Figs, caramel, milk chocolate, cherries, hints of spices, especially cinnamon, and just a touch of mint, followed by a fabulously long and intense aftertaste. This is special. No hurry. (Tasted over two hours from the Jancis Robinson glass.)
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Drinking exceptionally well but this bottle might be at its peak. Haunting pronounced aromas of cigar box, violets, fig, raisined red fruit , and a medley of sweet baking spices. Very delicate initially with fully resolved tannins and perfectly integrated alcohol (20.7% ABV), BUT picked up considerable weight and density at the two hour mark. Long persistent finish and the sweeter Graham's style that I adore. Most importantly shared with family at the end of a gathering alongside Roquefort and toasted walnut brownies.
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From magnum. Consistent with the last bottle, though more subtle and complex. The additional 10 years has helped. The raisin and fig notes remain, though the essence of candied ginger, orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg began to emerge with more time in the glass.
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Double decanted three to four hours prior to drinking. No signs of leakage, cork did come apart into two pieces and some cork debris fell into the wine but it was strained out with cheesecloth as part of the decant. Shared with a wonderful woman as dessert at home after dinner out. This wine delivered, was really good.
This is a little lighter and fruiter than some of the other 1977s I have tried. But the flavors are pure and long, the finish clean. It made you want to savor each sip and take another. Which I guess all really good port does.
Calling it a 94 on an uninflated CT scale, really can't justify anything less.
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Medium garnet color. Cork showed some minimal signs of seepage. Cork was soaked through.
Great body and light fruit on the palate. Still lots of ruit but nice caramel/honey notes running through. Probably a bit past peak but still drinking great.
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Crumbly cork Bright garnet red, with a touch of additional bricking at the edges. Raisinated nose. Outstanding depth, balanced sweetness. Essentially, a grape cordial. Lingering finish, nuanced and delicious. This one can easily go for two more decades or more.
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An exceptional bottle! The only thing that would make this bottle better is more time. I could age it for another hundred years and it would be better, but the wine that is inside cannot be improved. 100/100.
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By the glass. Aromas of figs, frosted fruits or baking oven. Soft on the palate but at the same time concentrated and spicy. Sweet and very long. Definitely deep. Very big. Graham, for decades always on my team.
Por copas. Aromas a higos, frutas escarchadas o horno de obrador. Suave al paladar pero al mismo tiempo concentrado y especiado. Dulce y muy largo. Definitivamente profundo. Muy grande. Graham, desde hace décadas siempre en mi equipo.
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Sammamish Port Club - 1970's Ports (Seattle, Washington): Clear with medium purple tones. Dark fruit with just a hint of Bramble fruit. There is a really great complexity here on the palate, but at the same time it drinks like a smooth, well-integrated wine. The finish has a nice crescendo and fruit and balanced acidity.
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The bottle was kept upright for 4 days. The port was decanted through a screened funnel 4 hours before consumption. Plenty of sediment in the screen (and even a little in the bottom of the decanter when the port was gone). Crimson bowl lightening to a pinkish rim with a small clear halo. The nose was wonderful: plums, caramel and brown sugar. In the mouth: figs, more plums, butterscotch, Luxor cherries and a wonderful chocolate finish. No noticeable heat on the long finish. Port was as smooth on the tongue as could be from the moment it entered the mouth until it was swallowed. Perfect example of what Vintage Port should be. My dining companions indicated it went well with key lime pie (if they say so).
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A New Year's Eve Gathering at our place: Consumed (and greatly enjoyed) the other half of the bottle opened on 12/25/21. It's one year later and this bottle has been standing in a door shelf in our fridge for all that time. Remember, it was in a 375 ml screw cap bottle that was filled to the brim after the original bottle saw some 8 hours of decanter time. Only some faint evidence of "aging" during the past year as the nose and palate were just a bit less robust. An unopened bottle should continue to hold for several more years. This port was enjoyed by those who chose the all-chocolate Buche de Noel for dessert.
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Delicious. Relatively light body but full intensity and balance, and a range of tasty flavors -- fig and plum pudding and clove and nutmeg. Mature, with no sign of old age. This doesn't have the enormous depth of the greatest vintage ports (Taylor or Noval 1963), but that is setting a very high bar.
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Transparent light garnet red. In the bouquet raisins and sweet red berries. On the palate dried fruits and chocolate. Beautifully complex and mature with a good balance between acidity and sweetness.
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Had this with Brian G. No official notes but this was in an absolute perfect spot. Drop dead gorgeous bottle of wine. This isn't getting any better, but will hold here for a quite a few more years. Wish I had taken more detailed notes, but regardless...this was absolutely fantastic.
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We had a bottle to recork/wax... the seal was damaged and it looked like a a hole too. Upon taking the capsule off, the cork was found in the wine! So the bottle was opened for interest and inspection:
Decanted 10/11/2022 Tawny, cola-like appearance. Mellow nose of old wood, sense of softness, notes of brown sugar, dried old kirsch, raisin/tobacco, cola, a sandiness… and the spirit very easy-going.
Full and sweet attack, there was some pocketed spice and fire, a flash of acidity and tang. Overall mellow, a honeyed sweetness throughout with some (not liquorice...)cassia bark? Resolved tannins but a sense of powerful structure, this was long, rounded, juicy and sweet. Delicious and a surprise considering the 'closure'.
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This wine was phenomenal. Decanted for at least 3 hours at dinner before trying it. Still vibrant fruit left in this, although many dried and stewed fruit characteristics..So basically so many versions of cherry, and also chocolate covered as well.. Leather and prune and raisin. There was a lot of complexity to this, I just can’t remember all of it.. I enjoyed this drinking experience more than the 2000 Dalle valle we had during dinner
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2022 Port Harvest Tour; 9/22/2022-10/2/2022 (Porto, Portugal): Deep garnet color with a subtle red rim. Aromas of dried figs, raisins, and a touch of cedarwood invite you in. On the palate, it's a well-balanced wine, featuring velvety dark fruit flavors, a hint of chocolate, and smoothly integrated tannins. The long finish has notes of tobacco and a touch of orange zest.
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Chardonnay tasting (@Private location, Stuttgart): Glass: Zalto Burgundy Popped and poured. Presumably not a perfect bottle. At least some mushrooms, probably a hint of TCA. Not too sweet, good structure. Not rated.
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Bottle showed signs of leakage and cork was very spongy after extraction with a Durand cork screw. However wine was perfectly sound with wonderful fruit and some spice balanced with alcohol and sweetness and a long finish. Very enjoyable and look forward to drinking over the next few days.
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At this point they seem to be past peak and starting to slowly fade. Both bottles had soft corks and was unable to remove the cork successfully - quickly ran through filter and decanted. Second bottle stayed open for about 4 days
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Possibly the best port I’ve ever had, equaled only by a 63 Quinta de Noval I had in Portugal in 2000. Everything Id hoped it would be. Cork was soft and fell apart upon opening. After decanting and waiting a bit, the chocolate and raspberries exploded. Perfect end to a roast chicken dinner.
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Light to medium amber/red color. Ripe fruit with a touch of raisin, smoke, butterscotch candy, cherry aromatics. Mature Vintage Port flavor with a slight Tawny undertaste. Maybe slightly past it’s peak, but close enough and extremely enjoyable. Tannins resolved, but there is a nice bit of acid to keep this aftertaste refreshing. Delicious. Served from Magnum. I purchased this upon release to honor my daughter’s birth year and it’s been stored in my cool cellar.
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From magnum. Double decanted about five hours before service. Reddish brown color. Aeration really helped this wine put on weight. The wine is pretty sweet but there's still some nice acidity to balance it out. Not much alcohol heat at this point with the air. Definitely not a pristine bottle, but it still drank very well and paired well with the chocolate dessert.
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Christmas Dinner (Our House): Christmas Night dessert/sipper. Stood the bottle upright for a day and a half. The fill was above base neck. Removed a spongy/wet cork in one piece using the Durand, then decanted this bottle through cheesecloth. Lots and lots of sediment! Followed the wine throughout the day -- both fun & educational. Initial color was a bright medium rose, with aromas of cherry and aguardente, but the palate was sharp and alcoholic. At about 3 1/2 hours: Color is a clear medium garnet. The nose was still primarily aguardente. The palate showed some raisin but was highly alcoholic. As the wine gained air time, it darkened, added weight, and became more and more enjoyable. We began drinking at about the 8 hour mark with the nose yielding some rose and fig, and only a touch of alcohol. We continued drinking for another couple of hours with the wine improving as we drank. The medium bodied palate had fig, plum, cherry, prune, and a mix of warm spices, with nicely balancing acidity and no obvious alcohol. Although the sweetness was present, it was not as sweet as some other Graham's vintage ports that we've had. Not certain how much longer this wine can hold but give it lots of air and you should be rewarded. The two of us consumed about half of this bottle, saving the other half in an empty 375 ml screw cap bottle which we filled to the very brim, thus eliminating any air, then placed in the fridge. We'll report on this half bottle when consumed.
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Tasted NB. As can happen with 40+ yr old bottles this one was a miss. The cork was a bit soft but intact with no leakage, and the wine's nose and color seemed fine. However on the palate it was badly out of balance with an unpleasant medicinal finish.
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Brilliant color. Deep berry nose, decanted 5 hours. Fragrant, lingering on the palate and just right for a movie night, nightcap with friends. Drink to enjoy or hold.
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Gift from grinner for my wife’s birthday, we opened this with two other ‘77 babies. Thoroughly enjoyable after filter and decant with delicious fruit an a perfect place. Enjoyed with dark chocolate truffles. Yum!
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This seemed good when decanted at home. But later that night it was strangely oxidised. The double capsule was intact but the cork went into the bottle with the slightest pressure from the corkscrew. The level was excellent. Storage had been good since release. This was not at all typical of this wine. Other bottles have been excellent. So next time I come across a loose cork even if the level is good I will be more careful to evaluate the wine's condition.
Lovely, elegant vintage port. Initially bright forward fruit with excellent structure balanced with the alcohol. By third day was really showing it’s structure and complexity. No hurry to drink remaining bottles.
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Terroir-istes International - Christmas Party (post Rioja Tasting) (Savage Wines, Cape Town): Light tawny with amber edges, the nose is deep, intense and enthralling, with plenty going on. Marinated fruits, ginger, bruised apple, prune and Xmas cake, the entry is full-bodied with that 20% alcohol, complex and wonderfully concentrated. Integrated and with plenty of age, it is worth drinking up as the fruit is drying out a little. Fabulous!
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Delicious. Not particularly demonstrative, but did everything it needed to: sweet but not cloying, full of spice and strawberry jam, remarkably easy to drink. Predictably excellent with the cheeseboard.
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Tucson Lunch Bunch En Magnum dinner: Impressive vintage port. Served en magnum at our wine group dinner. Decanted and it had a ton of sediment. Alluring nose of blackberry, nuts....Quite elegant beautiful, sweet and smooth on the palate. This gets better with air. A great example of what an aged port from a good vintage can become.
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I really love vintage port. My Father does too and had the chance to drink this one with him so that's probably worth a point or two on the rating :)
The wine was fantastic. Drank with chocolate brioche bread pudding and it went beautifully as you can imagine. Now on its 5th night and still a great glass of dessert wine.
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A lovely and impressive vintage port. It shows the strength of the '77 vintage, and the sweetness and warmth of Graham's. The palate shows blackberry, walnut and peachy high notes. The spirit is well integrated. This gets better and better over the course of three nights, each night more cohesive and brighter, the final night showing a hauntingly beautiful, sweet, blue-fruited, smooth palate. An archetype of what an aged port from a good vintage can become. In the Berkshires, before a roaring fire, as the snow came down, with H and our dog. Perfect.
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- Brick color with slow forming legs. It's in total harmony and has flavours of black currant, raspberry and strawberry with a medium/full body. Juicy texture with a medium finish - Absolutely fabulous bottle of port. Perfectly balanced and in total harmony.
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Magnums Dinner (Friend's Place, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong): From a pristine magnum. Perfect fill. Very bright and alive transparent light amber jewel colour. Nose is slightly cherries liqueur and fresh strawberries but reticent because it was served from a fridge. Palate is rich, rounded, very smooth, almost like an eau de vie in its lightness. Long and very reverberant on the finish.
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I was surprised by the color. More rose than ruby. Very transparent with slight orange ring. But looks were deceiving, this was decanted around noon and tasted 8 hours later (post Thanksgiving meal). Perfect ending to the day. Rich fruit with some clove and velvety milk chocolate hints.
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Medium/light ruby color, orangish at the rim, almost watery in appearance. Notable that when first opened there was a funky almost corked nose. After about 30 minutes it had blown off evolving into an incredibly expressive nose of plums, candied Christmas spice, caramel. Deep and palate of candied "old" cherry, vanilla, sweetened nuts, baking and Christmas spice. Long finish (60 seconds+).
Really great on a cold evening. Drank on its own but would be great with cheeses. Continued to improve in the glass, decant made a big difference, might give next bottles longer air time. Fun experience with this crew, Port is rarely served these days, especially older vintages like this. This was a big hit...
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Top of cork was sawdust; unable to get cork out and had to quickly decant with a coffee filter. Label was in perfect shape. Powerful alcohol on opening. Decanted 8 hours, wish I had only done it an hour or two. It was quiet and restrained after 8 hours, with somewhat faded tannins. Paired magnificently with Stilton. Will open another bottle soon and decant just an hour to compare.
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The 1977 Grahams is showing a deep ruby appearance fading to a garnet rim. Overripe plum, cinnamon & prune on the nose translates to the palate with the addition of Stewed cherry and a slightly bitter hint of chocolate. The wine is very balanced with slight tannins remaining and moderate acidity. At 20.7% the alcohol is present but lingering off in the distance. A Very smooth velvety wine with a medium finish that leaves a seductive sweet note on the palate.
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Just a beautiful bottle of port. So refined and complex, perfectly integrated. Plenty of life left in this bottle, which I imagine must have been well-stored based on the condition of the cork and the freshness.
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This bottle may have been just slightly off. But I'm going with the note anyway. Wasn't corked, but could have it been cooked? I don't know. We drained the bottle anyway. Textbook porto! Nice fruit but it could have been fresher.
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This was a very good port, however quite more developed than a 1977 Gould Campbell opened recently, and noticeably behind it in terms of quality. Quite muted on the nose, even after a 5 hour decant, and at the lighter end of the spectrum in colour, but with a luscious, textured mouthfeel. The fruit is beginning to fade a touch and the alcohol is beginning to become a little dominant. Very enjoyable though. Drink over the next 5-10 years maximum.
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R&D celebrated their 43rd anniversary Thursday evening and opened this from a standard bottle to cap their celebratory dinner. Luckily for us, they had half a bottle remaining which they poured off into a 375ml bottle and corked, so this held up perfectly over the two days since it was first opened. Deep ruby color. Cherry liqueur and currant notes, along with spice and chocolate. Full-bodied, with only the slightest hint of tannin remaining. Flavors of currant, licorice, cherry cordial and chocolate with a long finish. Terrific.
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Acquired from auction. Flavor melts in your mouth, smooth, sherry-like. Great with chocolate. However, the cork fell apart when opening, so was a bit of a mess.
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ruby red with orange rim - sweet cherry fruit nose - not a lot of complexity - very nice mouth of sweet ripe fruit, but again lacking in complex flavors - medium 10-15 sec finish - a very pretty port, but underwhelming for a 40+ old vintage port
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Decanted about seven hours prior to consumption. Shows some spirit on the nose. Dusty cherry. Some heat and mustiness. Dark fruited palate with more cherry. Fresh feel but somewhat reserved. Bit of heat. This showed 'ok'. You want more from the bottle given the producer of course. Seems this is a vintage with some controversy or disappointment. Given the pedigree and current price it's a disappointment. Otherwise a decent Port.
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Beautiful ruby color. Nose of caramel, espresso. Taste of dark chocolate covered cherries, toffee. Goes down like velvet. Might lack a little complexity but provides a ton of raw pleasure. Don’t overthink. Just enjoy. Score: 94-95. Relative to expectations: +
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Lys, transparent rubinrød farge med svakt murstensskjær. Litt tilbakeholden på duft med tørket frukt, dadler, mandler, moreller og gode, gamle plomme i madeira. En anelse korkpreg på duft, men på smak delikat, fortsatt ungdommelig, kirsebærlikøraktig med ren, kjølig frukt, preg av mandler, stjerneanis og kanel. Litt som en engelsk julekake i flytende form! Passe kompleks portvin med lang smakskurve, og et utmerket følge til pepperkaker og blåmuggost.
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Quite pale, evolved colour but still beautifully fresh. Moderate density but lovely flavour and typical silky Grahams style, very elegant finish. Drinking well now.
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Cork was damp through and a bit crumbled, but fortunately the wine was still fresh. Medium garnet. Beautiful nose of prune, cinnamon, chocolate, cherry jam, cedar, coffee. Still plenty of fruit for its age. Palate is quite delicate, though long and complex. Cherry, vanilla, then a little nutty. Still plenty of life here, though perhaps fading on the palate. Wonderful wine and spectacular with Gorgonzola cheese!
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This is the third bottle I’ve opened from the case. The bottle variation has been significant, due to the state of the corks. The last one was thin, pale in color and dull. This one is a treat, is still deep and rich red, with smooth, balanced, sweet fruit. Lovely!!
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Stored in a cold cellar since release. High fill. Good cork. Lovely aged port still drinking very well. Refined quite delicate delicious bouquet. Hard to say how many years left
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Much weaker than a recent bottle, this had been under Coravin for a couple of weeks. Though still with an elegant, mature profile the fruit was far more anemic than I recall from prior showings.
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This has greatly improved over the decades. It has shed so much sediment that it is now rose colored. It was always a bit on the lean side, but now drinks like liquid velvet. This is a hedonistic port in its dotage, having gained the weight and texture, if not the complexity, of better vintages.
