11/25/2023 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Held up great when eating chappaguri for dinner. Ideally needs 3+ hour decant

11/25/2023 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Delicious. Full bodied, tasty. Drinking great.

10/23/2022 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Great balance. Tannins and body in a great spot.

12/13/2021 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Excellent - great balance bw mouth feel and tannins, structure holding up great 11 years in.

4/24/2021 - msimoes wrote:

Ok but not great, at similar price the Esporao Reserva comes across as a better offering.

2/7/2021 - msimoes wrote:

Impressive. Double decanted twice a couple hours ahead of time. Was super tasty and provided great balance w steak. Wishing i had more than 3 left. Fantastic value.

9/29/2020 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Amazing. Had it on the same night that I opened a 63 Taylor and 63 Graham. Tawny vs VP discussion aside, this Sao Leonardo put them both to shame. Unctuous body and breadth of flavors, plenty of acidity to give it great balance. Persistent finish. Up there as one of the best ports i've had.

9/27/2020 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Decanted 5 hrs ahead of time. Still going strong. Structure still there. Chocolaty flavors, was a treat.

6/6/2020 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Buttery in an exceptional way. Def some bottle variation as i dont recall sensing that in prior bottles of this and other vintages of the same wine. May it be a new reality than an exception.

5/3/2020 - msimoes wrote:

Wow. Just wow. Decanted 2 hrs ahead of time. Most fruit has mellowed but still wonderfully bodied. Amazing how thats still the case 14 yrs in. Super smooth and incredibly tasty. Had it w steak, couldnt help myself and drank the whole bottle within an hour w the mrs helping w just one glass. Super excited for the 8 i have left.

11/29/2019 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Tannins and fruit still huge, could see it still truly rocking in 5-10 years. Will be worth the wait.

11/29/2019 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Delicious, tannins still giving it structure. Still berries on the nose but the fruit def tamed down. Lots of secondary flavors.
Acidity makes it harder to enjoy on its own. Also opened a 2015 of the same wine and people found that more approachable. Screams to be had w steak, would be phenomenal.

11/29/2019 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Delicious. Super balanced, lots of wood flavors and a great long finish. A touch peppery which didnt hurt. Decanted for 2-3 hours and poured back into bottle. Had noticed it leaking over the summer but still tasted great. Leaving unrated as lack the experience w these older VPs.
Feeling like <50 yrs of age works for me and doubt i could have got any more out of it if it were older. I'll be focusing my buying on 77s and 85s for future consumption.

9/14/2019 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Delicious. Opened this after having some 1988 D'Oliveiras Malvazia and some RWC Charleston Sercial. Great balance. It is the best of both worlds - full malmsey aroma combined w sercial sharp acidity. Great balance, def the winner of the night bw those 3 and Ferreira 20 Yr Duque de Bragança.

6/19/2019 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Excellent. Medium/full body, berry flavors still there tho not overwhelming, chocolate. A little more spirit than id wish but it sure tasted great w brazilian charcoal grilled picanha. Tannins there but in great spot, not overwhelming. Pop and pour over 2h.

1/17/2019 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Full in the mouth, plenty fruit still tho a touch monochromatic. Enough tannins and acidity give it structure wo being overbearing. Should age v nicely. Great value at $15 per.

12/25/2018 - msimoes wrote:

PS: Went back to it 5 days later and it was excellent. Give it at least a full day decant before drinking! The thinness that i complained about below completely disappeared. It felt full bodied and w structure to carry a heavy meal, just as i seemed to recall from other Dão ive had over the years. Upping it from 89 to 92.

INITIAL: felt thin. tasty towards the end but lacked distinctiveness. wonder if i didnt let it breath long enough, expected it to be fuller/tastier in the mouth. have some left in the bottle, if doesnt improve overnight will not be buying more at this price ($30 per)

12/25/2018 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Excellent. Full in the mouth, still a touch of red fruit but mostly matured into secondary flavors. Tannins still there but v manageable and great for balance. Opened a bottle of 2012 on the same day and it showed noticeably thinner.

