak nose; deep and juicy berry, blackberry, plum, mulberry palate; long finish

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• 2007 Fonseca Porto Vintage 97 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Opaque, very dark red violet color; rich, complex, berry, blackberry, faintly herbal, black fruit, tar nose; rich, powerful but poised, berry, black fruit, blackberry, vanilla, black cherry palate; long finish

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• 2007 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage 94 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Very dark red violet color; black cherry, black raspberry, berry nose; rich, poised, berry, black cherry, black raspberry palate; long finish 94+ pts.

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Alan and Willem