From 75cl, perfect provenance. Shortish cork extracted (almost) in one piece, decanted 3 hours. Pale tawny red; rose-water, spirit alcohol and candy-violet scent; deceptively light, medium-sweet entry entreats you to down this like sangria. Oops, hangover warning! Lindt milk chocolate mid-palate. Short, hot finish. For my taste, about 15 years ago this was probably more interesting... True old school fans will, however, surely love it. 87-89P
Pale ruby with a little dark black hue in the core, faded but bright; Super silky, most of the tannins resolved, light glycerin, medium- sweetness as most of the sugar has also dropped out; pure cherry skin and cough syrup notes (in a good way), little black licorice, elegant, smooth, caressing mouthfeel, long and elegant finish. Super nice, very good shape, not too complex, but a jot to drink. Heavy chunky sediment at the bottom. W/MD, KN.
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Very elegant and clean; high toned, raspberry, dark chocolate, delicately spicy. Funny that in a way this wasn't so fundamentally different in its palate than some of the mature St. Emilion on show tonight.
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1977 and 1963 Vintage Ports... (Regional Wines and Spirits, Wellington, New Zealand): Palest tawny - limpid and clear. Intense candy cane spice and nose, which gives it a quite exotic character. Drying and slightly tannic on the palate. Spice echoes on the finish. Back palate feels a little disjointed. Slight Barolo feel to the wine (roses) but the spirit does give a slightly angular feel to the wine.
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Long lunch with Martinborough winemakers (Martinborough, NZ): Served non-blind by Larry who bought a case of 1977 Graham’s on release. Deep ruby with a touch of ochre at the rim. A bouquet of fresh red cherries, plums, spices, figs and chocolate. There were also some preserved or dried fruits aromas that put me in mind of old English Christmas cake. Additionally, there was something slightly medicinal on the nose but not the palate. On palate, the surprise is the youthful, almost primary nature of this 41 year old. Dense, rich, mellow and sweet fruited. Larry wondered if the Graham’s was “losing some freshness, drying out a little?”, but I could not see that, to be honest. To me, presently drinking very well but, obviously, with many years ahead of it. In balance and integrated. Good detail and length.
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A nice port, but it is not as sweet as Graham’s usually is. Also, the alcohol is a little hot on the finish. However, it has nice dark cherry fruit, saddle leather and a medium finish.
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Port tasting (tawnies and rubys); 3/27/2018-4/3/2018 (Todd's): Purple/ruby in color. The nose has nice black raspberry fruit. On the palate, black raspberries with slight raisins. Very clean. Complex. This was pop and pour and took a few minutes to open but then it is drinking just fine. It won't get better at 40+ years, but no real hurry either (depending on how you like your Ports). Slight heat on the finish.
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Served at a dessert party and a very nice pairing with chocolate cake and an oat brownie. This is a hint of caramel and a hint of raisin and maybe some plum (which I think was just the combination with the chocolate). Still a young port (crazy how long these things last), but quite enjoyable.
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Graham/Barton tasting-cum-lunch (Restaurant Bak, Amsterdam, NL): A really refined but not very powerful Vintage Port, relatively light weight, elegant tannins, salmiac, slightly separated alcohol, fresh and bright, well developed but energetic, relatively dry style, boudoir powder, refined and long finish.
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10 to 12 hour decant and still not fully open on day one. Drank the remainder over the next several days. Day 2 probably the best as the wine had taken on some weight and smoothed out while providing deeper flavors. I only had a couple of 77 Graham in my cellar and this was my last bottle. There is no rush at all to drink this wine. I recommend a very long decant if you decide to open a bottle. I believe that the suggested drinking window to 2021 is too short. My guess would be 2025+. I would buy more 77 Graham if I found some at an auction or from a reputable wine shop.
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Clear light red with clear edges. Great intense floral nose, brown sugar, red fruit and just a hint of Port heat. Delicious sweet rich red fruit and caramel flavours. Long rich finish.
Blind I guessed 1970 Taylor's, a friend of mine pointed out the sweetness pointed more to Graham's, he was correct.
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Faded red-purple--almost appeared like a younger Tawny under the dark light. Very silky, smooth, lovely red fruits, a little cherry kirsch, lightly sweet but actually not gooey or cloying--and went very well with all of the T-day dishes like turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce. This is in a really good place right now and a joy to drink. T-day at BN's.
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This port had a very compromised cork which ended up inside the bottle. I strained the liquid 4 times into a crystal vase before tasting. We opened it for my wife’s 40th birthday and while it wasn’t sour or spoiled it certainly wasn’t spectacular at all.
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1977 Vintage Ports from MG (P81): Lovely and sweet dark cherry fruit but also some tertiary notes of sewer. The alcohol is protruding a bit but overall a very nice wine. It really has a great acidity and perhaps still lacks a bit of depth. I did not find the "normal" liquorice notes in this bottle. From MG.
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2017 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/16/2017-10/25/2017 (New York City, NY): Tasted from a bottle ex-château, this medium garnet/amber, 40-year-old vintage port offers intense aromas and flavors of walnuts, red plums, garrigue and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, medium sweet and with impressive depth in the middle, it proceeds to a very long finish. This has at least two more decades of life. Drink now-2037.
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Terroir-istes International - Portugal, Port (Groot Constantia): (Tasted Blind): A light to mid-tawny colour with an intense nose showing plenty of fruit encompassing dried orange peel, shrivelled red cherries, Turkish delight, iodine, ash, peat and cognac. A delightful sweetness on entry with substance and weight leads to good concentration. The mid-palate reveals a sweet orange element, some Xmas cake, fig and some creaminess to the texture. I found a rather elegant and lifted wine with more red fruit than black, and it certainly has that trademark sweetness of Grahams balanced by a lively acidity, giving a shapely mid-palate. Excellent balance and harmony for this 40-year-old wine!
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Truffles with the SLDS (CFs): Chocolate, sultana, sea spray and nutty notes. Spirit sticks out a little, though a sweet element helps to mask it a bit. Not all that deep, though it has good length. Not bad, but the 77 Fonseca VP was a level above.
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FTLOP 12th Anniversary; 7/21/2017-7/23/2017 (Seattle, Washington): Purple-amber in color. Mostly transparent in clarity. Cinnamon with some red fruit and a touch of cedar on the nose. Rich mouthfeel with ripe raspberry and cinnamon stick on the palate. Firm tannins on the mid-palate resolving to a long, warm finish.
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Second Sunday Group: Chateau Montelena Cabernet (Non-Estate) Vertical, 2005-2012 (Our house): From 750ml, courtesy of R&D, double decanted off its sediment about 5-6 hours earlier. Notes of black cherry, white currants, licorice, chocolate and cherry cordials. Nicely integrated and balanced. Cherry, cassis, licorice and kirsch flavors. Long finish; picks up a chocolatey quality here too. A little sweeter, maybe even "fatter" than the Taylor, which seems a bit "angular" by comparison. Tonight I much prefer the style of the Grahams.
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Rioja dinner at Phil's (Chicago, IL): It's been seven years since I had this wine last, and my impressions on this wine seem to keep getting worse. This was surprisingly thin and light, with a colour that was almost rose-like. The nose was mostly dominated by spirit, though there was a slight touch of red fruit and cough syrup here. The palate is surprisingly light, though of course, the alcohol does show quite prominently. I had really expected a much denser and sweeter wine, but that expectation was probably the result of faulty memory. In all, this was good, but at the end of the day, there's a lot of other sweet wines I'd rather drink, which probably accounts for why I haven't had this in so long.
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Bright coloured. Very clean and intact on nose and palate. Nose of dried cherry and aromatic spices. Concentrated and smooth. No heat at all. Just lacking the final wow factor.
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Decided to treat myself on my 55th birthday. Last 0.750 bottle. Deep red color with a touch of amber on the edge. Wonderful nose of spice, red berries, plums and cassis. Silky smooth on the palate with candied plums, red licorice and just a hint of chocolate. Really stains the palate with a finish that lasts more than a minute. Drinking beautifully, but should last if well stored.
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Eighth wine of the tasting. Crumbled cork, lots of sediment -- double decanted 4 h before serving. Youthful looking ruby red with moderate bricking for a 40 year old. Enticing nose of red berries, spiced raisins, camphor, toasted nuts and violets. Elegant and quite sweet on the palate showing very silky and perfumed (christmas spice and dark florals) red berries, touch of caramel and a very long mineral driven finish. Lovely indeed.
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The Graham '77 comes from a difficult vintage, heralded once as a super vintage, but once again only a nice, honest and modest port with noticeable/acceptable signs of age. Of course very well made (the quality of the house), but not special.
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Decanted 4 hours prior to serving as Christmas dinner desert. Early taste was the most ready vintage port I'd ever had, upon pop and pour.
Light to medium red color. In the nose, plums, figs, violets and cassis. Medium to light viscosity. Flavors of plums, figs and vanilla. Really nicely integrated. Very fruity. Perfect drinking window right now. Probably another 3-5 years in this ideal window.
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Tawny color. Very aromatic with strong tertiary notes complementing the ripe fruit. Figs and currants, slight herbal complexity. Very well integrated at this point although it still packs some alcoholic punch. Not too sweet at all. Outstanding almost at the 40 year mark.
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I don't think the bottle was kept in perfect conditions. Also the cork fell apart but not from being dry. Very light colour with a little bit of red left, still the wine taste fresh. Cherry/red fruits in alcohol, some chocolate, not as complex as I would have liked. Not overly sweet, enjoyable but not mind blowing. This wine is nearly as old as me...
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Nose of crème de menthe, coffee, milk chocolate, and eucalyptus oil. Palate shows a liqueur-like mouthfeel: alcohol-dominant, with syrupy sugar and mild tannin. Flavours of red cherry, mint, eucalyptus, and blackberry. Other tasters thought this was too alcoholic, but I didn't think the alcohol was unbalanced or overpowering; for me, the element that stood out was the mintiness. This was basically like drinking the best crème de menthe ever, one with complementary notes of coffee and chocolate, and a touch of red cherry. A little strange, but a great way to finish a meal.
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A great port! Lovely red color, very aromatic with notes of chocolate, black cherries, figs, cassis and fine tannins. I think this has years ahead of it.
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Remarkably red colour. After the 66 this was a monster. Plums, berries and even some chocolate or maybe dried fig. Probably both. Chocolate, cherry and dried fig flavours. Lots of grippy tannins.
Probably immortal.
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The Port Forum Does Grahams VP in NYC (Lupulo Restaurant, NYC): My #2. Groups either #2 or #3 against the 1970, which was my #3. They were close. Very good balance but still enough grip to indicate that it has years to go. This one had sweet cherry fruit, but the sweet was not from the sweetness of the port. It was an independent sense of sweetness from the fruit.
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4th Saturday group "uptown" tasting (Mark & Rochelle's): From 750ml, courtesy of R&D, popped and poured. This is in a really nice place right now, showing notes of cherry, cassis, licorice and black cherry. Soft on the attack, tannins are nicely integrated, with flavors of cassis and kirsch, spice and red fruit. Balanced, with a long finish. This will obviously hold for a long time, but for my palate it's ready to go.
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This bottle was shared with Claw Dee Puss. D+0h: if the corkscrew had been longer, the cork would have come out in one piece, as it was too short, the lower third of the cork stuck in the neck and had to be removed in small pieces, luckily the teafilter helped to get rid of both the heavy sediment and the cork crumbs, ruby red, smells of sweet cherry, quite harsh in the mouth D+3h: more smooth now, yet still some heat in the mouth, smells now more of plum D+6h: smells of plum, some chocolate and a little bit of "varnish", medium body, not that sweet, plum in the mouth and some hints of chocolate, plum in the aftertaste, good length (30 sec.) D+8h: has not changed much
A good VP, has lost its "ruby" character and is more like a "tawny" now.
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Good, but not great. Fruit had held up, but the balance was off a bit. It lacks the voluptuous sweet grapeiness of the finest examples of aged vintage port. Not bad, but far from ethereal.
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Drank in the back part of a tasting menu with some cheese. Gave it a 2+ hour decant. cork crumbled when opening, and wine had a much more tawny appearance and flavors lacking a lot of the tannin from its younger days. Paired well with the food, and offered a great treat from an earlier time.
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Light ruby but not pale. Quite closed on the nose on first pouring. Touch of sour cherry/raspberry sherbet on the nose. Palate is much more substantial than the nose, deep flavours of plum, prune and Armagnac (which is probably what other tasters are also getting when they note the alcohol/spirit). Surprisingly consistent with many tasters here and a delightful auction purchase at US$52.50/but for a 12 bottle lot. Plenty of life in it still. I have a lot of the 70 in the cellar and I think I should drink the 70 first as there is no rush to drink the 77.
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Absolutely Magnificent. Ruby red color. Nose full of ripe berries. A hint of oak with flavors of plums, raisins and figs. Well balanced and supple. Decanted and did not need much time to breathe. Still full of very. Very drinkable now and for years to come.
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Old Bordeaux Dinner (Hong Kong Country Club, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Not decanted (which was a pity) but drank slowly over Partagas Lusitania cigars (which was a delight). Semi-translucent rich deep dark ox-blood colour. Nose is attractively smooth and very masculine but quite reticent and seemingly young. The palate masks the alcohol well but this vintage is all about muscularity and structure and is still a work in progress......I drank mine from a Bordeaux glass, which helped a lot. It was a bit too late in the night to score this.
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Wonderful sour cherry notes. The spirit shows slightly through, but is of good quality. not overly sweet which is a plus. Very nicely evolved vintage port.
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Medium, bright, clear ruby red in color with clearing at the edges. Full, forward, attractive & complex nose of mature & developed, red cherries, figs, plums & raspberries with spice & floral notes, orange rind, some cocoa, dried herbs, dark molasses, earthy, nutty, leather, cedar and a bit of heat (Alc. @ 20.7%). Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of well balanced, mature & developed, silky smooth textured & elegant, complex, ripe fruit flavors of dried cherries, raspberries, figs, raisins & plums with spices, earthy, minerals and a touch of vanilla. Long lingering velvety finish with a bit of heat. Drinks quite well at present and appears to at its apogee of development although it should hold at this plateau for longer.
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Ma conjointe avait 37 ans hier. Quoi de mieux qu'un vin de son année de naissance. Un porto millésimé avec des notes mentholées, de fruits confits. L'alcool est présente mais le vin est soyeux. Très belle longueur. 92 sur 100.
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From magnum - this wine was sweet in a simple and uncomplicated way, smoky on the palate but on the thin side - certainly fine but a disappointment given what I was expecting.
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Superb nose and very thick, glutinous mouth feel with rich chocolate. There was quite a lot of heat on the finish though and at times drank like a rich whisky rather than port.
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Drank at Home Lovely stuff with a rich complex nose of Christmas cake, figs, plumbs, dates, raisins and berries. Mouth coating palate. Length a little short. Lovely but the '77 Taylor's still wins.
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From Magnum. The cork was soaked but no leakage and the ah-so took it out in one complete piece. Plenty of orange tint but not nearly as much as some 750s of Dow I've had. A beautiful Port with fine sweetness, layers of overripe red fruits, a smoothness and richnes that nearly completely hides the 21% alcohol plus a 40 second finish. A really well enjoyed bottle among 10 of us.
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My Birthday Dinner (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Semi-translucent ruby red in colour. Nose is surprisingly high-toned rather than bass notes yet very balanced...... quite reticent for its relative age. Palate is absolutely fabulous christmas cake and Stollen with the dusted icing sugar on it. Resonant and very long indeed. Fabulous..... thanks Daniel!
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Drank in Davy's Not as good as the Taylor's but really lovely stuff. Still young with lot's of plumbs, spice, earth and sweetness on the nose. Wonderful complex palate with a medium length.
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Remarkably youthful looking. Plum and medicinal cherry. Still fairly dense and sweet. Spice and fudge in addition to the fruit. Some lingering dryness and bitterness on the finish make me wonder if there is some low grade cork taint, so difficult to tell with port. At any rate, now nearly as good or as developed as a bottle in 2012. I'm sure that things will sort themselves out as the wine sits out in a decanter.
Unfortunately, yes, with a night of air, corked. Big sigh. I've had the most difficult time discerning this with big dessert wines and Champagne.
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Browning plum red tinged with orange. Nose of sugared red fruits, plums, raspberries, and a hint of candied oranges. Drunk over 3 days. Honeyed vanilla. Candied orange and raisins to start. Flavors ebbed and flowed -- sometimes hints of earth, cedar and chocolate, and then pulses of the sweet fruits.
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Really drinking well! Double decanted 4 hours before consumption. This is why you buy vintage port. Absolutely gorgeous and long. Wish I had more. This is holding well. No hurry.
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Pulled the cork six hours prior to consuming and double decanted three hours before consuming to remove sediment. Room filling dark fruity aromas. Rich and luxurious on the palate. Simply delicious showing. This wine is at apogee although shouldn't be fading anytime soon.
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decanted & sealed 2.5 hours. dark red garnet w/pale ruby rim; lovely sweetish nose, Christmas spice, brown sugar, black fig preserves; med/+ on palate; fruitcake, fig pudding, solid core of brown spice & black mineral; very stylish, refined.
Colston Bassett Stilton
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Some trouble with the cork and capsule, but it didn't affect the wine. Decanted (of course) and left for about 1.5 hours before tasting. Lightly coloured, with a hint of a tawny-sort of brown. Big burst of red fruit, followed by a more earthy/"foresty" background. Improved as we went, so opening earlier would be recommended.
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The cork was v dry and desintegrated as I tried to pull it. Feared for the wine but it turned out nicely.
Right after popping there were plenty of sweetness and heat on display. 2 hours later, it seems to have hit its stride. V nice in the mouth, though the finish is beginning to show hints of something earthy/mineral that I can't really explain but that i dont find desirable and which i remember from a similar 77G we had last Thanksgiving.
Overall, v enjoyable. My first attempt ever at a score would put it around 91-92.
Edit: at 4 hrs after decanting it is tasting really good. That weird taste vanished, just the good stuff left. Upping my score to 93.
Edit 2: There was a glass full left in the bottle, which i kept in the fridge wo a cork, and went back to it yesterday (2 days later). It was still tasting great, the ending of it would say better than at 4hrs open. Felt a bit more tawny like. V good. Final score at 93-94.
Decanted about 6 hours, drunk with friends at home. Tawny colour, 60-70% opaque. Quite light, not too leggy. Clear on the rim Aroma: Leather, vanilla, raisins, spice, dark chocolate fruitiness (berries), butterscotch, wood, leaf mould. Rich, coating the top of the tongue. Good tannic tightness, some heat. Sweetness and some heat on the finish (which wasn't very long).