5/28/2018 - msimoes wrote:

Full of fruit and nicely tannic but feels thinner than i'd wish at the price point ($20 per). Will let it sit for a while before i dip back in. Hoping age will improve things.

My previous experience w Quinta da Foz was a solid one (2012 Quinta da Foz Douro Grande Reserva @ $30 per). Had higher hopes for this one, felt more like a $12 bottle.

5/22/2018 - msimoes wrote:

still rocking, showing no signs of being over the hill. amazing w lamb chops.

5/12/2018 - msimoes wrote:

Bought it at the Lisbon airport. Was looking for the 2002 Bacalhoa Roxo but it was no longer available. This 2003 bottling is ok, far short of the 2002 i was looking to get more of.

The mouthfeel is v good and the sweetness appropriate - def not overwhelming. It has this tannin-like feel in the mouth that works v well. The finish is underwhelming, pleasant but feels flat after the initial mouthfeel.

4/28/2018 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Amazing on pop and pour. Great balance of fruit, tannins and secondary flavors at 9 years of age. Balance was def off after a day open in bottle - thinner and more acidic.

3/6/2018 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Have had multiple cases of this wine from prior vintages (it is my year-round food pairing white) and am loving this 2016. Perfect balance bw acidity, freshness and a little fizz. Prior vintages I struggled to drink on their own (despite still great pairing w food) but this one is much more approachable. Wonderful! Solid QPR.

1/1/2018 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Fantastic!
Had it partly on its own and partly w steak. Went great in both settings. Def no longer inky from all the fruit but not thinned out yet.
At a most unlikely balance right now. Still some tannins to give it character, and fruit to keep it somewhat "primary" - at 17! - but neither overwhelming that it would wreck your taste buds for the rest of the day. Secondary wood flavors only just starting to show, still a youngster also in that regard.
Hard to recommend the infanticide but i def enjoyed it. Leaving unranked as not experienced enough w teenage VP to properly assess it.

12/12/2017 - msimoes wrote:

This one bottle was much drier than usual - have had cases and cases of this great Esporao Branco Reserva along the years and this was the first weird bottle like that. Leaving unrated but noting issue.

12/6/2017 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Was unfamiliar w Quinta da Foz but this is v good. Full bodied, v well balanced at this point. At $20-25/bottle would be great value.

11/7/2017 - msimoes Likes this wine:

wonderful. full body full of berries, so tasty. great balance in what comes across as youth despite being 5 years old already. wishing i had bought more

10/15/2017 - msimoes wrote:

full bodied, delicious

9/21/2017 - msimoes wrote:

V nice. Great acidity and complex finish. Felt thinner in the mouth than I expected and finish was a touch subdued despite its complexity.

6/19/2017 - msimoes wrote:

nice white, clean and sharpe but a touch too sweet for my taste. Better on its own that w food. Paid $15 a bottle, would think good QPR if closer to $10.

6/19/2017 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Amazing that fruit is still there! Balanced wine w a backbone, great to drink on its own or w food (had some w steak and found it too "full", overwhelming my senses). Secondary flavors along w the fruit make it a delicious one. Not over the hill, feels like it is in a great spot.

6/9/2017 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Amazing w lamb. Wine shines when paired w steak or lamb. The secondary flavors fill the mouth and it is gorgeous. Will save my remaining bottles to have w either.

On its own the wine comes across too thin but paired w a rich meat it balances it perfectly. It's fantastic secondary flavors fill the mouth resting it from the meat's richness.

At first i questioned Roy Hersch's generous rating (my initial bottles i had had on their own or w "weak" foods). Now, i have greater respect for them.

