October 30, 2022 - Very pleasant, drinking at its peak now.
November 1, 2018 - Now, here's a wine you do not see every day. It was not the most concentrated Port I have ever tasted. But the incredible sense of purity in the fruit was overwhelming. It was as though all the fresh sweet, bursting cherries, orange and figs were just picked from the tree. Add in beautiful notes of licorice, dark cocoa, raisins and sweet, warm, spiced fruits. I am big on style and character, and this has both.
March 17, 2016 - Tampa Spring Break (the abridged version); 3/17/2016-3/18/2016 (Various Tampa locations (Mise en Place, Ocean Prime, etc.)): Wow is this a baby and just not quite ready for business. Decanted from 5:30 till around 9:30 when we were pulling it out and probably could have used another 12 hours. Was just a bit too much, but so much wonderful stuff there. Sweet currants that coat the mouth. Delicious.
June 5, 2015 - Drank in Bordeaux
Not generally declared vintage but the '64 National is superb. Of course the '63 is the star.
June 10, 2014 - Did not have the depth of colour of the 58 Saltram but glistened like a red jewel. Had a beautiful lifted, floral spirit and complex red fruit aromas and flavours. It is a Port of beautiful proportion and perfume and finishes with sneaky persistence.
April 26, 2014 - Tawny looking. I decanted this expecting to leave it for four hours in glass but realised right away that was a mistake. I rebottled without air and when we drank it a few hours later it was as I opened it.
Full almost tawny nose with oxidant end notes, toffee and figs. Quite rich and full bodied on the palate with complex fruit still mixed with the caramel. However, relatively short with quite a spirity finish.
April 26, 2014 - Drank in Hong Kong
Quite refined notes of dates, prunes, figs, spice, raisens and plumbs. Lovely mouth feel but quite a short length.
September 24, 2013 - I enjoy some younger port, and have had some decent older ports, but this wasn't one of them. In the glass the alcohol had separated from the dark stuff at the bottom. Close your eyes, inhale and think Thunderbird or straight aqua net. I really couldn't get past this part of the nose so I passed my glass, as I had another 2 sips of d'Yquem to rinse my palate and nasal passages from this. Just a personal thing as others enjoyed it. Worse than 1970 Warres.
September 21, 2013 - Charleston Dinner #2 - SQN, d'Yquem, Ponsot, Margaux, and others (Circa 1886): Finished off dinner with this next to the D'yquem. Coffee, raisins, anise, cardamom, orange peel, this was a great end to a great night.
October 20, 2012 - 50th Birthday Celebration Dinner with Wine (Chez Schmidt - Chicago IL): Lighter styled Port to start vs. the Grahams 63, but very long and intense on the finish. More nuanced and elegant than powerful. Ends much more interesting than it starts. Came across as simpler when finished the second day.