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BYOB Diner @ Restaurant De Eendracht (Rotterdam, Netherlands): Decanted about two hours beforehand, this started out aggressively volatile to the point where it invoked images of the glue sniffers I remember hanging out with during my adolescence. Unlike those guys however, this Port cleaned up its act and turned into a well-aged but surprisingly fresh red-fruited fortified wine, which was not at all hot, or even overly sweet for that matter. ..... TN Mike de Lange
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Drank over 2 nites at Stratton ski trip. Light ruby red color, showing clear, diffuse signs of age around the rim. Tastes of figs, molasses and lots of caramel. Very light bodied, good level of sweetness and nice length. Not particularly intense or concentrated, but a definite sense of elegance. Initially came across as a bit too hot, but that faded over time in the glass. Still lovely drinking and likely still has a few years left on it. Very enjoyable.
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A little bit flat on the nose (alcohol only) and the initial flavor profile is weak, resolves to a primarily cherry menthol, slightly medicinal in flavor, but still a fine beverage. Nice sticky and long finish, typical of Grahams higher sweetness factor..the finish goes and goes, resolves to "grand marnier" oranges and Redman chewing tobacco (do they still make Redman??).... Still has years left in it. Could go another 5 easy if not ten years, not the best 77 out there, but very good. Lack of nose is the big deduct here...
Light ruby approaching some tawniness. Tasted right after decanting. Cinnamon, ripe plums and fig. Not monstrous in weight and fairly moderate in terms of sweetness. Perfectly knit at this point with enlivening acidity. Stylish and elegant if not the most intense example. Better balance and integration than 2 years ago when last tasted.
Acker BYO 2012 (Tribeca Grill, Tribeca, NY): Decent but not great. Shows a standard port profile, and the palate is decent, but just not an impressive showing. Nose - 3.5/6, Palate - 4.5/6, Finish - 4/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0.5/2 = 12.5/20.
drank over several weeks starting TD 2012. some browning at meniscus. TN from memory, some heat, stewed prunes, caramel. held up well over time after opening. Enjoyable but not a world beater.. hope to try again
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Decanted 12 hours (swirled the decanter a handful of times along the way). By the time we drank it the heat from the spirit had faded and it showed v nicely. Color was a transparent redish/brownish, the flavor had strong hints of honey. Was v good but didnt find it great. Some of the friends I had it with were praising it to no end. Am still new to VP, hence not rating it.
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Thanksgiving dessert wine #3. Color: translucent ruby -> light, diffuse ruby rim; looked like a light new world pinot noir. Nose: plums, figs, varnish and spirity. I've always had a few problems with this vintage of Graham's: I just don't find it to be even close to the class of the '66, '70, or even the '85. The palate once again came across as very alcoholic compared to the concentration of fruit. It's still nice but just not as good as the heralded year and (my favorite) producer should be. Moderately sweet with a moderately long finish.
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Decanted for at least 3 hours. Light color. Wonderful nose, dark fruit and cedar. Very balanced on the the palate, with spice undertones. Very very long finish. Excellent.
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Lunch at Absinthe (Absinthe, Bukit Pasoh): From a Millenium Magnum that had been opened for some time, this showed as a lovely vintage port, but one that was on the cusp of maturity rather than being fully ready for drinking. What a nose it had though. Beautifully subtle, almost understated, with little drifts of treacle and candied hazlenuts, figs and sultanas, and earth and wood spice, with a little note of dried flowers and malt at the edges. Very pretty. The palate was briliantly balanced and had clear, pure feel that I really liked - it was a bit lighter and less pronounced in its sweetness than some other vintage Grahams. However, while there was a sense of tremendous complexity being wound into the bright core of the wine, one got a feeling that it will be still some time more before the wine really unfolds completely. Still though, we did get a delicious panoply of flavours on the day, from honey and malt sugar, to figs, sultanas, all wrapped in a lovely velvety textured mouthful and laced with fine, well-integrated acidity. Very elegant stuff, ending in a lovely mouthful of sweet spices - think cinamon and cloves - lingering beautifully in the finish. Still rather too young. I would set this aside for at least 4 to 5 more years. It had great underlying material though, and should make an absolutely lovely Port in time.
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This is a great port (though not as sweet as other vintages of Graham), highly recommend extended decanting to bring out the best - I do for 10hrs (usually decant at breakfast to have with dinner), re-bottle and cool back down. Also leave for 2 days before. Yes, without this it's only 89-91. Entering prime window now, may even improve over next 5 years
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A bit disappointing, again. Recent bottles of '94 Warre and '94 Croft and some others were better. Not sure the extra decade or two of age on these Portos is so beneficial..
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A very disappointing bottle. There is nothing untoward with it as a vintage port, it simply needs another five years more in the cellar (or maybe more). Showed very little for 24 hours other than spirit and a little spice. Eventually the cassis-like fruit followed and it appears that this will make a very fine bottle in time. If you must drink it now, decant it the night before and keep it cool. Pointless scoring at this stage.
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Red center, red to brown rim - clear signs of age. Blackberry, licorice, camphor, a little green bell pepper, sweet, stewed oranges, minerality. Sweet, blackberry, pontefract cake, some acid and tannin, tart cherries, smooth, fantastic length, sappy notes, slate and grape jelly at the end. Drinking very well now, will last a few more.
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This bottle had a lot of heat. As it warmed up from cellar temp, it improved a bit. Decanted for an hour+. Fruit never got big enough to match the alcohol.
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This one was a little past its best but the cork covering had been knawed by creatures in the cellar so I reckoned it needed drinking. There's a fair bit of botle variation depending on how it's been stored / moved.
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Still nice red colour. Smells dried fruits. Surprisingly young, fruity taste of dried fruits (figs). Quite light-styled. Have been drinking this wine for 15 years now, and it has hardly developed the last ten years. Certainly has many years ahead of it.
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Absolutely amazing...this port is right in its' prime. A great balance between rich, sweet fruit and loads of secondaries. Tar, mint, smoke, spice....quite terrific. Already bought some 375's and will seek out more 750's as this still has a long life ahead of it.
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Group de Degustation Diner, L'Anniversaire de Daniel, '1970s in France & Elsewhere' (Hong Kong Wine Vaults, Aberdeen, Hong Kong): Served non-blind. Much older-looking than the Fonseca 1977 that preceded it. Nose is more complete and matured/characterful. Palate is rich, unctuous, nutty, raisins, christmas cake....stollen cake...kirsch.....totally complete and utterly more-ish. Good but not great or silence-creating resonance, which was its only noticable shortcoming. I think that this had only minimal decanting but it was still a fantastic finish to a really superb evening.......thank you Daniel.
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DS Wine Dinner. Blind T. Rusty light brown. Quite evolved, with woody nose (group agreed that not faulty). Maderized, burnt caramel, raisin, sour plum. Very stark contrast to the same year Fonseca, which was way more youthful and more to my liking. Also prefer Grahams 1985 a lot...
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Very enjoyable. Nice end to a very pleasant evening. Cork moist but crumbly. Nose smoky, a little muted. Hints of alcohol but nothing off-putting. Palate quite sweet. Finsh not especially long but satisfying.
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Opened on a bit of an impulse and filtered through a tea strainer (not glamorous, but it worked) an enjoyed with friends on a cool summer evening. Crisp with sweet fig and pecan flavors and a rich undercurrent of dark fruit. Rich, decadent, yet all in balance.
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My wife and I love sweeter styles of port, and if you share that sweet tooth, try this! Deep ruby, viscous, heady aromas of red currents, ripe plums, white chocolate, sweet flowers. Delicious in a creamy, soft, velvety style. Seems young, but at a peak. I'll give it 93pts because I know that Graham's has a way of seeming unbalanced at a sufficiently old age; this is peaking too young for some who love what I'll call a true mature port style. Fifteen years from now, I doubt that this will be quite as good. Yet for what it currently is, it deserves 96 or 97pts. You just can't find better sweet wines than this...
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Plenty of good notes on this wine... this particular bottle was quite good showing very good balance and length, great intensity and complexity. Plenty of finesse, a very fine texture, and classic expression of place. Perhaps not the best vintage of Graham's ever but I really think this vintage is coming around, becoming more integrated/more balanced and may be more highly regarded in the future... drink or hold... so bottle dependent really. Easily an "outstanding" wine.
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Just Another Lousy Day in Paradise (Yountville, CA): Served after the meal, to accompany conversation and pre-Castro Partagas Coronas I insisted on trying (1959, the oldest vintage of the day, and in fine fettle) ... anyhow, the '77 Graham's was much darker and more opaque than the '70 Taylor served immediately beforehand, sweeter, sturdier, and richer, with full body and a bit of remaining tannin. Very good indeed, and I see no hurry to drink this.
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Any Port in a storm (Chris Lipperts): Good and well made, but has a distinct herbaceous edge - I think this is the house style, the 1970 exhibited it, too. Not as intense as the 1970, either. Not really my thing
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US vs Europe (Chung Home, NoVA): among the better aged vintage ports i have had the pleasure of trying, this showed an increduibly youthful palate of plum, figs, and blackberry. some smoke and caramel also apparent. sweet, but not cloying, this had a very long finish. paired incredibly with a danish blue cheese and some other cheeses.
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Lovely light ruby tinged with mahogany. Initial nose was very fruity but this quietened down. Lots of lovely raisiny fruit, a real bit of pepper, finely balance sweetness, cloves and cinnamon, plum jam and many other things too. Fine complexity. Very good length. Tannins now completely smooth. In a good spot right now but will continue to develop.
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Pot Roast at my place; Prum, Raveneau, L'Aigueliere, Pichon Lalande, Rostaing, VT & Graham's (My place.): I’ve always had issues with this wine. The alcohol has always been out of balance to me, frequently showing blowtorch tendencies. I’ve seen recent reports about how it finally seems to be integrating, so when Bill showed up with it, I was happy to have the opportunity to try it again as it’s been some years since I last had it. Well, the reports seem to be true. While it’s not a blockbuster Graham’s and the alcohol is still pretty apparent, it is much better integrated than it was even five years ago. Arguably fairly mature, depending on how you like your Port, with pleasant cherry, raspberry, baker’s spice, licorice and hints of toffee. A lovely match with the poached pears with zinfandel syrup and gorgonzola dessert it was brought to go with. A-/B+.
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Quite good and lots of life remaining. Black cherry, figs, spices, chocolate and herbs. The alcohol is noticeable but appropriate. Super mouthfeel too. It should have been decanted for several hours but there wasn't time to do that. Nonetheless, it was reallly enjoyable
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Totally sound cork, tight. V pale; spirity, touch of wood, ethereal, with a peppery punchiness, liquorice; mellow, a chocolatey feel, spritely; a sinewy clean, vigorous finish. V. Long, will age effortlessly but seems to have peaked. The '70 is clearly superior.
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Slightly tawny edge let everyone know this had some age. A mature sweetness that had 3 of the 6 of us thinking Graham. Bela's guess of a '77 Graham was right on. Not a monumental port, but drinking very well tonight.
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Signs of past seepage; corroded capsule. Extremely saturated cork was extracted in two pieces. Ruby colour. No bricking. Dark and brooding. (First tasting note made right after pouring.) Nose has notes of black cherries, licorice, brown spices, flowers, and tar. On the palate, this is immensely rich and complex, with loads of candied black fruit, figs, spice, and licorice. The spirit is less dominant here (which I like). It seems that the tannins have yielded in this bottle. Sweet, fruity, medium-length finish. Slight hints of chlorine. (Second tasting note made after the partially finished bottle was stored in the fridge overnight, but not under vacuum.) Floral nose with black fruits. On the palate, this has significantly mellowed, with a slightly unctuous texture. Still get notes of tar and figs; seems slightly raisin-y. Finish still has that unpleasant chlorine note. (Third tasting note made on the third day under the same storage conditions previously.) The nose has not changed very much. The palate has further mellowed, leading me to think that this is the peak stage -- I'll have to get in an extra glass of this tonight. The palate is fat, sweet, and fruity, and the alcohol has integrated much better. The chlorine note on the finish has lessened, though there's now a bigger hit of spirit instead.
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The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Rich & Dana's): Light ruby color. Terrific floral and berry aromas with underlying spice notes. Well-balanced, with red fruit and spice flavors on the palate.
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Medium core, light tawny rim. Perfumed plum. Again, plummy fruit, fresh but well integrated, cocoa note as well. Not overly sweet. Excellent if not mind boggling mature port with plenty of time in hand.
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Celebration Dinner (Inovasi, Lake Bluff, IL): Powerful, ripe aromatics. Deep blue fruits on both the nose and palate. Some nice savory herb notes as well. Full bodied with a long finish. Tannic. Great wine with quite a bit of time remaining.
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Hugh Johnson thinks it's a little straight and not lasting as long as it should for what was meant to be a 1945-quality port year. I'm not sure, and still enjoying these with little sign of tiredness. My bottles are ageing well, and even those I think I didn't store well last year remained amazingly complex and deep. This remains a classy classy vintage, though I did love 67 and 70 heaps.
One bottle which must have aerated a little before opening was, when opened, bringing out the walnut and cedar and other ground fruits of the wine. Still an amazing drink, and when compared to a well-cellared bottle with its heavy deep dark alcoholic gravitas, stood up well as just a lighter-balanced but deeply complex port.
So, depending on taste, (especially if you think Grahams is too "hot' and alcoholic, pah!) you could decant this for a few days, and enjoy the depth and variety of the favours it throws out. Certainly 24 hours plus is recommended whatever you do.
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Very, very enjoyable, but continues to have a thinness about the finish. Balanced, complex and elegant -- but not the intensity of other of the 1977 vintage. Perhaps decanting for longer would help and going in expecting finesse and not boldness.
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Signs of past seepage; corroded capsule. Saturated cork that broke in half during extraction. "Decanted" in a port glass for about two hours. Surprisingly light colour, almost no signs of bricking. Nose is somewhat impenetrable, with the spirit dominating, although there are notes of dried dates and raisins. Bright and lively palate, not too sweet, notes of fresh red fruit (this wine has life yet!), hints of licorice, with a long finish that has some tar, licorice, and smoke. Two days later, stored under nitrogen, more development of flavour, notes of dried red and black fruits develop, and an even more intense finish, with notes of dark chocolate and mocha. I like this more than the 1977 Taylor.
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Had it last night. Just popped and poured. I was expecting something much sweeter and bigger and, to my good surprise, this was well balanced and not too sweet. First glass was full of fruit, plenty of blackberry and raspberry. After 1h, interesting savory and leather notes. Very nice.
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Cork wet to top. Decanted 1 hour. Pale garnet-red with considerable color loss at rim - like an old Burgundy. Little on the nose besides alcohol and grapes. On the palate this was a different experience though with intense flavors of cassis, honey, spices, and tar - lots of tar. The finish lasted at least 60 seconds with flavors of candied apple, caramel, and a bit of cocoa. The color was deceptively light and the nose insipid but the flavor and finish were outstanding.
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IWFSC 751st Dinner (Les Nomades): Light purple color. Tighter and more focused than the 70, with more energy and concentration. Also still carring more structure and heat though. I expect this wine will eclipse the 70 in time, but just a step behind tonight. 93+ pts.
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Outstanding port. Lighter in colour than I expected when decanted, which gave me a little concern. However, it's rich and smooth, with gorgeous fruit and very muted alcoholic bite. Delicious wine.
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Double decanted at home, then put in a decanter at the club. I thought that this was a bit on the alcoholic side, but got a bit better over time. Not sure it met my expectations, as it seemed to be lacking in fruit. Perhaps more time would have helped. Clearly I misjudged this wine. I have sipped from a saran covered glass of the 'dregs' over the past couple of days, and this is now a completely different wine. I would advise anyone opening a bottle of this to give it at least eight hours in the decanter - perhaps longer, for it to truly open up.
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Blind Red Throw Down! (Our House (2033 Brandywine St., Philadelphia)): We drank the Fonseca 77 several weeks ago. This was a far cry from the Fonseca, which was fresh and bright. This labored a bit. Not "old" but not as young as the Fonseca. There was noticeable heat throughout. Raisin and plum on the nose, with a hint of secondaries. Chocolate covered raisin on the palate. A little too much heat here, which really clips the finish.
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Very balanced, smooth and full of figs and dark plum flavors. This bottle is drinking very well now and shouild continue for another 10 years. Fruit flavors still prominent.
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Drank in flight with 1994 and 1963. Wine was very dark ruby red in color. Amazing nose with plum and raisan jumping out of the glass. Taste had wonderful, strong fruit flavors with an amazing finish.
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Decanted for 8 hours. Medium colour, soft on the nose and fully evolved. Typical Graham's sweetness, attractive fruit well balanced by the acidity with no hint of drying out. Stylish with excellent complexity and given the age is still fresh and elegant. Very long finish. Excellent. A really lovely port now at its peak. Estimated maturity: Now-2020+
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Decanted for 7 hours before really serving; smooth, rich with nice berry and chocolate flavors; medium body. I really liked the style, not so big & heavy. Definitely needs some decanting as it allows the hot alcohol notes to blow off. Started enjoying the flavors when I tasted after opened for 4 hours, just got better as time past.
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(2+) Drank with Mom, Dennis & Bob. A little hot at first - seemed like it might be a bit old. Mellowed with some air time and was pretty good after about an hour - maybe a 1+.
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wine-pages.com SuperBOWL 2009 (Glasgow): Open nose with charming black fruits and some odd lemon grass lift. Nice, celan palate with good balance and a rich, velvety, cosseting feel.
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I didn't take a proper note on this, which was served without decanting by a friend in the early hours. There were some lovely floral notes on both the nose and the palate. Initially there were some spirity notes, but these blew off. Drinking now, providing it's decanted, but equally no rush at all to drink.
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Drank from 375ml bottle bought at online auction. Very tawny in appearance upon decanting, a dark rose/ruby color. I was a little worried..., +1.25 hours -- red fruits mostly cherry, some heat. Very round tannins, velvety in the mouth. +2.25 -- this starting to get very nice. Thick on the tongue, cherry and other red fruits, not much heat anymore. +3.25 -- heat is back and still a little distracting, cherry and strawberries +4 hours -- this is finally hitting it's stride, heat has dissapated again, velvety, cherries and strawberries, some mild chocolate notes creeping in, maple syrup.
