For The Love Of Port held it’s annual Holiday Party on December 2, 2016, and for the format of the evening we decided to do two flights. The first flight was old Vintage Ports (1970 or older) and the second flight was Colheita Ports 1966 or older.
Flight 1: The Vintage Ports
1945 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port – Amber-brown in color with a clear edge. Very fine sediment in the glass. Toasted marshmallow, cola and some cocoa powder with hints of cinnamon. Sweet, unctuous mouthfeel on the approach with maple and some light red hot notes. Bright acidity, full-bodied with coating mouthfeel. Very long finish. 94 points. 12/2/2016
1948 Suarez Vintage Port – Brown-amber with color that runs from the golden yellow center to very clear on the edges. Herbal notes, cut grass, and eucalyptus on the nose. Some slight off notes on the approach but mid-palate resolves to chocolate and a touch of fig. Long finish. 87 points. 12/2/2016
1960 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port – Amber in color, which lightens to a clear edge. Good clarity. Some red fruit and dusty strawberry notes on the nose. Full-bodied, with an unctuous approach. Dried cranberry underlying the unctuous sweetness. A touch of cola on the long finish with a hint of spice. 92 points. 12/2/2016
1963 Cockburn Vintage Port – Amber-orange in color with extremely fine settlement. Chocolate notes on the nose. Rich red fruit on the palate. Dry spices on the finish. Very balanced finish with good acidity. 91 points. 12/2/2016
1963 Niepoort Vintage Port – Orange-yellow in color. Clear with no signs of sediment. The first sniff was reminiscent of the chlorine smell from the public pool. Some air started to tease out tropical notes like banana. Medium-bodied, unctuous mouthfeel with a touch of honey and butterscotch. 86 points. 12/2/2016
1955 Grahams Vintage Port – Amber in color with very fine sediment. Some spirit on the nose. Full-bodied with cinnamon and some underlying cherry and red fruit. Good acidity and a long finish. 92 points. 12/2/2016
1963 Grahams Vintage Port – Amber in color. Some light herbal and floral notes on the nose. Some spirit on the palate with strawberry and some spirit on the finish. 93 points. 12/2/2016
1966 Grahams Vintage Port – Definitely some corkiness on the nose. The pallet is slightly disjointed. Might be slight TCA. N/R. 12/2/2016
1970 Grahams Vintage Port – Dark amber Ruby in color. Some light Woody notes on the nose. Elegant mouth filled with Raspberry and some cherry on the palette. Full-bodied but very balanced with a long finish. 94 points. 12/2/2016
1970 Fonseca Vintage Port – Ruby amber in color with some fine sediment. A touch of spirit with some red fruit notes underneath. Cherry notes on the palate. Good balance and acidity. The finish is a little short. 92 points. 12/2/2016
1970 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port – Amber brown with some very fine settlement. Cola and chocolate notes on the nose. Unctuous mid-palate with some light spirit. Very long, balanced finish. 93 points. 12/2/2016
1970 Dow Vintage Port – Dark ruby in color with the faintest hint of sediment. Some cinnamon and slight herbal notes on the nose. Full-bodied and well-balanced. The finish, however, leaves a little bit to be desired. 94 points. 12/2/2016
Flight 2: The Colheitas
1900 Constantino Colheita Port – Orange in color with a cloudy appearance. Mahogany and chocolate notes on the nose. Intense mouthfeel with orange peel, honey, caramel, and bright acidity. Dusty notes of fig on the very long unctuous anxious finish. 94 points. 12/2/2016
1900 Jose Maria da Fonseca Moscatel de Setubal – Dark amber-orange in color, with some chunks of settlement. Incredible intensity. Oh my! Notes of Brown sugar and molasses. Super finish. 97 points. 12/2/2016
1937 Warres Reserve Tawny Port – Bottled in 1997. Amber orange in color with good clarity. Dusty old nose of wood with some spirits. Incredibly intense caramel, orange, and a touch of espresso. Very long, unctuous finish. 95 points. 12/2/2016
1952 Kopke Colheita Port – Bottled in 2011. Dark intense amber-orange. A touch of vanilla and creme brulee on the nose. Elegant, balanced flavor profile with butterscotch. A touch of orange peel and bright acidity on the finish. 94 points. 12/2/2016
1957 Rocha Colheita Port – Bottled in 2007. Amber-orange with yellow edges and some fine sentiment. Intense nose of brown sugar and orange spice. Something was a little initially funky on the palate. Unctuous mouthfeel on the mid-palate. The more air this gets though, the more it tastes like something is off with this bottle. 89 points. 12/2/2016
1957 Kopke Colheita Port – Bottled in 2008. Somewhat subdued nose but with some slight chocolate and orange spice notes. Unctuous, full mouthfeel with great acidity and balance. 92 points. 12/2/2016
1961 Krohn Colheita Port – Bottled in 2013. Dark amber-brown in color, with yellow-green edges. Mahogany and orange spice on the nose. Very unctuous. Some almond skin and orange peel on the palate. Burnt sugar notes on the very long finish. 94 points. 12/2/2016
1963 Kopke Colheita Port – Hints of vanilla and creme brulee on the nose. Very balanced and approachable colheita with toffee notes on the palette. Great acidity and balance. 93 points. 12/2/2016
1963 J.W. Burmester Colheita Port – Bottled in 2008. Dark amber-brown in color with some flecks of settlement. Espresso notes on the subtle nose. Bright acidity with orange spice and caramel on the palette. 93 points. 12/2/2016
1966 Krohn Colheita Port – Bottle in 2007. Medium mahogany in color with slight lightening at the edges. Coffee beans and cocoa powder on the nose. Balanced, unctuous notes of chocolate and molasses on the palate. Unctuous, long finish. 95 points. 12/2/2016
Leonardo 60 Year Old Tawny Port – Very dark amber in color with some slight lightning on the edges. Blend of 1948 and 1972 tawny Ports. Intense wood and chocolate notes. An intense, evolving mouthfeel of orange spice, caramel and honey. Wow. Just wow. 98 points. 12/2/2016
