March 22, 2024 - Served blind.
This is all soy, umami, undergrowth and dried fruits and nuts backed by lightly baked demerera sugar on the nose, plenty of gorgeous woody grip, fresh acid joins these flavours on the surprisingly nimble palate; I'd struggle not to tidy up a bottle of this in a single sitting. With time there is also a little maderised note. Without the freshness I'd be plumping for a 50's or 60's colheita.
Note - when I said 50's or 60's I didn't mean 1850's or 60's. My first pre-phylloxera wine. Huge gratitude to @stefanakiko for the sample.
February 24, 2024 - MAGNUM Vintage Port (CUT restaurant Beverly Hills): Out of 750’s. Bought upon release in 2001 at $395 a btl and today it’s $4900. Since this was a mystery wine, I said Colheita but it was a vintage port not declared. So youthful and ageless. Dare say it might never turn. What an xperience.
December 28, 2023 - Ahhh!
Tonight, everything is finally in place for this extravagantly luxurious wine. What a treat to the more intense cheeses on the cheese plate. Wow! The balance and intensity with the aromatic World Championships setting new records every day now…
I will forever dislike myself for unleashing this Kracken. No portwine will ever feel "worthy" ever again…
If you are ever worrying about your btl getting old, don't!
Mine had leaked like an elderly gentleman/woman/them but the sugars are both strong antioxidants and great sealants. Any leakage will seal soon, meaning thar the wine doesn't spoil. As this was bottled in 2001, I'm amazed at the early leakage. However, cork came out in one oiece, but wasn’t particularly tightly fit… Hopefully only my cork was made on a Monday morning.
December 24, 2023 - What a legend!
Enters the mouth with INTENSITY and sweetness. It's obvious that 1853 was an outstanding vintage and that this long-kept barrel (bottled in 2001) is never going to die. This is rich, long (triple marathon), complex, intense, interesting, delicious and magnificent.
Not awarded 100 points because it is a bit disjointed and not quite having its isht together. Hopefully soon!
April 29, 2023 - Guys Port Weekend - LA (Claremont, CA): This is a while that has a bit of controversy in its history. I've heard several stories regarding this wine, and as best as I can piece together (nothing has been verified), this is supposedly a Niepoort Colheita bottled in 2001, but I have also heard that this wasn't actually a Niepoort wine, just that Niepoort did the bottling. Dark amber-purple in color. Great nose of old dark fruit with maple and old dusty wood on the nose. Rich butterscotch and orange spice on the palate, with exceptional balance and stunning intensity. Wow! Great complexity and a very long finish.
June 14, 2018 - Similar to my last bottle. Pecan pie, caramel and nuts. Good length and depth. A slight hint of something volatile, but not too distracting.
December 16, 2017 - Caramel color with a bouquet and flavor of treacle and toffee with a Madeira quality, remarked on by another taster as well. Very nice acidity with very good balance and nuance and a long finish. Lovely wine, but despite the reverence that comes with age, I would rate it a wow, rather than a WOW.
January 22, 2017 - A bit cloudy, but this was probably due to the agitation it endured as I toted it to a dinner event. Incredibly fragrant nose of pecan pie, fudge, pralines, caramel and nuts. There was some nice citrus notes to balance the richness. Incredible length and breadth. Absolutely fabulous.
December 24, 2013 - Deep caramel-auburn cola color, with thick, slow fingers on the glass. Very nutty and rich with brown sugar, oak, toffee, full of smooth caramel. This is decadent, and it lingers for minutes on the tongue.
It's hard not to be swayed by the history of an 1853 discovered in the rear of a cellar in 1999. The general understanding is that it has been topped off by about 5% 1945 Niepoort, which certainly doesn't harm the wine or detract from it's fabulous quality. With or without the history, this is a gorgeous port.
June 15, 2007 - Incredibly sweet and rich, nuts, caramel and wood, Madeira-like constitution but clearly a port wine, firm, softness and roundness perfectly balanced by wonderful acidity, outstanding ethereal length. Will live forever.