Overall, bit of a disappointment. Enjoyable but nothing special. Maybe I don't like the Graham's style??? Or perhaps since this was from a 375mL it is showing that most bottles have hit their peek and are on the decline???? Maybe this wasn't stored well...
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I don't know the provenance of this bottle but it must have been good! Slight tawny at the edge but not on the palate. It's got great balance and integration, nice length. About as good as this has ever been for me out of a 750ml.
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Enjoyed at Youssef's 242 in Hickory NC earlier this evening with Kim and good friend Nitin Shenoy after a pharmaceutical dinner with cigars. Honestly, not as good as I was expecting for such an aged vintage port but still very good. Agree with a previous taster down below - an initial big blast of alcohol, heady and hot, but with significant improvement with aeration in glass. Flavors ultimately well balanced with some fig, chocolate and a nice lingering aftertaste of black fruit but overall flavor profile somewhat muted. Personally enjoy the older blended tawny ports better.
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Quite light in colour with a brown streak. Sweet strawberry nose. Candied. A sweet and round mouthfeel, with some spices (nutmeg, cinnamon), sweet strawberries and raspberries. It gains body on the spicy and lovely (if slightly spirity) finish. This is drinking beautifully now.
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UK Wine Forum 'Vintage Pairs' Offline (Le Colombier, London): Quite light, fruity, slightly soapy nose. Nice sweetness on the attack, reasonable structure, no heat. Quite light, falls away a little bit but not at al bad. Very smooth. Certainly ready. ***1/2
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IWFSC 736th Dinner (The Racquet Club): Another nice showing for this. Typical Graham sweet character in a mature port that is balanced and well put together.
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It has been a number of years since I have tasted the 77 Graham's, But Roy Hersh had called tonight and since I could not join him for dinner I decided to open this since I have never had it when he was not around. Yes it is still spirity but there is great fruit hiding there as well. Not much signs of age with no bricking. Not a dark as the Taylor or Fonseca. The finish very long. Decanted 5 hours.
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IWFSC 735th Dinner (Boka): Didn't take a detailed note here, but once again this is a lovely almost fully resolved port that shows some of the sweet Graham character that I like.
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Quite a faint colour, but the fruit is firm and the balance brilliant. Sweetish, though not as strongly so as one might expect for Graham's. Still good tannic structure and a strong finish. Lovely, lovely wine.
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Drank at the champagne and bdx offline at Sweets & Savories. This one showed better than the 77 fonseca it was paired against. Ripe, powerful, and modestly sweet. There was a little heat on it, but overall this drank very well.
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Light crimson colour. Earth, spice, roast nuts and mint on the nose. There is a pleasing brown sugar style flavour to the palate, but it is noticeably lacking in depth. Not really what I expected in terms of richness and complexity, would like to know how it looked on following nights.
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Some other reviews describe this as thin and not good. I see the thin. It is the least robust of the '77s I have tasted. But not good I have trouble with. It is still a well structured, satisfying, good vintage port. Drink soon though.
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I was very skeptical about the quality of this bottle at first, as there was evidence of some capsule seapage. I have been drinking this over a 2 week period and at first, after decanting, the alcohol was fuming from the bottle and made it untouchable. After 3 days (yes, 3 DAYS) this bottle was more approachable and was quite smooth. The palate was a dark berry, brown honey with deep concentration of stewed apples and a touch of nutmeg. While I enjoyed this bottle I don't believe it was at its full potential due to the previous seapage. The cork came out in 2 pieces. Still, nonetheless, a very good port!
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Opened for Pascale's 30th B'day, when we had a huge group. Silky and amazingly light on the palate, yet full and rich in flavor. Not as sweet as I thought it might be, and very long finish. The bottle had tons of sediment. Knowing little about vintage port, I'm still glad I cellared this for so long. It was a perfect end to a memorable evening.
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Drank with some friends after a long dinner --> very subtle and soft; nose still very nice; not a big as I wouod have expected; but very nice. I would drink now
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Decanted for 2 hrs: Rusty / rose hip colour, not very intense. Elegantly aged and easy drinking, without losing its complexity. Subtle aromas of dried figs, leather and star anise with a delicate taste of fresh figs, red fruit (but what??), brown sugar, liquorice and mild tabacco to the end. The finish does not add any new flavours: nothing is really happening here. Overall, slightly hot VP, but very enjoyable. I'll give it 91 pts!
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Tom's rabbit dinner, by itself/with Bleu D'Auvergne after dessert. Recognizably vintage port but lacking much depth or richness. Not very spirity but noticeable in the absence of enough else.
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The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Rich & Dana's): This was served with dessert after our tasting group had gone through the blind wines. Appears rather youthful, with a deep ruby color. Notes of cassis, cherries and a touch of alcohol. Wonderful balance on the palate, very well-integrated. Red fruit, raspberry and cinnamon flavors glide over the palate to a lengthy finish, where there's just a slight bit of tannin.
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2nd Annual Cellar Treasures Tasting (Long) (Asti Trattoria): I have such a poor and unexperienced palate for Port, still. This one was really nice. Still an incredibly young wine (or at least that's how it drinks). Massive, spicy, fruit forward, although it clearly has already shed some babyfat. Ultimately, my inexperience makes me have trouble scoring it, but I am taking my best guess.
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First aged port. I can now see the seductive abilites of aged port. Musty brown. Complex finish of berries, dust. Smooth with little heat. Will not rate due to lack of experience with port, but I will definately seek out other ports in the future
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Group #10, My #6 - Medium red crimson. Medium round aroma of tight red fruit. Really nice spicy black cherry fruit with a slightly hot long finish. 4/05
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We opened this wine at a Vitamin W tasting as the "special wine" of the evening, following six Late Bottle Vintage Portos. Double decanted. I am entering this note far after the fact, and I do not have my notes. It's a shame, because this wine was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
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Remarkably mature lightish colour. Good nose with lots of restrained fruit and no spirit. Quite light on the palate with good elegance. Good clean attack with nice fruit. But starts to disintegrate a bit on the finish.
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Roy did a clever job tricking us to identity of this wine. He posted that he was bringing a very young port. Later that night when he poured it, I was convinced that he was trying to fool us. The color was very light and showed some age on the rim. The nose was very spirity with a good dose of cinammon. (Imagine smelling cinammon Schnapps). The palate was like sucking on a Red Hot candy with a mouthful of vodka. The combination of the high alcohol and hot spice was not a winning combination in my mind. This Port lacked the depth, complexity, and elegance of a great one. I guessed 1985 Grahams. Truly blind I would have guessed a lesser Port from the 70s, but I split the difference between Roy's 90's Red Herring and settled on the 80s. I guessed Grahams because I always do when I get a strong spirit element. I enjoyed getting another chance to taste this controversial wine. Thanks, Roy.
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Seattle offline at Daniel's Broiler (Seattle, WA, USA): My bottle. Well Roy thought it was horrendously spirity, although I enjoyed it. Coffee and chocolate dominate the nose and palate, and with fallen chocolate cake this is a lovely accompaniment.
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Boysenberry and red cherry aromas with good floral perfume. Palate is more dark fruit - black cherry and kirsch with lots of baking spice liberally spread throughout. Some chocolate flavors emerge in middle as well, with smoky element more prominent on finish. Still subtle all the way from start-to-finish, this is aging gracefully, still on the ascent and likely to be wonderful for at least another 25 years.
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3/18/2024 - SpenceP wrote: 95 Points
Figs, caramel, milk chocolate, cherries, hints of spices, especially cinnamon, and just a touch of mint, followed by a fabulously long and intense aftertaste. This is special. No hurry. (Tasted over two hours from the Jancis Robinson glass.)
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3/7/2024 - CleverCorkage Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking exceptionally well but this bottle might be at its peak. Haunting pronounced aromas of cigar box, violets, fig, raisined red fruit , and a medley of sweet baking spices. Very delicate initially with fully resolved tannins and perfectly integrated alcohol (20.7% ABV), BUT picked up considerable weight and density at the two hour mark. Long persistent finish and the sweeter Graham's style that I adore. Most importantly shared with family at the end of a gathering alongside Roquefort and toasted walnut brownies.
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3/3/2024 - PDavisMarble wrote: 93 Points
From magnum. Consistent with the last bottle, though more subtle and complex. The additional 10 years has helped. The raisin and fig notes remain, though the essence of candied ginger, orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg began to emerge with more time in the glass.
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3/2/2024 - TooManyBottles19 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Double decanted three to four hours prior to drinking. No signs of leakage, cork did come apart into two pieces and some cork debris fell into the wine but it was strained out with cheesecloth as part of the decant. Shared with a wonderful woman as dessert at home after dinner out. This wine delivered, was really good.
This is a little lighter and fruiter than some of the other 1977s I have tried. But the flavors are pure and long, the finish clean. It made you want to savor each sip and take another. Which I guess all really good port does.
Calling it a 94 on an uninflated CT scale, really can't justify anything less.
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1/14/2024 - WTF My Email was Here? wrote: 95 Points
Medium garnet color. Cork showed some minimal signs of seepage. Cork was soaked through.
Great body and light fruit on the palate. Still lots of ruit but nice caramel/honey notes running through. Probably a bit past peak but still drinking great.
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12/28/2023 - BernieMSY Likes this wine: 94 Points
Crumbly cork Bright garnet red, with a touch of additional bricking at the edges. Raisinated nose.
Outstanding depth, balanced sweetness. Essentially, a grape cordial. Lingering finish, nuanced and delicious. This one can easily go for two more decades or more.
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12/22/2023 - franm Likes this wine: 91 Points
cheers - delicious, very fine subdued flavors....another great port for Rudy and I....enjoyed with our usual charcuterie and french bread
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12/12/2023 - 2ndvinwine Likes this wine: 100 Points
An exceptional bottle! The only thing that would make this bottle better is more time. I could age it for another hundred years and it would be better, but the wine that is inside cannot be improved. 100/100.
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11/23/2023 - Harley1199 Likes this wine:
By the glass. Aromas of figs, frosted fruits or baking oven. Soft on the palate but at the same time concentrated and spicy. Sweet and very long. Definitely deep. Very big. Graham, for decades always on my team.
Por copas. Aromas a higos, frutas escarchadas o horno de obrador. Suave al paladar pero al mismo tiempo concentrado y especiado. Dulce y muy largo. Definitivamente profundo. Muy grande. Graham, desde hace décadas siempre en mi equipo.
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10/14/2023 - theportguy wrote: 95 Points
Sammamish Port Club - 1970's Ports (Seattle, Washington): Clear with medium purple tones. Dark fruit with just a hint of Bramble fruit. There is a really great complexity here on the palate, but at the same time it drinks like a smooth, well-integrated wine. The finish has a nice crescendo and fruit and balanced acidity.
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9/18/2023 - OenophilistMN Likes this wine: 94 Points
The bottle was kept upright for 4 days. The port was decanted through a screened funnel 4 hours before consumption. Plenty of sediment in the screen (and even a little in the bottom of the decanter when the port was gone). Crimson bowl lightening to a pinkish rim with a small clear halo. The nose was wonderful: plums, caramel and brown sugar. In the mouth: figs, more plums, butterscotch, Luxor cherries and a wonderful chocolate finish. No noticeable heat on the long finish. Port was as smooth on the tongue as could be from the moment it entered the mouth until it was swallowed. Perfect example of what Vintage Port should be. My dining companions indicated it went well with key lime pie (if they say so).
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5/14/2023 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank over a month. Delightful, aged color, good fruit, love the finish.
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12/31/2022 - VlgJeff wrote: 92 Points
A New Year's Eve Gathering at our place: Consumed (and greatly enjoyed) the other half of the bottle opened on 12/25/21. It's one year later and this bottle has been standing in a door shelf in our fridge for all that time. Remember, it was in a 375 ml screw cap bottle that was filled to the brim after the original bottle saw some 8 hours of decanter time. Only some faint evidence of "aging" during the past year as the nose and palate were just a bit less robust. An unopened bottle should continue to hold for several more years.
This port was enjoyed by those who chose the all-chocolate Buche de Noel for dessert.
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12/27/2022 - talbot61 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious. Relatively light body but full intensity and balance, and a range of tasty flavors -- fig and plum pudding and clove and nutmeg. Mature, with no sign of old age. This doesn't have the enormous depth of the greatest vintage ports (Taylor or Noval 1963), but that is setting a very high bar.
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12/24/2022 - AudunG wrote: 90 Points
Aromas of prunes and raisind, nuts and some wood. Rather slender and almost tawny like on the palate. Still plenty of fruit left.
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12/14/2022 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Transparent light garnet red. In the bouquet raisins and sweet red berries. On the palate dried fruits and chocolate. Beautifully complex and mature with a good balance between acidity and sweetness.
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11/25/2022 - mowtod Likes this wine: 79 Points
Thin sweet with little character but pleasant
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11/15/2022 - yonster24 wrote:
Had this with Brian G. No official notes but this was in an absolute perfect spot. Drop dead gorgeous bottle of wine. This isn't getting any better, but will hold here for a quite a few more years. Wish I had taken more detailed notes, but regardless...this was absolutely fantastic.
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11/11/2022 - Shrewsram Likes this wine: 92 Points
We had a bottle to recork/wax... the seal was damaged and it looked like a a hole too. Upon taking the capsule off, the cork was found in the wine! So the bottle was opened for interest and inspection:
Decanted 10/11/2022
Tawny, cola-like appearance. Mellow nose of old wood, sense of softness, notes of brown sugar, dried old kirsch, raisin/tobacco, cola, a sandiness… and the spirit very easy-going.
Full and sweet attack, there was some pocketed spice and fire, a flash of acidity and tang. Overall mellow, a honeyed sweetness throughout with some (not liquorice...)cassia bark? Resolved tannins but a sense of powerful structure, this was long, rounded, juicy and sweet. Delicious and a surprise considering the 'closure'.
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11/3/2022 - jc510 Likes this wine:
amazing port, still good after being open for a few months.
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10/6/2022 - HODL Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine was phenomenal.
Decanted for at least 3 hours at dinner before trying it.
Still vibrant fruit left in this, although many dried and stewed fruit characteristics..So basically so many versions of cherry, and also chocolate covered as well..
Leather and prune and raisin. There was a lot of complexity to this, I just can’t remember all of it..
I enjoyed this drinking experience more than the 2000 Dalle valle we had during dinner
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9/23/2022 - theportguy wrote: 93 Points
2022 Port Harvest Tour; 9/22/2022-10/2/2022 (Porto, Portugal): Deep garnet color with a subtle red rim. Aromas of dried figs, raisins, and a touch of cedarwood invite you in. On the palate, it's a well-balanced wine, featuring velvety dark fruit flavors, a hint of chocolate, and smoothly integrated tannins. The long finish has notes of tobacco and a touch of orange zest.
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9/19/2022 - Alex Barbera Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bissi Kork
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9/17/2022 - NoTrollingerPlease wrote:
Chardonnay tasting (@Private location, Stuttgart): Glass: Zalto Burgundy
Popped and poured. Presumably not a perfect bottle. At least some mushrooms, probably a hint of TCA. Not too sweet, good structure. Not rated.
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9/14/2022 - jmcelroy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Bottle showed signs of leakage and cork was very spongy after extraction with a Durand cork screw. However wine was perfectly sound with wonderful fruit and some spice balanced with alcohol and sweetness and a long finish. Very enjoyable and look forward to drinking over the next few days.
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5/13/2022 - murphsmurf Likes this wine: 90 Points
At this point they seem to be past peak and starting to slowly fade. Both bottles had soft corks and was unable to remove the cork successfully - quickly ran through filter and decanted. Second bottle stayed open for about 4 days
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3/19/2022 - brujazz wrote: 95 Points
Possibly the best port I’ve ever had, equaled only by a 63 Quinta de Noval I had in Portugal in 2000. Everything Id hoped it would be. Cork was soft and fell apart upon opening. After decanting and waiting a bit, the chocolate and raspberries exploded. Perfect end to a roast chicken dinner.
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3/3/2022 - VinhoVerde Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light to medium amber/red color. Ripe fruit with a touch of raisin, smoke, butterscotch candy, cherry aromatics. Mature Vintage Port flavor with a slight Tawny undertaste. Maybe slightly past it’s peak, but close enough and extremely enjoyable. Tannins resolved, but there is a nice bit of acid to keep this aftertaste refreshing. Delicious.
Served from Magnum. I purchased this upon release to honor my daughter’s birth year and it’s been stored in my cool cellar.
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1/19/2022 - Border Boss Likes this wine:
From magnum. Double decanted about five hours before service. Reddish brown color. Aeration really helped this wine put on weight. The wine is pretty sweet but there's still some nice acidity to balance it out. Not much alcohol heat at this point with the air. Definitely not a pristine bottle, but it still drank very well and paired well with the chocolate dessert.
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12/25/2021 - VlgJeff Likes this wine: 93 Points
Christmas Dinner (Our House): Christmas Night dessert/sipper. Stood the bottle upright for a day and a half. The fill was above base neck. Removed a spongy/wet cork in one piece using the Durand, then decanted this bottle through cheesecloth. Lots and lots of sediment! Followed the wine throughout the day -- both fun & educational.
Initial color was a bright medium rose, with aromas of cherry and aguardente, but the palate was sharp and alcoholic.
At about 3 1/2 hours: Color is a clear medium garnet. The nose was still primarily aguardente. The palate showed some raisin but was highly alcoholic.
As the wine gained air time, it darkened, added weight, and became more and more enjoyable.
We began drinking at about the 8 hour mark with the nose yielding some rose and fig, and only a touch of alcohol. We continued drinking for another couple of hours with the wine improving as we drank. The medium bodied palate had fig, plum, cherry, prune, and a mix of warm spices, with nicely balancing acidity and no obvious alcohol. Although the sweetness was present, it was not as sweet as some other Graham's vintage ports that we've had. Not certain how much longer this wine can hold but give it lots of air and you should be rewarded.
The two of us consumed about half of this bottle, saving the other half in an empty 375 ml screw cap bottle which we filled to the very brim, thus eliminating any air, then placed in the fridge. We'll report on this half bottle when consumed.