4/14/2017 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Had w steak and it was marvelous. My earlier noted lack of body was totally fine w the food, didnt overwhelm it, instead made it an easier drink. The remaining fruit (after 13 years!) balanced the steak flavors perfectly. I now realize that the best in this wine is brought out by flavorful food. On its own it feels thin and acidic, w food those characteristics only help. And the secondary flavors all really come forth. Delicious.

4/8/2017 - msimoes wrote:

The berry fruits are still there after all these years. only wish it was fuller in the mouth, it sometimes feels like the strength from the fruit doesnt have enough structure behind it to make the wine shine.

3/19/2017 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Delicious. Super smooth, great coupling of full mouthfeel and minerality. Paired perfectly w Omakase at Sushi Inoue in NYC.

2/22/2017 - msimoes Likes this wine:

wonderful honey flavors, sweetness nicely balanced by the acidity. long tasty finish. were it more full bodied and it would totally crush it. great value.

2/22/2017 - msimoes wrote:

wine stands on its own, full bodied in a way, nice complexity for a white. finding it hard to justify the price tag, but thats more of a personal decision.

1/6/2017 - msimoes wrote:

This is my 5th bottle and they all show some bitterness and slight prickly touch that tells me they are over the hill. Can tell the wine was huge (still v tasty, berry flavors abound) but feels a touch unbalanced at this point - in the sense that it lacks a full body to go w its remaining structure. Struggling to rate it... see it having been a 92-94, at this point giving it like a 89.

11/26/2016 - msimoes Likes this wine:

perfect time to drink it. secondary notes showing, fruit mostly gone but still full, smooth mouth feel. held up well on the ensuing days. a little more sour towards the finish than id wish, would have given it 92 otherwise.

11/25/2016 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Knew it was going to be good but completely blew me away.

Full bodied, smooth. Lots of secondary flavors along w some remaining fruit. Great finish.

Finish really well balanced. Tasty! Not sweet like the cheap stuff or sour like older poorly stored wines. In the perfect spot for immediate consumption.

Second and third day it quickly declined. Developed a little heat and sourness, thinned out.

Open now and drink on the same day!

11/19/2016 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Fantastic. Fruit still showing despite being a half bottle. No heat, smooth and delicious, great finish. Got drank in no time, wishing I had opened a full bottle!

7/3/2016 - msimoes Likes this wine:

still young. full bodied, plenty of berries. tannins still there but under control. great QPR.

6/26/2016 - msimoes Likes this wine:

great, lots of smooth wooden flavors, complexity abounds. not chippy at all, just pure gold. long finish

6/26/2016 - msimoes wrote:

thinner than id wish but v pleasant. vanilla, a little mint, pleasant finish tho not v long. Note taken after decanting - surprisingly held great afterwards in the fridge for over a month.

6/25/2016 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Monster complexity, super long finish. Sirupy on its own but great either ice cold or w vanilla ice cream.

5/1/2016 - msimoes Likes this wine:

really good, rich yet balanced. great value.

4/10/2016 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Fantastic. Dry. Super sharp and tasty. Malmsey all the way through and can def see the same flavors as in the Madeira variety. Pricey tho... as a bonus the bottle is gorgeous and the wife was excited to put it to use later on.

3/8/2016 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Have gone through 3 cases and just got one more. Super solid to pair w food or drink on its own. At $14 per I'll keep going back for more.

12/9/2015 - msimoes Likes this wine:

fantastic. smooth tones of nuts and a little citrus. long finish. not cloggey at all, just plain delicious. wish i had got a full case. will cherish my bottle. rather drink a small glass of this once a week than a full glass of a 20 yr every night... and would come out massively ahead on a $$ basis. wondering if being stingy w my 97...

4/7/2015 - msimoes Likes this wine:

Nice wine, in no way overbearing. Clean and sharp flavors. Has a little acidity that allows it to pairs v well w milder dishes (think chicken). At $16 on WTSO I'll pass next time, would buy more if around $12-13.