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12/24/2021 - Lemari wrote: 87 Points
Tasted NB. As can happen with 40+ yr old bottles this one was a miss. The cork was a bit soft but intact with no leakage, and the wine's nose and color seemed fine. However on the palate it was badly out of balance with an unpleasant medicinal finish.
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12/21/2021 - jlgnml wrote: 94 Points
Brilliant color. Deep berry nose, decanted 5 hours. Fragrant, lingering on the palate and just right for a movie night, nightcap with friends. Drink to enjoy or hold.
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12/17/2021 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gift from grinner for my wife’s birthday, we opened this with two other ‘77 babies. Thoroughly enjoyable after filter and decant with delicious fruit an a perfect place. Enjoyed with dark chocolate truffles. Yum!
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12/15/2021 - john_s wrote: flawed
This seemed good when decanted at home. But later that night it was strangely oxidised. The double capsule was intact but the cork went into the bottle with the slightest pressure from the corkscrew. The level was excellent. Storage had been good since release. This was not at all typical of this wine. Other bottles have been excellent.
So next time I come across a loose cork even if the level is good I will be more careful to evaluate the wine's condition.
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12/3/2021 - jmcelroy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Lovely, elegant vintage port. Initially bright forward fruit with excellent structure balanced with the alcohol. By third day was really showing it’s structure and complexity. No hurry to drink remaining bottles.
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11/29/2021 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 93 Points
Terroir-istes International - Christmas Party (post Rioja Tasting) (Savage Wines, Cape Town): Light tawny with amber edges, the nose is deep, intense and enthralling, with plenty going on. Marinated fruits, ginger, bruised apple, prune and Xmas cake, the entry is full-bodied with that 20% alcohol, complex and wonderfully concentrated. Integrated and with plenty of age, it is worth drinking up as the fruit is drying out a little. Fabulous!
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10/9/2021 - NickA Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious. Not particularly demonstrative, but did everything it needed to: sweet but not cloying, full of spice and strawberry jam, remarkably easy to drink. Predictably excellent with the cheeseboard.
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8/29/2021 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Excellent. Dried plum, fig cake. The palate is still rich and full on; can easily continue to age for years.
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8/28/2021 - SmokeTaint Likes this wine: 94 Points
Enjoyed it very much! decanted for 8 hrs, then next day it was getting even better.
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8/28/2021 - rnellans wrote: 94 Points
Tucson Lunch Bunch En Magnum dinner: Impressive vintage port. Served en magnum at our wine group dinner. Decanted and it had a ton of sediment. Alluring nose of blackberry, nuts....Quite elegant beautiful, sweet and smooth on the palate. This gets better with air. A great example of what an aged port from a good vintage can become.
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8/22/2021 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 93 Points
a crowd favorite at the end of the evening at Tanta
Better than the dessert
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5/19/2021 - JJB007 Likes this wine: 98 Points
perfect time to drink
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4/14/2021 - Chris Likes this wine: 96 Points
I really love vintage port. My Father does too and had the chance to drink this one with him so that's probably worth a point or two on the rating :)
The wine was fantastic. Drank with chocolate brioche bread pudding and it went beautifully as you can imagine. Now on its 5th night and still a great glass of dessert wine.
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3/12/2021 - Tony Ling Likes this wine: 94 Points
Served into Riedel white wine glass (“Flower” day): Pale garnet to the eyes with fine deposits.
Highly detailed mature red plums and cherries. White spices, amazingly fresh.
Really good integration and transparency indeed. Only fine deposits.
94 points.
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2/16/2021 - Pknut wrote:
A lovely and impressive vintage port. It shows the strength of the '77 vintage, and the sweetness and warmth of Graham's. The palate shows blackberry, walnut and peachy high notes. The spirit is well integrated. This gets better and better over the course of three nights, each night more cohesive and brighter, the final night showing a hauntingly beautiful, sweet, blue-fruited, smooth palate. An archetype of what an aged port from a good vintage can become. In the Berkshires, before a roaring fire, as the snow came down, with H and our dog. Perfect.
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1/15/2021 - Skovbrynet wrote:
Skal ha’ luft i 8 - 10 timer
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12/24/2020 - BernieMSY wrote: 92 Points
The curb was almost totally decayed. It barely existed as an integrated seal.
Brick red color. Dried black fruit palate; a touch of astringency
.
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12/13/2020 - Marc S wrote: 94 Points
- Brick color with slow forming legs. It's in total harmony and has flavours of black currant, raspberry and strawberry with a medium/full body. Juicy texture with a medium finish - Absolutely fabulous bottle of port. Perfectly balanced and in total harmony.
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12/7/2020 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 93 Points
Magnums Dinner (Friend's Place, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong): From a pristine magnum. Perfect fill. Very bright and alive transparent light amber jewel colour. Nose is slightly cherries liqueur and fresh strawberries but reticent because it was served from a fridge. Palate is rich, rounded, very smooth, almost like an eau de vie in its lightness. Long and very reverberant on the finish.
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12/1/2020 - mfriedman12 wrote: 93 Points
I was surprised by the color. More rose than ruby. Very transparent with slight orange ring. But looks were deceiving, this was decanted around noon and tasted 8 hours later (post Thanksgiving meal). Perfect ending to the day. Rich fruit with some clove and velvety milk chocolate hints.
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11/14/2020 - walkerjfw wrote: 95 Points
Incredible "Gastro Pub" Dinner hosted by the Davidges (Princeton, NJ): Bottles purchased circa 2009, in my cellar since. First bottles from this vintage. Opened and decanted 90 minutes prior to drinking. Cork pushed through.
Medium/light ruby color, orangish at the rim, almost watery in appearance. Notable that when first opened there was a funky almost corked nose. After about 30 minutes it had blown off evolving into an incredibly expressive nose of plums, candied Christmas spice, caramel. Deep and palate of candied "old" cherry, vanilla, sweetened nuts, baking and Christmas spice. Long finish (60 seconds+).
Really great on a cold evening. Drank on its own but would be great with cheeses. Continued to improve in the glass, decant made a big difference, might give next bottles longer air time. Fun experience with this crew, Port is rarely served these days, especially older vintages like this. This was a big hit...
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11/7/2020 - murphsmurf Likes this wine: 91 Points
Top of cork was sawdust; unable to get cork out and had to quickly decant with a coffee filter. Label was in perfect shape. Powerful alcohol on opening. Decanted 8 hours, wish I had only done it an hour or two. It was quiet and restrained after 8 hours, with somewhat faded tannins. Paired magnificently with Stilton. Will open another bottle soon and decant just an hour to compare.
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10/20/2020 - sommsauvage Likes this wine: 98 Points
The 1977 Grahams is showing a deep ruby appearance fading to a garnet rim. Overripe plum, cinnamon & prune on the nose translates to the palate with the addition of Stewed cherry and a slightly bitter hint of chocolate. The wine is very balanced with slight tannins remaining and moderate acidity. At 20.7% the alcohol is present but lingering off in the distance. A Very smooth velvety wine with a medium finish that leaves a seductive sweet note on the palate.
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10/19/2020 - JCGuthrie wrote: 95 Points
Just a beautiful bottle of port. So refined and complex, perfectly integrated. Plenty of life left in this bottle, which I imagine must have been well-stored based on the condition of the cork and the freshness.
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9/4/2020 - TXRhoneRanger wrote: 90 Points
This bottle may have been just slightly off. But I'm going with the note anyway. Wasn't corked, but could have it been cooked? I don't know. We drained the bottle anyway. Textbook porto! Nice fruit but it could have been fresher.
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6/26/2020 - Formerwinemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was a very good port, however quite more developed than a 1977 Gould Campbell opened recently, and noticeably behind it in terms of quality. Quite muted on the nose, even after a 5 hour decant, and at the lighter end of the spectrum in colour, but with a luscious, textured mouthfeel. The fruit is beginning to fade a touch and the alcohol is beginning to become a little dominant. Very enjoyable though. Drink over the next 5-10 years maximum.
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6/13/2020 - AllRed wrote: 96 Points
R&D celebrated their 43rd anniversary Thursday evening and opened this from a standard bottle to cap their celebratory dinner. Luckily for us, they had half a bottle remaining which they poured off into a 375ml bottle and corked, so this held up perfectly over the two days since it was first opened. Deep ruby color. Cherry liqueur and currant notes, along with spice and chocolate. Full-bodied, with only the slightest hint of tannin remaining. Flavors of currant, licorice, cherry cordial and chocolate with a long finish. Terrific.
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3/30/2020 - theusualsuspect wrote: 92 Points
From mag. In the bunker. 96 if you like your port with that emerging nutty note. But certainly redeems the vintage.
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3/21/2020 - Jokermac Likes this wine: 92 Points
Acquired from auction. Flavor melts in your mouth, smooth, sherry-like. Great with chocolate. However, the cork fell apart when opening, so was a bit of a mess.
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3/8/2020 - Verb Likes this wine: 92 Points
ruby red with orange rim - sweet cherry fruit nose - not a lot of complexity - very nice mouth of sweet ripe fruit, but again lacking in complex flavors - medium 10-15 sec finish - a very pretty port, but underwhelming for a 40+ old vintage port
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1/14/2020 - Renevin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nez cassonade, caramel. En bouche, belle rondeur, souple et longue finale
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1/11/2020 - Willy2782 wrote:
Cork was damaged, lacked structure..somewhat disappointing..
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1/10/2020 - WetRock wrote:
Decanted about seven hours prior to consumption. Shows some spirit on the nose. Dusty cherry. Some heat and mustiness. Dark fruited palate with more cherry. Fresh feel but somewhat reserved. Bit of heat. This showed 'ok'. You want more from the bottle given the producer of course. Seems this is a vintage with some controversy or disappointment. Given the pedigree and current price it's a disappointment. Otherwise a decent Port.
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12/22/2019 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful ruby color. Nose of caramel, espresso. Taste of dark chocolate covered cherries, toffee. Goes down like velvet. Might lack a little complexity but provides a ton of raw pleasure. Don’t overthink. Just enjoy.
Score: 94-95. Relative to expectations: +
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12/3/2019 - GuWin wrote: 91 Points
Lys, transparent rubinrød farge med svakt murstensskjær. Litt tilbakeholden på duft med tørket frukt, dadler, mandler, moreller og gode, gamle plomme i madeira. En anelse korkpreg på duft, men på smak delikat, fortsatt ungdommelig, kirsebærlikøraktig med ren, kjølig frukt, preg av mandler, stjerneanis og kanel. Litt som en engelsk julekake i flytende form! Passe kompleks portvin med lang smakskurve, og et utmerket følge til pepperkaker og blåmuggost.
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12/2/2019 - Chimer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quite pale, evolved colour but still beautifully fresh. Moderate density but lovely flavour and typical silky Grahams style, very elegant finish. Drinking well now.
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11/17/2019 - europat55 wrote: 93 Points
Tasted blind
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10/4/2019 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really smooth and drank over 10 days.
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9/6/2019 - pbmedder Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cork was damp through and a bit crumbled, but fortunately the wine was still fresh. Medium garnet. Beautiful nose of prune, cinnamon, chocolate, cherry jam, cedar, coffee. Still plenty of fruit for its age. Palate is quite delicate, though long and complex. Cherry, vanilla, then a little nutty. Still plenty of life here, though perhaps fading on the palate. Wonderful wine and spectacular with Gorgonzola cheese!
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8/19/2019 - BradE wrote:
Divine, and an absolute pleasure to drink.
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8/10/2019 - Radboy wrote: 95 Points
Not overly complex, nevertheless this was real treat with sweet cherry fruit perfectly balanced with a long, delicious finish.
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7/20/2019 - empire80 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A great bottle. Cork completely crumbled even with the Durand, but rescued by port tongs. Rich spicy fruitcake, simply delicious.
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6/24/2019 - ovenmitt wrote: 94 Points
Excellent bottle...
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5/8/2019 - datorr wrote: 94 Points
This is the third bottle I’ve opened from the case. The bottle variation has been significant, due to the state of the corks. The last one was thin, pale in color and dull. This one is a treat, is still deep and rich red, with smooth, balanced, sweet fruit. Lovely!!
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3/13/2019 - empire80 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not a blockbuster, but "just" a delicious, balanced, perfectly mature, warm spicy fruitcake of a wine, 42 years young.
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1/12/2019 - Thoughtful Likes this wine: 92 Points
Stored in a cold cellar since release. High fill. Good cork. Lovely aged port still drinking very well. Refined quite delicate delicious bouquet. Hard to say how many years left
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1/11/2019 - dpolivy wrote:
Vindredi (2016 Ports + California Cabernet) (Bellevue, WA): Showing a little bit of heat. Not as fresh as the 1970 tasted alongside, but still some nice candied cherry fruit.
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1/5/2019 - englishman's claret wrote:
Much weaker than a recent bottle, this had been under Coravin for a couple of weeks. Though still with an elegant, mature profile the fruit was far more anemic than I recall from prior showings.
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1/1/2019 - empire80 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Sweet and concentrated, a bit of spice, slightly hot on the finish.
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1/1/2019 - Lipsman wrote: 93 Points
This has greatly improved over the decades. It has shed so much sediment that it is now rose colored. It was always a bit on the lean side, but now drinks like liquid velvet. This is a hedonistic port in its dotage, having gained the weight and texture, if not the complexity, of better vintages.
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12/31/2018 - honest bob wrote: 88 Points
From 75cl, perfect provenance. Shortish cork extracted (almost) in one piece, decanted 3 hours. Pale tawny red; rose-water, spirit alcohol and candy-violet scent; deceptively light, medium-sweet entry entreats you to down this like sangria. Oops, hangover warning! Lindt milk chocolate mid-palate. Short, hot finish. For my taste, about 15 years ago this was probably more interesting... True old school fans will, however, surely love it. 87-89P
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12/27/2018 - peternelson wrote: 94 Points
Pale ruby with a little dark black hue in the core, faded but bright; Super silky, most of the tannins resolved, light glycerin, medium- sweetness as most of the sugar has also dropped out; pure cherry skin and cough syrup notes (in a good way), little black licorice, elegant, smooth, caressing mouthfeel, long and elegant finish. Super nice, very good shape, not too complex, but a jot to drink. Heavy chunky sediment at the bottom. W/MD, KN.
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12/24/2018 - rpk99 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Yummy yum yum!!
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12/12/2018 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Terrific spice, light berry and toffee notes. Splendid.
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11/17/2018 - englishman's claret wrote: 92 Points
Very elegant and clean; high toned, raspberry, dark chocolate, delicately spicy. Funny that in a way this wasn't so fundamentally different in its palate than some of the mature St. Emilion on show tonight.
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11/3/2018 - Georgewoods wrote:
Divine
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5/24/2018 - Marc wrote: 88 Points
1977 and 1963 Vintage Ports... (Regional Wines and Spirits, Wellington, New Zealand): Palest tawny - limpid and clear. Intense candy cane spice and nose, which gives it a quite exotic character. Drying and slightly tannic on the palate. Spice echoes on the finish. Back palate feels a little disjointed. Slight Barolo feel to the wine (roses) but the spirit does give a slightly angular feel to the wine.
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5/19/2018 - HowardNZ Likes this wine:
Long lunch with Martinborough winemakers (Martinborough, NZ): Served non-blind by Larry who bought a case of 1977 Graham’s on release. Deep ruby with a touch of ochre at the rim. A bouquet of fresh red cherries, plums, spices, figs and chocolate. There were also some preserved or dried fruits aromas that put me in mind of old English Christmas cake. Additionally, there was something slightly medicinal on the nose but not the palate. On palate, the surprise is the youthful, almost primary nature of this 41 year old. Dense, rich, mellow and sweet fruited. Larry wondered if the Graham’s was “losing some freshness, drying out a little?”, but I could not see that, to be honest. To me, presently drinking very well but, obviously, with many years ahead of it. In balance and integrated. Good detail and length.
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4/28/2018 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 90 Points
A nice port, but it is not as sweet as Graham’s usually is. Also, the alcohol is a little hot on the finish. However, it has nice dark cherry fruit, saddle leather and a medium finish.
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3/31/2018 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 94 Points
Port tasting (tawnies and rubys); 3/27/2018-4/3/2018 (Todd's): Purple/ruby in color. The nose has nice black raspberry fruit. On the palate, black raspberries with slight raisins. Very clean. Complex. This was pop and pour and took a few minutes to open but then it is drinking just fine. It won't get better at 40+ years, but no real hurry either (depending on how you like your Ports). Slight heat on the finish.
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2/10/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Served at a dessert party and a very nice pairing with chocolate cake and an oat brownie. This is a hint of caramel and a hint of raisin and maybe some plum (which I think was just the combination with the chocolate). Still a young port (crazy how long these things last), but quite enjoyable.
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1/13/2018 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
Graham/Barton tasting-cum-lunch (Restaurant Bak, Amsterdam, NL): A really refined but not very powerful Vintage Port, relatively light weight, elegant tannins, salmiac, slightly separated alcohol, fresh and bright, well developed but energetic, relatively dry style, boudoir powder, refined and long finish.
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1/1/2018 - 309VEB Likes this wine: 90 Points
10 to 12 hour decant and still not fully open on day one. Drank the remainder over the next several days. Day 2 probably the best as the wine had taken on some weight and smoothed out while providing deeper flavors. I only had a couple of 77 Graham in my cellar and this was my last bottle. There is no rush at all to drink this wine. I recommend a very long decant if you decide to open a bottle. I believe that the suggested drinking window to 2021 is too short. My guess would be 2025+. I would buy more 77 Graham if I found some at an auction or from a reputable wine shop.
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12/9/2017 - Neecies wrote:
Color typical for age, terrific spice and caramel notes. Finish went on forever. OFS.
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12/9/2017 - David J Cooper wrote: 94 Points
Clear light red with clear edges. Great intense floral nose, brown sugar, red fruit and just a hint of Port heat. Delicious sweet rich red fruit and caramel flavours. Long rich finish.
Blind I guessed 1970 Taylor's, a friend of mine pointed out the sweetness pointed more to Graham's, he was correct.
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11/23/2017 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Faded red-purple--almost appeared like a younger Tawny under the dark light. Very silky, smooth, lovely red fruits, a little cherry kirsch, lightly sweet but actually not gooey or cloying--and went very well with all of the T-day dishes like turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce. This is in a really good place right now and a joy to drink. T-day at BN's.
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11/16/2017 - TheBSD Does not like this wine: 70 Points
This port had a very compromised cork which ended up inside the bottle. I strained the liquid 4 times into a crystal vase before tasting. We opened it for my wife’s 40th birthday and while it wasn’t sour or spoiled it certainly wasn’t spectacular at all.
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10/26/2017 - canan wrote: 92 Points
1977 Vintage Ports from MG (P81): Lovely and sweet dark cherry fruit but also some tertiary notes of sewer. The alcohol is protruding a bit but overall a very nice wine.
It really has a great acidity and perhaps still lacks a bit of depth. I did not find the "normal" liquorice notes in this bottle.
From MG.
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10/20/2017 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 93 Points
2017 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/16/2017-10/25/2017 (New York City, NY): Tasted from a bottle ex-château, this medium garnet/amber, 40-year-old vintage port offers intense aromas and flavors of walnuts, red plums, garrigue and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, medium sweet and with impressive depth in the middle, it proceeds to a very long finish. This has at least two more decades of life. Drink now-2037.
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9/22/2017 - RayOB wrote: 93 Points
Still going strong. Not as good as the Taylor's but lovely.
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9/18/2017 - brianakrin wrote: 90 Points
I agree with acyso comments of 5/11/17.
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8/7/2017 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 93 Points
Terroir-istes International - Portugal, Port (Groot Constantia): (Tasted Blind): A light to mid-tawny colour with an intense nose showing plenty of fruit encompassing dried orange peel, shrivelled red cherries, Turkish delight, iodine, ash, peat and cognac.
A delightful sweetness on entry with substance and weight leads to good concentration. The mid-palate reveals a sweet orange element, some Xmas cake, fig and some creaminess to the texture. I found a rather elegant and lifted wine with more red fruit than black, and it certainly has that trademark sweetness of Grahams balanced by a lively acidity, giving a shapely mid-palate. Excellent balance and harmony for this 40-year-old wine!
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7/29/2017 - CamWheeler wrote: 88 Points
Truffles with the SLDS (CFs): Chocolate, sultana, sea spray and nutty notes. Spirit sticks out a little, though a sweet element helps to mask it a bit. Not all that deep, though it has good length. Not bad, but the 77 Fonseca VP was a level above.
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7/23/2017 - theportguy wrote: 93 Points
FTLOP 12th Anniversary; 7/21/2017-7/23/2017 (Seattle, Washington): Purple-amber in color. Mostly transparent in clarity. Cinnamon with some red fruit and a touch of cedar on the nose. Rich mouthfeel with ripe raspberry and cinnamon stick on the palate. Firm tannins on the mid-palate resolving to a long, warm finish.
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6/11/2017 - AllRed wrote: 96 Points
Second Sunday Group: Chateau Montelena Cabernet (Non-Estate) Vertical, 2005-2012 (Our house): From 750ml, courtesy of R&D, double decanted off its sediment about 5-6 hours earlier. Notes of black cherry, white currants, licorice, chocolate and cherry cordials. Nicely integrated and balanced. Cherry, cassis, licorice and kirsch flavors. Long finish; picks up a chocolatey quality here too. A little sweeter, maybe even "fatter" than the Taylor, which seems a bit "angular" by comparison. Tonight I much prefer the style of the Grahams.
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6/3/2017 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful port and finally beginning to show some signs of maturity but this is still a decade away from peak drinking. 93+
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5/11/2017 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Just very few notes. Good currants, some nuts, a firm amount of sweetness and the alcohol shows. Beautiful wine, but I hoped for a bit more…
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5/11/2017 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Rioja dinner at Phil's (Chicago, IL): It's been seven years since I had this wine last, and my impressions on this wine seem to keep getting worse. This was surprisingly thin and light, with a colour that was almost rose-like. The nose was mostly dominated by spirit, though there was a slight touch of red fruit and cough syrup here. The palate is surprisingly light, though of course, the alcohol does show quite prominently. I had really expected a much denser and sweeter wine, but that expectation was probably the result of faulty memory. In all, this was good, but at the end of the day, there's a lot of other sweet wines I'd rather drink, which probably accounts for why I haven't had this in so long.
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5/11/2017 - rwpalmer wrote: 92 Points
Bright coloured. Very clean and intact on nose and palate. Nose of dried cherry and aromatic spices. Concentrated and smooth. No heat at all. Just lacking the final wow factor.
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3/5/2017 - FreddieMoose Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decided to treat myself on my 55th birthday. Last 0.750 bottle. Deep red color with a touch of amber on the edge. Wonderful nose of spice, red berries, plums and cassis. Silky smooth on the palate with candied plums, red licorice and just a hint of chocolate. Really stains the palate with a finish that lasts more than a minute. Drinking beautifully, but should last if well stored.
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1/11/2017 - devraj Likes this wine: 95 Points
Eighth wine of the tasting. Crumbled cork, lots of sediment -- double decanted 4 h before serving. Youthful looking ruby red with moderate bricking for a 40 year old. Enticing nose of red berries, spiced raisins, camphor, toasted nuts and violets. Elegant and quite sweet on the palate showing very silky and perfumed (christmas spice and dark florals) red berries, touch of caramel and a very long mineral driven finish. Lovely indeed.
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1/1/2017 - FransS wrote: 88 Points
The Graham '77 comes from a difficult vintage, heralded once as a super vintage, but once again only a nice, honest and modest port with noticeable/acceptable signs of age. Of course very well made (the quality of the house), but not special.
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12/25/2016 - rpk99 Likes this wine: 94 Points
My favorite 1977 now, drank beautifully, great nose of cherries, silky smooth without a hint of alcohol or syrup, wonderfully balanced.
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12/25/2016 - WineGold wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 4 hours prior to serving as Christmas dinner desert. Early taste was the most ready vintage port I'd ever had, upon pop and pour.
Light to medium red color. In the nose, plums, figs, violets and cassis. Medium to light viscosity. Flavors of plums, figs and vanilla. Really nicely integrated. Very fruity. Perfect drinking window right now. Probably another 3-5 years in this ideal window.
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12/23/2016 - Hoffmnron Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just an outstanding year and an outstanding port. Decanted and returned to the bottle to sit for a couple of hours. Excellent.
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12/22/2016 - winebot Likes this wine:
Incredible.
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11/22/2016 - europat55 wrote: 95 Points
Fairly light color. Sweet nose with some heat (A-/A). Gorgeous palate with a very long finish (A).
My #1, Group's #1 (65 pts). Tasted blind.
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9/18/2016 - BrunelloBob wrote: 92 Points
Still very good, World record amount of schmutz.
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9/2/2016 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 89 Points
Candied cherry, calimyrna figs, chocolate, tobacco, baking spices. Delicious but lacking power and energy. Drink now.
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8/13/2016 - drwine2001 wrote:
Tawny color. Very aromatic with strong tertiary notes complementing the ripe fruit. Figs and currants, slight herbal complexity. Very well integrated at this point although it still packs some alcoholic punch. Not too sweet at all. Outstanding almost at the 40 year mark.
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8/12/2016 - BlackMamba Likes this wine: 89 Points
I don't think the bottle was kept in perfect conditions.
Also the cork fell apart but not from being dry.
Very light colour with a little bit of red left, still the wine taste fresh.
Cherry/red fruits in alcohol, some chocolate, not as complex as I would have liked.
Not overly sweet, enjoyable but not mind blowing.
This wine is nearly as old as me...
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6/1/2016 - Drinking Trees wrote:
Nose of crème de menthe, coffee, milk chocolate, and eucalyptus oil. Palate shows a liqueur-like mouthfeel: alcohol-dominant, with syrupy sugar and mild tannin. Flavours of red cherry, mint, eucalyptus, and blackberry. Other tasters thought this was too alcoholic, but I didn't think the alcohol was unbalanced or overpowering; for me, the element that stood out was the mintiness. This was basically like drinking the best crème de menthe ever, one with complementary notes of coffee and chocolate, and a touch of red cherry. A little strange, but a great way to finish a meal.
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5/21/2016 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 93 Points
A great port! Lovely red color, very aromatic with notes of chocolate, black cherries, figs, cassis and fine tannins. I think this has years ahead of it.
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5/7/2016 - David J Cooper wrote: 95 Points
Remarkably red colour. After the 66 this was a monster. Plums, berries and even some chocolate or maybe dried fig. Probably both. Chocolate, cherry and dried fig flavours. Lots of grippy tannins.
Probably immortal.
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4/1/2016 - J @ y H @ c k wrote: 94 Points
The Port Forum Does Grahams VP in NYC (Lupulo Restaurant, NYC): My #2. Groups either #2 or #3 against the 1970, which was my #3. They were close. Very good balance but still enough grip to indicate that it has years to go. This one had sweet cherry fruit, but the sweet was not from the sweetness of the port. It was an independent sense of sweetness from the fruit.
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3/26/2016 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
4th Saturday group "uptown" tasting (Mark & Rochelle's): From 750ml, courtesy of R&D, popped and poured. This is in a really nice place right now, showing notes of cherry, cassis, licorice and black cherry. Soft on the attack, tannins are nicely integrated, with flavors of cassis and kirsch, spice and red fruit. Balanced, with a long finish. This will obviously hold for a long time, but for my palate it's ready to go.
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12/26/2015 - AudunG wrote: flawed
Crumbled cork. Still nice red colour. Light bodied and elegant with good fruit. Some cork aromas.
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12/9/2015 - Butzemann wrote: 91 Points
This bottle was shared with Claw Dee Puss.
D+0h: if the corkscrew had been longer, the cork would have come out in one piece, as it was too short, the lower third of the cork stuck in the neck and had to be removed in small pieces, luckily the teafilter helped to get rid of both the heavy sediment and the cork crumbs, ruby red, smells of sweet cherry, quite harsh in the mouth
D+3h: more smooth now, yet still some heat in the mouth, smells now more of plum
D+6h: smells of plum, some chocolate and a little bit of "varnish", medium body, not that sweet, plum in the mouth and some hints of chocolate, plum in the aftertaste, good length (30 sec.)
D+8h: has not changed much
A good VP, has lost its "ruby" character and is more like a "tawny" now.
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11/26/2015 - BernieMSY wrote: 93 Points
Good, but not great. Fruit had held up, but the balance was off a bit. It lacks the voluptuous sweet grapeiness of the finest examples of aged vintage port. Not bad, but far from ethereal.
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11/21/2015 - Agent67 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank in the back part of a tasting menu with some cheese. Gave it a 2+ hour decant. cork crumbled when opening, and wine had a much more tawny appearance and flavors lacking a lot of the tannin from its younger days. Paired well with the food, and offered a great treat from an earlier time.
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10/10/2015 - dchain Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light ruby but not pale. Quite closed on the nose on first pouring. Touch of sour cherry/raspberry sherbet on the nose. Palate is much more substantial than the nose, deep flavours of plum, prune and Armagnac (which is probably what other tasters are also getting when they note the alcohol/spirit). Surprisingly consistent with many tasters here and a delightful auction purchase at US$52.50/but for a 12 bottle lot. Plenty of life in it still. I have a lot of the 70 in the cellar and I think I should drink the 70 first as there is no rush to drink the 77.
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7/4/2015 - Robwild wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely Magnificent. Ruby red color. Nose full of ripe berries. A hint of oak with flavors of plums, raisins and figs. Well balanced and supple. Decanted and did not need much time to breathe. Still full of very. Very drinkable now and for years to come.
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6/4/2015 - Goldstone Likes this wine:
Old Bordeaux Dinner (Hong Kong Country Club, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Not decanted (which was a pity) but drank slowly over Partagas Lusitania cigars (which was a delight). Semi-translucent rich deep dark ox-blood colour. Nose is attractively smooth and very masculine but quite reticent and seemingly young. The palate masks the alcohol well but this vintage is all about muscularity and structure and is still a work in progress......I drank mine from a Bordeaux glass, which helped a lot. It was a bit too late in the night to score this.
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2/2/2015 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful sour cherry notes. The spirit shows slightly through, but is of good quality. not overly sweet which is a plus. Very nicely evolved vintage port.
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1/11/2015 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 93 Points
Intese cherry, not overly sweet. Well balanced. Soft tannins.
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1/1/2015 - Marc wrote: 91 Points
New Year's Day, 2015 with Bud and Liz, Chris and John, Marc and Justine, Lottie and Moss (Eketahuna, New Zealand): Muscular and firey with a finish that feels almost dry. This has a serious countenance which I really appreciated. Unlike 1963s I have drunk this is all about power and structure and less about flesh and sweetness. An excellent wine!
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12/24/2014 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium, bright, clear ruby red in color with clearing at the edges. Full, forward, attractive & complex nose of mature & developed, red cherries, figs, plums & raspberries with spice & floral notes, orange rind, some cocoa, dried herbs, dark molasses, earthy, nutty, leather, cedar and a bit of heat (Alc. @ 20.7%). Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of well balanced, mature & developed, silky smooth textured & elegant, complex, ripe fruit flavors of dried cherries, raspberries, figs, raisins & plums with spices, earthy, minerals and a touch of vanilla. Long lingering velvety finish with a bit of heat. Drinks quite well at present and appears to at its apogee of development although it should hold at this plateau for longer.
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12/21/2014 - mat600 wrote: 92 Points
Ma conjointe avait 37 ans hier. Quoi de mieux qu'un vin de son année de naissance. Un porto millésimé avec des notes mentholées, de fruits confits. L'alcool est présente mais le vin est soyeux. Très belle longueur. 92 sur 100.
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11/26/2014 - BernieMSY wrote: 94 Points
Delicious, evolved, wonderful.
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10/22/2014 - lepetitchateau wrote: 90 Points
From magnum - this wine was sweet in a simple and uncomplicated way, smoky on the palate but on the thin side - certainly fine but a disappointment given what I was expecting.
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7/10/2014 - OmiyaDrinker wrote: 91 Points
Superb nose and very thick, glutinous mouth feel with rich chocolate. There was quite a lot of heat on the finish though and at times drank like a rich whisky rather than port.
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5/25/2014 - RayOB Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank at Home
Lovely stuff with a rich complex nose of Christmas cake, figs, plumbs, dates, raisins and berries. Mouth coating palate. Length a little short. Lovely but the '77 Taylor's still wins.
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4/25/2014 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
From Magnum. The cork was soaked but no leakage and the ah-so took it out in one complete piece. Plenty of orange tint but not nearly as much as some 750s of Dow I've had. A beautiful Port with fine sweetness, layers of overripe red fruits, a smoothness and richnes that nearly completely hides the 21% alcohol plus a 40 second finish. A really well enjoyed bottle among 10 of us.
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4/5/2014 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 95 Points
My Birthday Dinner (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Semi-translucent ruby red in colour. Nose is surprisingly high-toned rather than bass notes yet very balanced...... quite reticent for its relative age. Palate is absolutely fabulous christmas cake and Stollen with the dusted icing sugar on it. Resonant and very long indeed. Fabulous..... thanks Daniel!
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3/22/2014 - Goodjob! Likes this wine: 94 Points
So good! A once in a life wine!
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3/8/2014 - RayOB wrote: 93 Points
Drank in Davy's
Not as good as the Taylor's but really lovely stuff. Still young with lot's of plumbs, spice, earth and sweetness on the nose. Wonderful complex palate with a medium length.
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1/31/2014 - drwine2001 wrote: flawed
Remarkably youthful looking. Plum and medicinal cherry. Still fairly dense and sweet. Spice and fudge in addition to the fruit. Some lingering dryness and bitterness on the finish make me wonder if there is some low grade cork taint, so difficult to tell with port. At any rate, now nearly as good or as developed as a bottle in 2012. I'm sure that things will sort themselves out as the wine sits out in a decanter.
Unfortunately, yes, with a night of air, corked. Big sigh. I've had the most difficult time discerning this with big dessert wines and Champagne.
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12/30/2013 - PDavisMarble wrote: 93 Points
Browning plum red tinged with orange. Nose of sugared red fruits, plums, raspberries, and a hint of candied oranges. Drunk over 3 days. Honeyed vanilla. Candied orange and raisins to start. Flavors ebbed and flowed -- sometimes hints of earth, cedar and chocolate, and then pulses of the sweet fruits.
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12/28/2013 - winemaker Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really drinking well! Double decanted 4 hours before consumption. This is why you buy vintage port. Absolutely gorgeous and long. Wish I had more. This is holding well. No hurry.
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12/24/2013 - empire80 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep, concentrated, spice, black treacle, firm tannic grip - many years ahead.
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12/23/2013 - EhrlichDY wrote: 94 Points
Pulled the cork six hours prior to consuming and double decanted three hours before consuming to remove sediment. Room filling dark fruity aromas. Rich and luxurious on the palate. Simply delicious showing. This wine is at apogee although shouldn't be fading anytime soon.
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12/9/2013 - pigdaddy wrote: 92 Points
decanted & sealed 2.5 hours. dark red garnet w/pale ruby rim; lovely sweetish nose, Christmas spice, brown sugar, black fig preserves; med/+ on palate; fruitcake, fig pudding, solid core of brown spice & black mineral; very stylish, refined.
Colston Bassett Stilton
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12/8/2013 - dmoes wrote: 95 Points
Drank over Thanksgiving - cork was trashed, but after sifting and decanting, was quite nice - very mellow and nice. Was worth the wait.
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11/7/2013 - kenv Likes this wine: 91 Points
WCC St. Julien (Cafe Capriccio, Albany, NY): [Double-decanted at 2:30pm.] Appealing medicinal nose. Warm spiced red fruit. Nice, but not special.
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9/27/2013 - srp_gc Likes this wine:
Some trouble with the cork and capsule, but it didn't affect the wine. Decanted (of course) and left for about 1.5 hours before tasting. Lightly coloured, with a hint of a tawny-sort of brown. Big burst of red fruit, followed by a more earthy/"foresty" background. Improved as we went, so opening earlier would be recommended.
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8/3/2013 - msimoes Likes this wine: 93 Points
The cork was v dry and desintegrated as I tried to pull it. Feared for the wine but it turned out nicely.
Right after popping there were plenty of sweetness and heat on display. 2 hours later, it seems to have hit its stride. V nice in the mouth, though the finish is beginning to show hints of something earthy/mineral that I can't really explain but that i dont find desirable and which i remember from a similar 77G we had last Thanksgiving.
Overall, v enjoyable. My first attempt ever at a score would put it around 91-92.
Edit: at 4 hrs after decanting it is tasting really good. That weird taste vanished, just the good stuff left. Upping my score to 93.
Edit 2: There was a glass full left in the bottle, which i kept in the fridge wo a cork, and went back to it yesterday (2 days later). It was still tasting great, the ending of it would say better than at 4hrs open. Felt a bit more tawny like. V good. Final score at 93-94.
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5/4/2013 - GalvezGuy wrote: 91 Points
CT Texas V - North Dallas Forty and then some; 5/3/2013-5/5/2013 (McKinney, North Dallas, TX): Nose of figs, dried cherries, leather, caramel. On the palate, dried cherry, dark chocolate, tobacco. Decent finish. Seems on point for the producer and the vintage.
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3/18/2013 - djewesbury wrote: 94 Points
Decanted about 6 hours, drunk with friends at home.
Tawny colour, 60-70% opaque. Quite light, not too leggy. Clear on the rim
Aroma: Leather, vanilla, raisins, spice, dark chocolate fruitiness (berries), butterscotch, wood, leaf mould.
Rich, coating the top of the tongue.
Good tannic tightness, some heat.
Sweetness and some heat on the finish (which wasn't very long).
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3/11/2013 - Barry Rothof wrote:
BYOB Diner @ Restaurant De Eendracht (Rotterdam, Netherlands): Decanted about two hours beforehand, this started out aggressively volatile to the point where it invoked images of the glue sniffers I remember hanging out with during my adolescence. Unlike those guys however, this Port cleaned up its act and turned into a well-aged but surprisingly fresh red-fruited fortified wine, which was not at all hot, or even overly sweet for that matter. ..... TN Mike de Lange
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3/3/2013 - cephomer wrote: 92 Points
Drank over 2 nites at Stratton ski trip. Light ruby red color, showing clear, diffuse signs of age around the rim. Tastes of figs, molasses and lots of caramel. Very light bodied, good level of sweetness and nice length. Not particularly intense or concentrated, but a definite sense of elegance. Initially came across as a bit too hot, but that faded over time in the glass. Still lovely drinking and likely still has a few years left on it. Very enjoyable.
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1/3/2013 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
DC winos belated holiday dinner - Mostly Burg and Bordeaux (Lavandou, Washington DC): This is a very fresh bottle still showing ample fruits, dry fig, dry cherry, roasted chestnut and tobacco. Excellent concentration and fully resolved tannins. There is a hint of alcohol at the end which is not unusual.
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12/25/2012 - rpk99 wrote: 93 Points
A little bit flat on the nose (alcohol only) and the initial flavor profile is weak, resolves to a primarily cherry menthol, slightly medicinal in flavor, but still a fine beverage. Nice sticky and long finish, typical of Grahams higher sweetness factor..the finish goes and goes, resolves to "grand marnier" oranges and Redman chewing tobacco (do they still make Redman??).... Still has years left in it. Could go another 5 easy if not ten years, not the best 77 out there, but very good. Lack of nose is the big deduct here...
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12/22/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Light ruby approaching some tawniness. Tasted right after decanting. Cinnamon, ripe plums and fig. Not monstrous in weight and fairly moderate in terms of sweetness. Perfectly knit at this point with enlivening acidity. Stylish and elegant if not the most intense example. Better balance and integration than 2 years ago when last tasted.
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12/3/2012 - Seth Rosenberg Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Acker BYO 2012 (Tribeca Grill, Tribeca, NY): Decent but not great. Shows a standard port profile, and the palate is decent, but just not an impressive showing. Nose - 3.5/6, Palate - 4.5/6, Finish - 4/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0.5/2 = 12.5/20.
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12/1/2012 - Whine-oh wrote: 89 Points
drank over several weeks starting TD 2012. some browning at meniscus. TN from memory, some heat, stewed prunes, caramel. held up well over time after opening. Enjoyable but not a world beater.. hope to try again
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11/23/2012 - msimoes wrote:
Decanted 12 hours (swirled the decanter a handful of times along the way). By the time we drank it the heat from the spirit had faded and it showed v nicely. Color was a transparent redish/brownish, the flavor had strong hints of honey. Was v good but didnt find it great. Some of the friends I had it with were praising it to no end. Am still new to VP, hence not rating it.
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11/22/2012 - BVal wrote: 90 Points
Thanksgiving dessert wine #3. Color: translucent ruby -> light, diffuse ruby rim; looked like a light new world pinot noir. Nose: plums, figs, varnish and spirity. I've always had a few problems with this vintage of Graham's: I just don't find it to be even close to the class of the '66, '70, or even the '85. The palate once again came across as very alcoholic compared to the concentration of fruit. It's still nice but just not as good as the heralded year and (my favorite) producer should be. Moderately sweet with a moderately long finish.
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7/22/2012 - jfpwine wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for at least 3 hours. Light color. Wonderful nose, dark fruit and cedar. Very balanced on the the palate, with spice undertones. Very very long finish. Excellent.
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7/11/2012 - Mascalese Likes this wine: 92 Points
35 years and in excellent shape. No hurry with rest of the case. Wondrful sweet port
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6/27/2012 - David J Cooper wrote: 95 Points
Light red. Figs, plums, and earth. Delicious soft dark fruit, cedar and fig flavours with a long smooth finish. A near perfect aged port.
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6/10/2012 - BradE wrote:
A good port, but not a great one. AlexH's 5/24 review is spot on.
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5/24/2012 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Lunch at Absinthe (Absinthe, Bukit Pasoh): From a Millenium Magnum that had been opened for some time, this showed as a lovely vintage port, but one that was on the cusp of maturity rather than being fully ready for drinking. What a nose it had though. Beautifully subtle, almost understated, with little drifts of treacle and candied hazlenuts, figs and sultanas, and earth and wood spice, with a little note of dried flowers and malt at the edges. Very pretty. The palate was briliantly balanced and had clear, pure feel that I really liked - it was a bit lighter and less pronounced in its sweetness than some other vintage Grahams. However, while there was a sense of tremendous complexity being wound into the bright core of the wine, one got a feeling that it will be still some time more before the wine really unfolds completely. Still though, we did get a delicious panoply of flavours on the day, from honey and malt sugar, to figs, sultanas, all wrapped in a lovely velvety textured mouthful and laced with fine, well-integrated acidity. Very elegant stuff, ending in a lovely mouthful of sweet spices - think cinamon and cloves - lingering beautifully in the finish. Still rather too young. I would set this aside for at least 4 to 5 more years. It had great underlying material though, and should make an absolutely lovely Port in time.
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5/24/2012 - Alex H wrote: 88 Points
spicy young sweet spicy cherries with kirsch cherry liquer nuance. Smooth and sweet with a delicate body. Kinda sexy.
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4/6/2012 - rwpalmer wrote: 92 Points
A great bottle. All camphor and cinnamon. Smooth, velvety palate. Not at all hot. Ready but not in decay.
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4/2/2012 - Periko wrote:
Tasting event with Artadi's Juan Carlos Lopez de Lacalle (Monvinic (Barcelona)): From magnum. Opened for 3 hours. Brown and ruby color, very light color. A lot of sediments. Nose with orange liquor, licorice, anise, tobacco, sweet fruit. Last wine of the tasting and could't really enjoy it.
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3/23/2012 - wahoff wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful amber color. A little alcoholic nose. Very long in the mouth, not overly complex.
Superbe robe ambre. Nez un rien trop alcoolisé, très long en bouche, pas hyper-complexe.
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3/22/2012 - ginfizz wrote: 87 Points
Alcoholic
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3/4/2012 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is a great port (though not as sweet as other vintages of Graham), highly recommend extended decanting to bring out the best - I do for 10hrs (usually decant at breakfast to have with dinner), re-bottle and cool back down. Also leave for 2 days before. Yes, without this it's only 89-91. Entering prime window now, may even improve over next 5 years
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2/26/2012 - Jgrubb wrote: 91 Points
Excellent
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2/25/2012 - John McCabe wrote: 91 Points
A bit disappointing, again. Recent bottles of '94 Warre and '94 Croft and some others were better. Not sure the extra decade or two of age on these Portos is so beneficial..
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1/26/2012 - TBAFB wrote:
A very disappointing bottle. There is nothing untoward with it as a vintage port, it simply needs another five years more in the cellar (or maybe more). Showed very little for 24 hours other than spirit and a little spice. Eventually the cassis-like fruit followed and it appears that this will make a very fine bottle in time. If you must drink it now, decant it the night before and keep it cool. Pointless scoring at this stage.
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12/26/2011 - pdadams66 wrote: 92 Points
Red center, red to brown rim - clear signs of age.
Blackberry, licorice, camphor, a little green bell pepper, sweet, stewed oranges, minerality.
Sweet, blackberry, pontefract cake, some acid and tannin, tart cherries, smooth, fantastic length, sappy notes, slate and grape jelly at the end.
Drinking very well now, will last a few more.
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12/26/2011 - plitton wrote: 88 Points
This bottle had a lot of heat. As it warmed up from cellar temp, it improved a bit. Decanted for an hour+. Fruit never got big enough to match the alcohol.
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12/25/2011 - richardhod Likes this wine: 89 Points
This one was a little past its best but the cork covering had been knawed by creatures in the cellar so I reckoned it needed drinking. There's a fair bit of botle variation depending on how it's been stored / moved.
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12/25/2011 - AudunG wrote: 90 Points
Still nice red colour. Smells dried fruits. Surprisingly young, fruity taste of dried fruits (figs). Quite light-styled. Have been drinking this wine for 15 years now, and it has hardly developed the last ten years. Certainly has many years ahead of it.
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11/27/2011 - ecnemergut wrote: 88 Points
Decanted about 4 hours. Brick with tawny edges. Nice carmel nose but a bit empty on the palate. This bottle is a touch past peak, I think.
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11/15/2011 - dannyk8232 wrote: 96 Points
Absolutely amazing...this port is right in its' prime. A great balance between rich, sweet fruit and loads of secondaries. Tar, mint, smoke, spice....quite terrific. Already bought some 375's and will seek out more 750's as this still has a long life ahead of it.
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11/14/2011 - Goldstone wrote: 94 Points
Group de Degustation Diner, L'Anniversaire de Daniel, '1970s in France & Elsewhere' (Hong Kong Wine Vaults, Aberdeen, Hong Kong): Served non-blind. Much older-looking than the Fonseca 1977 that preceded it. Nose is more complete and matured/characterful. Palate is rich, unctuous, nutty, raisins, christmas cake....stollen cake...kirsch.....totally complete and utterly more-ish. Good but not great or silence-creating resonance, which was its only noticable shortcoming. I think that this had only minimal decanting but it was still a fantastic finish to a really superb evening.......thank you Daniel.
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11/14/2011 - Revenga wrote: 90 Points
DS Wine Dinner. Blind T. Rusty light brown. Quite evolved, with woody nose (group agreed that not faulty). Maderized, burnt caramel, raisin, sour plum. Very stark contrast to the same year Fonseca, which was way more youthful and more to my liking. Also prefer Grahams 1985 a lot...
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10/16/2011 - plitton wrote: 94 Points
Delicate sweet with a moderate balance of acid. Truly enjoyable.
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10/8/2011 - pmarsland wrote: 90 Points
Very enjoyable. Nice end to a very pleasant evening. Cork moist but crumbly. Nose smoky, a little muted. Hints of alcohol but nothing off-putting. Palate quite sweet. Finsh not especially long but satisfying.
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9/9/2011 - sdatl Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened on a bit of an impulse and filtered through a tea strainer (not glamorous, but it worked) an enjoyed with friends on a cool summer evening. Crisp with sweet fig and pecan flavors and a rich undercurrent of dark fruit. Rich, decadent, yet all in balance.
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9/6/2011 - KPB wrote: 93 Points
My wife and I love sweeter styles of port, and if you share that sweet tooth, try this! Deep ruby, viscous, heady aromas of red currents, ripe plums, white chocolate, sweet flowers. Delicious in a creamy, soft, velvety style. Seems young, but at a peak. I'll give it 93pts because I know that Graham's has a way of seeming unbalanced at a sufficiently old age; this is peaking too young for some who love what I'll call a true mature port style. Fifteen years from now, I doubt that this will be quite as good. Yet for what it currently is, it deserves 96 or 97pts. You just can't find better sweet wines than this...
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6/20/2011 - markjanes wrote: 92 Points
Plenty of good notes on this wine... this particular bottle was quite good showing very good balance and length, great intensity and complexity. Plenty of finesse, a very fine texture, and classic expression of place. Perhaps not the best vintage of Graham's ever but I really think this vintage is coming around, becoming more integrated/more balanced and may be more highly regarded in the future... drink or hold... so bottle dependent really. Easily an "outstanding" wine.
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4/2/2011 - darvid wrote:
Just Another Lousy Day in Paradise (Yountville, CA): Served after the meal, to accompany conversation and pre-Castro Partagas Coronas I insisted on trying (1959, the oldest vintage of the day, and in fine fettle) ... anyhow, the '77 Graham's was much darker and more opaque than the '70 Taylor served immediately beforehand, sweeter, sturdier, and richer, with full body and a bit of remaining tannin. Very good indeed, and I see no hurry to drink this.
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2/26/2011 - EducatedDrunk wrote: 88 Points
Any Port in a storm (Chris Lipperts): Good and well made, but has a distinct herbaceous edge - I think this is the house style, the 1970 exhibited it, too. Not as intense as the 1970, either. Not really my thing
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2/25/2011 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
I had this bottle standing up for a couple of months before opening. Very nice, elegant, light flavors. Quite pretty and polished.
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2/19/2011 - ews3 wrote: 95 Points
US vs Europe (Chung Home, NoVA): among the better aged vintage ports i have had the pleasure of trying, this showed an increduibly youthful palate of plum, figs, and blackberry. some smoke and caramel also apparent. sweet, but not cloying, this had a very long finish. paired incredibly with a danish blue cheese and some other cheeses.
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2/4/2011 - cannym wrote: 92 Points
Lovely light ruby tinged with mahogany. Initial nose was very fruity but this quietened down. Lots of lovely raisiny fruit, a real bit of pepper, finely balance sweetness, cloves and cinnamon, plum jam and many other things too. Fine complexity. Very good length. Tannins now completely smooth. In a good spot right now but will continue to develop.
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1/11/2011 - BradKNYC wrote:
Pot Roast at my place; Prum, Raveneau, L'Aigueliere, Pichon Lalande, Rostaing, VT & Graham's (My place.): I’ve always had issues with this wine. The alcohol has always been out of balance to me, frequently showing blowtorch tendencies. I’ve seen recent reports about how it finally seems to be integrating, so when Bill showed up with it, I was happy to have the opportunity to try it again as it’s been some years since I last had it. Well, the reports seem to be true. While it’s not a blockbuster Graham’s and the alcohol is still pretty apparent, it is much better integrated than it was even five years ago. Arguably fairly mature, depending on how you like your Port, with pleasant cherry, raspberry, baker’s spice, licorice and hints of toffee. A lovely match with the poached pears with zinfandel syrup and gorgonzola dessert it was brought to go with. A-/B+.
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1/11/2011 - Anonymous Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quite good and lots of life remaining. Black cherry, figs, spices, chocolate and herbs. The alcohol is noticeable but appropriate. Super mouthfeel too. It should have been decanted for several hours but there wasn't time to do that. Nonetheless, it was reallly enjoyable
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12/26/2010 - chbeaumont Likes this wine: 92 Points
Totally sound cork, tight. V pale; spirity, touch of wood, ethereal, with a peppery punchiness, liquorice; mellow, a chocolatey feel, spritely; a sinewy clean, vigorous finish. V. Long, will age effortlessly but seems to have peaked. The '70 is clearly superior.
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12/18/2010 - sphBacchus wrote: 90 Points
cork disintegrated on opening . the wine was fine - beautiful with some ripe French cheeses .
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11/19/2010 - slmral Likes this wine: 93 Points
Slightly tawny edge let everyone know this had some age. A mature sweetness that had 3 of the 6 of us thinking Graham. Bela's guess of a '77 Graham was right on. Not a monumental port, but drinking very well tonight.
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10/29/2010 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Signs of past seepage; corroded capsule. Extremely saturated cork was extracted in two pieces. Ruby colour. No bricking. Dark and brooding. (First tasting note made right after pouring.) Nose has notes of black cherries, licorice, brown spices, flowers, and tar. On the palate, this is immensely rich and complex, with loads of candied black fruit, figs, spice, and licorice. The spirit is less dominant here (which I like). It seems that the tannins have yielded in this bottle. Sweet, fruity, medium-length finish. Slight hints of chlorine. (Second tasting note made after the partially finished bottle was stored in the fridge overnight, but not under vacuum.) Floral nose with black fruits. On the palate, this has significantly mellowed, with a slightly unctuous texture. Still get notes of tar and figs; seems slightly raisin-y. Finish still has that unpleasant chlorine note. (Third tasting note made on the third day under the same storage conditions previously.) The nose has not changed very much. The palate has further mellowed, leading me to think that this is the peak stage -- I'll have to get in an extra glass of this tonight. The palate is fat, sweet, and fruity, and the alcohol has integrated much better. The chlorine note on the finish has lessened, though there's now a bigger hit of spirit instead.
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10/28/2010 - celtic67 wrote:
damn... what a nose. dried apricots, figs, clove/baking spice. just awesome. some alcohol perceptible on the nose but very smooth on the palate.
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10/23/2010 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Rich & Dana's): Light ruby color. Terrific floral and berry aromas with underlying spice notes. Well-balanced, with red fruit and spice flavors on the palate.
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10/12/2010 - rbfoote wrote: 93 Points
A wonderful port...slightly on the sweet side...definitely a plum taste but quite light.
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8/5/2010 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium core, light tawny rim. Perfumed plum. Again, plummy fruit, fresh but well integrated, cocoa note as well. Not overly sweet. Excellent if not mind boggling mature port with plenty of time in hand.
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6/22/2010 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Birthday Dinner (Inovasi - Lake Bluff IL): Sensational fruit and perfumed aromas. Intense, powerful black fruit. great concentration. Still on the ascent.
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6/22/2010 - MatthewF wrote:
Celebration Dinner (Inovasi, Lake Bluff, IL): Powerful, ripe aromatics. Deep blue fruits on both the nose and palate. Some nice savory herb notes as well. Full bodied with a long finish. Tannic. Great wine with quite a bit of time remaining.
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5/4/2010 - richardhod Likes this wine: 96 Points
Hugh Johnson thinks it's a little straight and not lasting as long as it should for what was meant to be a 1945-quality port year. I'm not sure, and still enjoying these with little sign of tiredness. My bottles are ageing well, and even those I think I didn't store well last year remained amazingly complex and deep. This remains a classy classy vintage, though I did love 67 and 70 heaps.
One bottle which must have aerated a little before opening was, when opened, bringing out the walnut and cedar and other ground fruits of the wine. Still an amazing drink, and when compared to a well-cellared bottle with its heavy deep dark alcoholic gravitas, stood up well as just a lighter-balanced but deeply complex port.
So, depending on taste, (especially if you think Grahams is too "hot' and alcoholic, pah!) you could decant this for a few days, and enjoy the depth and variety of the favours it throws out. Certainly 24 hours plus is recommended whatever you do.
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4/6/2010 - JulienGraves wrote: 90 Points
Very, very enjoyable, but continues to have a thinness about the finish. Balanced, complex and elegant -- but not the intensity of other of the 1977 vintage. Perhaps decanting for longer would help and going in expecting finesse and not boldness.
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2/20/2010 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Signs of past seepage; corroded capsule. Saturated cork that broke in half during extraction. "Decanted" in a port glass for about two hours. Surprisingly light colour, almost no signs of bricking. Nose is somewhat impenetrable, with the spirit dominating, although there are notes of dried dates and raisins. Bright and lively palate, not too sweet, notes of fresh red fruit (this wine has life yet!), hints of licorice, with a long finish that has some tar, licorice, and smoke. Two days later, stored under nitrogen, more development of flavour, notes of dried red and black fruits develop, and an even more intense finish, with notes of dark chocolate and mocha. I like this more than the 1977 Taylor.
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2/6/2010 - french16 wrote:
Had it last night. Just popped and poured.
I was expecting something much sweeter and bigger and, to my good surprise, this was well balanced and not too sweet.
First glass was full of fruit, plenty of blackberry and raspberry. After 1h, interesting savory and leather notes.
Very nice.
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1/15/2010 - tomandlu wrote: 90 Points
Cork wet to top. Decanted 1 hour. Pale garnet-red with considerable color loss at rim - like an old Burgundy. Little on the nose besides alcohol and grapes. On the palate this was a different experience though with intense flavors of cassis, honey, spices, and tar - lots of tar. The finish lasted at least 60 seconds with flavors of candied apple, caramel, and a bit of cocoa. The color was deceptively light and the nose insipid but the flavor and finish were outstanding.
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1/12/2010 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
IWFSC 751st Dinner (Les Nomades): Light purple color. Tighter and more focused than the 70, with more energy and concentration. Also still carring more structure and heat though. I expect this wine will eclipse the 70 in time, but just a step behind tonight. 93+ pts.
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1/12/2010 - jlgnml wrote: 94 Points
IWFSC 751st Dinner (Les Nomades): Big, depth of color in the glass, sweet, understated, age worthy, deep chocolate and berry flavor.
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12/31/2009 - phornby wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding port. Lighter in colour than I expected when decanted, which gave me a little concern. However, it's rich and smooth, with gorgeous fruit and very muted alcoholic bite. Delicious wine.
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12/31/2009 - sphBacchus wrote: 89 Points
1st bottle tasted of a recently purchased case . Very nice - almost nutty . Most seasonal - bit like a liquid Christmas pudding .
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12/19/2009 - allenAchilles wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted at home, then put in a decanter at the club. I thought that this was a bit on the alcoholic side, but got a bit better over time. Not sure it met my expectations, as it seemed to be lacking in fruit. Perhaps more time would have helped. Clearly I misjudged this wine. I have sipped from a saran covered glass of the 'dregs' over the past couple of days, and this is now a completely different wine. I would advise anyone opening a bottle of this to give it at least eight hours in the decanter - perhaps longer, for it to truly open up.
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10/4/2009 - phenricsson wrote: 96 Points
Great porto! Decanted for 6 hours but it got better later. Try 8 - 10 hours decanting. This is serious port.
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10/3/2009 - ews3 wrote: 93 Points
Blind Reds (Roberts House): Very sweet. Plum, black fruit, black cherry. Some heat on the long finish.
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10/3/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote: 89 Points
Blind Red Throw Down! (Our House (2033 Brandywine St., Philadelphia)): We drank the Fonseca 77 several weeks ago. This was a far cry from the Fonseca, which was fresh and bright. This labored a bit. Not "old" but not as young as the Fonseca. There was noticeable heat throughout. Raisin and plum on the nose, with a hint of secondaries. Chocolate covered raisin on the palate. A little too much heat here, which really clips the finish.
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9/13/2009 - Keith Levenberg wrote:
Either a bad wine or a badly stored bottle. No character, with searing alcoholic sting.
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9/5/2009 - ecnemergut wrote: 93 Points
Decanted about 6 hours. Much more carmel/chocolate than Taylor/Fonseca but less fruit. A great wine at it's peark!
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8/1/2009 - Phin wrote: 95 Points
Red fruit and plum, great color and aging.
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7/7/2009 - Lou wrote: 96 Points
Very balanced, smooth and full of figs and dark plum flavors. This bottle is drinking very well now and shouild continue for another 10 years. Fruit flavors still prominent.
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7/1/2009 - bigdogflow wrote: 95 Points
Drank in flight with 1994 and 1963. Wine was very dark ruby red in color. Amazing nose with plum and raisan jumping out of the glass. Taste had wonderful, strong fruit flavors with an amazing finish.
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5/22/2009 - JulienGraves wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes; medium to dark in color, deep, rich, not excessivley sweet, perfectly balanced, packed with fruit. Wonderful bottle.
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5/6/2009 - nskelsey wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 8 hours. Medium colour, soft on the nose and fully evolved. Typical Graham's sweetness, attractive fruit well balanced by the acidity with no hint of drying out. Stylish with excellent complexity and given the age is still fresh and elegant. Very long finish. Excellent. A really lovely port now at its peak. Estimated maturity: Now-2020+
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3/27/2009 - taster wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 7 hours before really serving; smooth, rich with nice berry and chocolate flavors; medium body. I really liked the style, not so big & heavy. Definitely needs some decanting as it allows the hot alcohol notes to blow off. Started enjoying the flavors when I tasted after opened for 4 hours, just got better as time past.
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3/22/2009 - AZ Cat wrote:
(2+) Drank with Mom, Dennis & Bob. A little hot at first - seemed like it might be a bit old. Mellowed with some air time and was pretty good after about an hour - maybe a 1+.
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3/20/2009 - quagland wrote:
Smooth and a little hot going down
Poured from a 375mL
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3/7/2009 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 92 Points
wine-pages.com SuperBOWL 2009 (Glasgow): Open nose with charming black fruits and some odd lemon grass lift. Nice, celan palate with good balance and a rich, velvety, cosseting feel.
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1/25/2009 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 91 Points
I didn't take a proper note on this, which was served without decanting by a friend in the early hours. There were some lovely floral notes on both the nose and the palate. Initially there were some spirity notes, but these blew off. Drinking now, providing it's decanted, but equally no rush at all to drink.
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1/1/2009 - HamishR wrote: 94 Points
Similar paler colour, more typical of 1977. Lovely sweetness, good grip, long finish.
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12/13/2008 - spartacus111 wrote: 89 Points
Drank from 375ml bottle bought at online auction. Very tawny in appearance upon decanting, a dark rose/ruby color. I was a little worried..., +1.25 hours -- red fruits mostly cherry, some heat. Very round tannins, velvety in the mouth. +2.25 -- this starting to get very nice. Thick on the tongue, cherry and other red fruits, not much heat anymore. +3.25 -- heat is back and still a little distracting, cherry and strawberries +4 hours -- this is finally hitting it's stride, heat has dissapated again, velvety, cherries and strawberries, some mild chocolate notes creeping in, maple syrup.
Overall, bit of a disappointment. Enjoyable but nothing special. Maybe I don't like the Graham's style??? Or perhaps since this was from a 375mL it is showing that most bottles have hit their peek and are on the decline???? Maybe this wasn't stored well...
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11/25/2008 - Grinner wrote: 94 Points
I don't know the provenance of this bottle but it must have been good! Slight tawny at the edge but not on the palate. It's got great balance and integration, nice length. About as good as this has ever been for me out of a 750ml.
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10/14/2008 - ikkaariainen wrote: 88 Points
Enjoyed at Youssef's 242 in Hickory NC earlier this evening with Kim and good friend Nitin Shenoy after a pharmaceutical dinner with cigars. Honestly, not as good as I was expecting for such an aged vintage port but still very good. Agree with a previous taster down below - an initial big blast of alcohol, heady and hot, but with significant improvement with aeration in glass. Flavors ultimately well balanced with some fig, chocolate and a nice lingering aftertaste of black fruit but overall flavor profile somewhat muted. Personally enjoy the older blended tawny ports better.
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7/2/2008 - ronnieroots wrote: 91 Points
Tasted at the July 2 1977 horizontal.
Quite light in colour with a brown streak. Sweet strawberry nose. Candied. A sweet and round mouthfeel, with some spices (nutmeg, cinnamon), sweet strawberries and raspberries. It gains body on the spicy and lovely (if slightly spirity) finish. This is drinking beautifully now.
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6/20/2008 - SimonG wrote:
UK Wine Forum 'Vintage Pairs' Offline (Le Colombier, London): Quite light, fruity, slightly soapy nose. Nice sweetness on the attack, reasonable structure, no heat. Quite light, falls away a little bit but not at al bad. Very smooth. Certainly ready. ***1/2
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6/10/2008 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
IWFSC 736th Dinner (The Racquet Club): Another nice showing for this. Typical Graham sweet character in a mature port that is balanced and well put together.
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5/25/2008 - JasonD wrote: 89 Points
It has been a number of years since I have tasted the 77 Graham's, But Roy Hersh had called tonight and since I could not join him for dinner I decided to open this since I have never had it when he was not around. Yes it is still spirity but there is great fruit hiding there as well. Not much signs of age with no bricking. Not a dark as the Taylor or Fonseca. The finish very long. Decanted 5 hours.
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5/13/2008 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
IWFSC 735th Dinner (Boka): Didn't take a detailed note here, but once again this is a lovely almost fully resolved port that shows some of the sweet Graham character that I like.
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5/2/2008 - mrm27 wrote: 90 Points
Quite a faint colour, but the fruit is firm and the balance brilliant. Sweetish, though not as strongly so as one might expect for Graham's. Still good tannic structure and a strong finish. Lovely, lovely wine.
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4/25/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91
Tasted April 25, 2008 at an offline. No formal notes.
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4/25/2008 - grossie wrote: 93 Points
Drank at the champagne and bdx offline at Sweets & Savories. This one showed better than the 77 fonseca it was paired against. Ripe, powerful, and modestly sweet. There was a little heat on it, but overall this drank very well.
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1/27/2008 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
eBob 1996 California Cabernet Dinner (Boinsoiree): Nice big round rich port with good fruit and sweetness. Not profound, but pleasing.
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12/29/2007 - CamWheeler wrote: 88 Points
Light crimson colour. Earth, spice, roast nuts and mint on the nose. There is a pleasing brown sugar style flavour to the palate, but it is noticeably lacking in depth. Not really what I expected in terms of richness and complexity, would like to know how it looked on following nights.
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12/24/2007 - bbowers88 wrote: 90 Points
Some other reviews describe this as thin and not good. I see the thin. It is the least robust of the '77s I have tasted. But not good I have trouble with. It is still a well structured, satisfying, good vintage port. Drink soon though.
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11/8/2007 - jamscreator wrote: 91 Points
I was very skeptical about the quality of this bottle at first, as there was evidence of some capsule seapage. I have been drinking this over a 2 week period and at first, after decanting, the alcohol was fuming from the bottle and made it untouchable. After 3 days (yes, 3 DAYS) this bottle was more approachable and was quite smooth. The palate was a dark berry, brown honey with deep concentration of stewed apples and a touch of nutmeg. While I enjoyed this bottle I don't believe it was at its full potential due to the previous seapage. The cork came out in 2 pieces. Still, nonetheless, a very good port!
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10/27/2007 - IlonaN wrote: 92 Points
Opened for Pascale's 30th B'day, when we had a huge group. Silky and amazingly light on the palate, yet full and rich in flavor. Not as sweet as I thought it might be, and very long finish. The bottle had tons of sediment. Knowing little about vintage port, I'm still glad I cellared this for so long. It was a perfect end to a memorable evening.
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10/27/2007 - deanda wrote: 92 Points
Drank with some friends after a long dinner --> very subtle and soft; nose still very nice; not a big as I wouod have expected; but very nice. I would drink now
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9/22/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 92 Points
Lightly complected with it's age, very lively with a little heat showing thru the dark fruit, sugars and figs. Lasting finish - very fine.
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7/7/2007 - igmacfarlane wrote:
Lovely intense red and bright clarity. Immediate cherry sweetness but real body.
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3/23/2007 - ronnieroots wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs: Rusty / rose hip colour, not very intense. Elegantly aged and easy drinking, without losing its complexity. Subtle aromas of dried figs, leather and star anise with a delicate taste of fresh figs, red fruit (but what??), brown sugar, liquorice and mild tabacco to the end. The finish does not add any new flavours: nothing is really happening here. Overall, slightly hot VP, but very enjoyable. I'll give it 91 pts!
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2/14/2007 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #021; Port wines. (By AW): Almonds, currants, figs. Round and ripe. Completely ready. Really a nice wine, but I expected more.
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1/14/2007 - cweiss wrote:
Tom's rabbit dinner, by itself/with Bleu D'Auvergne after dessert. Recognizably vintage port but lacking much depth or richness. Not very spirity but noticeable in the absence of enough else.
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11/30/2006 - Thralow wrote: 89 Points
a little disapointing... given the price and how long it was kept
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9/10/2006 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Rich & Dana's): This was served with dessert after our tasting group had gone through the blind wines. Appears rather youthful, with a deep ruby color. Notes of cassis, cherries and a touch of alcohol. Wonderful balance on the palate, very well-integrated. Red fruit, raspberry and cinnamon flavors glide over the palate to a lengthy finish, where there's just a slight bit of tannin.
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12/11/2005 - kris.h wrote: 88 Points
SWS Port Tasting (Seattle, WA): Dark red translucent color. Hard to get past all the alcohol on the nose. Medium length spirity finish.
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12/7/2005 - steffenpelz wrote: 90 Points
2nd Annual Cellar Treasures Tasting (Long) (Asti Trattoria): I have such a poor and unexperienced palate for Port, still. This one was really nice. Still an incredibly young wine (or at least that's how it drinks). Massive, spicy, fruit forward, although it clearly has already shed some babyfat. Ultimately, my inexperience makes me have trouble scoring it, but I am taking my best guess.
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5/15/2005 - onholiday wrote:
First aged port. I can now see the seductive abilites of aged port. Musty brown. Complex finish of berries, dust. Smooth with little heat. Will not rate due to lack of experience with port, but I will definately seek out other ports in the future
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4/30/2005 - Eric wrote:
1990 and older Châteauneuf-du-Pape offline at Kaspar's (Seattle, WA): No real note, but there was very clear spirit on the nose.
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4/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Group #10, My #6 - Medium red crimson. Medium round aroma of tight red fruit. Really nice spicy black cherry fruit with a slightly hot long finish. 4/05
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1/18/2005 - eullman wrote:
We opened this wine at a Vitamin W tasting as the "special wine" of the evening, following six Late Bottle Vintage Portos. Double decanted. I am entering this note far after the fact, and I do not have my notes. It's a shame, because this wine was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
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10/23/2004 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 86 Points
Remarkably mature lightish colour. Good nose with lots of restrained fruit and no spirit. Quite light on the palate with good elegance. Good clean attack with nice fruit. But starts to disintegrate a bit on the finish.
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8/8/2004 - Jason wrote: 87 Points
Roy did a clever job tricking us to identity of this wine. He posted that he was bringing a very young port. Later that night when he poured it, I was convinced that he was trying to fool us. The color was very light and showed some age on the rim. The nose was very spirity with a good dose of cinammon. (Imagine smelling cinammon Schnapps). The palate was like sucking on a Red Hot candy with a mouthful of vodka. The combination of the high alcohol and hot spice was not a winning combination in my mind. This Port lacked the depth, complexity, and elegance of a great one. I guessed 1985 Grahams. Truly blind I would have guessed a lesser Port from the 70s, but I split the difference between Roy's 90's Red Herring and settled on the 80s. I guessed Grahams because I always do when I get a strong spirit element. I enjoyed getting another chance to taste this controversial wine. Thanks, Roy.
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12/12/2003 - HamishR wrote: 93 Points
Good colour but showing some paleness on rim: lovely balance and maturing nicely
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7/14/2003 - Eric wrote: 90 Points
Seattle offline at Daniel's Broiler (Seattle, WA, USA): My bottle. Well Roy thought it was horrendously spirity, although I enjoyed it. Coffee and chocolate dominate the nose and palate, and with fallen chocolate cake this is a lovely accompaniment.
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10/20/2002 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Boysenberry and red cherry aromas with good floral perfume. Palate is more dark fruit - black cherry and kirsch with lots of baking spice liberally spread throughout. Some chocolate flavors emerge in middle as well, with smoky element more prominent on finish. Still subtle all the way from start-to-finish, this is aging gracefully, still on the ascent and likely to be wonderful for at least another 25 years.
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10/6/2001 - ipp wrote: 94 Points
best glass of port i’ve had so far ... aged beautifully ... soft, round tannins ... great nose, filled with raisins
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11/19/2000 - Henman wrote:
(Lingon)berryish,alcoholic nose.Rather vibrant berries,some heat on the palate.
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12/26/1992 - RogerG wrote:
Decanted a couple of hours early. Still very deep purple/red. Smooth and delicious with Stilton.
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