In the early months of 2021, I embarked on a wine adventure with three of my Port-loving comrades hailing from Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, and Las Vegas. Together, we concocted the inaugural edition of what would morph into a quarterly gathering that we fondly dubbed the “Guys’ Port Weekend,” an event filled with friendship and great bottles of Port and wine, all in a casual, unscripted weekend together.
These gatherings were designed to depart from the more formalized tastings we were accustomed to attending. Forget the meticulously arranged lineups, structured tastings, and the weighty discussions that often accompany them. Our mantra was simple: embrace the weekend, savor the wines, and relish each other’s company. Tasting notes? Entirely optional.
Fast forward to the February 2022 edition of the Guys’ Port Weekend. This time, the rendezvous unfolded in Seattle. As per tradition, each of us brought a small collection of “interesting bottles” and ones that we thought each other would appreciate trying. It is worth noting that due to the casual nature of the weekend, this recap is shorter on details and has fewer tasting notes than is normal for some of my other Port articles.
Day 1 – Friday
We always do a pretty good job of coordinating our flight arrival times for the Guys’ Port Weekends so that we all land around the same time. This edition of the gathering in Seattle was no exception, and I gathered up the guys – and their baggage full of wines – at SeaTac airport and we headed back to my place.
The first order of business (and one of the many fun parts of the weekend) was unloading all of our wines to see what everyone brought for us to enjoy. We also usually pick which ones we want to open on each day, and sometimes will sequence them in an order that makes sense to try. That’s usually the extent of our “planning” during the weekend.
After we got settled in, we decanted a few of the wines we would be taking to dinner and enjoyed just catching up with one another. Before long, we were hailing an Uber to head off to dinner at Surrells.
Surrell Restaurant
Lisa Stevens, a member of our Sammamish Port Club and a card-carrying member of the For The Love Of Port crowd, is also friends with Andy, David and Eric, and mentioned to me that she would love to see them while they were in town. Normally Friday night of the Guys’ Port Weekend is pretty relaxed, but Lisa explained that to celebrate her birthday, she had an opportunity for us to get in as a group to Surrell, a fantastic restaurant not too far from where I live.
Surrell is owned by Chef Aaron Tekulve and features Northwest cuisine and Washington wines. He normally features tasting courses paired with wines, and the ambiance inside his hundred-year-old Victorian home-turned-restaurant is warm, cozy, and relaxed. I’ve gotten to know Aaron through Lisa, and have had the opportunity to dine there a few times. Aaron agreed to let us dine at one of his large group tables and to bring in our own Ports and wines.
We arrived at Surrell, sorted out all of the necessary wines and glasses for the evening, and took our seats around the long table. And so it began, waves of culinary small plates orchestrated by Aaron, the sounds of corks popping and glasses clinking, and the incessant hum of friends coming together. In keeping with the laid-back ethos that defines our Guys’ Port Weekend, I relinquished the pen and tasting notebook, opting to immerse myself fully in the wines, camaraderie, and memories.
Wines Tasted
Champagne & Sauternes
1982 Moet et Chandon Dom Perignon
1983 Rieussec Sauternes
1990 Chateau Filhot Creme de Tete Sauternes
Dry Wines
2010 Niepoort Coche Douro White
2010 Neipoort Redoma Douro White
2010 Niepoort Redoma Douro White
2004 Niepoort Redoma Douro Red
2002 Niepoort Charme Douro Red
2005 Niepoort Charme Douro Red
2000 Quinta do Crasto Vinha da Ponte Douro Red
2002 Niepoort Charme Douro Red (CORKED)
Ports
1977 Warre Vintage Port
1994 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port
2003 Kopke White Colheita Port
1974 Barros Colheita Port
Day 2 – Saturday
After a wonderful evening at Surrell, we woke up on Saturday and enjoyed a relaxing morning, which included eating some breakfast and decanting some wines for later in the day.
Around noon, we decided to walk up the hill to grab some lunch in Madrona.
Later in the afternoon, the rest of the guests started to arrive. We we joined by several other long-time FTLOPers, including Roy Hersh (founder of FTLOP), Glenn Elliott, Lisa Stevens & Vic Wertz.
We commenced tasting through many bottles, enjoying the variety of wines that everyone brought. The afternoon slipped into the evening, and I had prepared a light meal for us to eat. We paired up dinner with a few more of our wines, tidied up the table, and dove right back into our tastings. I didn’t take tasting notes on the dry wines (which are listed below), but I did write brief tasting notes on most of the Ports.
Dry Wines
2007 Quinta do Crasto Vinha da Ponte Douro Red
2007 Quinta do Vallado Touriga Nacional Douro Red
2009 Quinta Vale D. Maria Douro Red
2007 Alves de Sousa Abandanado Douro Red
2018 Paulo Laureano Vinhas Velhas Private Selection Alentejo White
2016 Ridge Geyserville Red
2009 Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval Red
2006 Mouchao Alentejo Red
2001 Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional Douro Red
2004 Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional Douro Red
2002 Quinta do Valdoeiro Touriga Nacional / Baga Red
1998 Chateau Musar Lebanese Red
1853 Lomelino Rare Old Solera Malmsey Madeira
Ports
Unknown Very Old Tawny Port – Bottled in 1993. We don’t know the producer and we don’t know a lot about this wine. It is believed to be a 90-ish year old Tawny Port. It is very cloudy. This wine is dark brown in color with yellow on the edges. There are chocolate and teak wood notes on the nose. There is surprising sweetness, but it comes across as very simple. There is good acidity, but it is out of balance with the sweetness. Modest length. 89 points. 2/5/2022
1982 Krohn Colheita Port – Amber-orange in color. There is caramel and light orange spice on the nose. The wine has great acidity with a rich flavor profile. Well-balanced, with a long finish. 93 points. 2/5/2022
Quinta de Brunheda 40 Year Old Tawny Port – “Simples Not For Sale” label. This wine is slightly cloudy with some light sediment. There is caramel and a touch of pralines on the nose. Rich caramel and light orange spice on the palate. Bright acidity, rich mouthfeel, and an amazingly long finish. 95 points. 2/5/2022
Quinta de Brunheda Codecais Lodge Tonel #6 – Amber-orange in color. Clear. Caramel and butterscotch on the nose. Very balanced sweetness and acidity. Honey, caramel, and wonderful hints of orange spice on the palate. 94 points. 2/5/2022
1961 Krohn Colheita – Bottled in 2006. Amber-orange in color. A touch of cinnamon and red fruits on the nose. Rich mouthfeel and incredible balance. Amazing wine with great balance and bright acidity. I think that the 1961 is probably one of the best Colheitas that Krohn produced. 95 points. 2/5/2022
1964 Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage Port – Amber-red in color. Dark fruit on the nose. Great red fruit and a hint of baking spice on the palate. 94 points. 2/5/2022
1985 Noval Nacional Vintage Port – Amber-purple in color. Chocolate and some light clove on the nose. Rich, but balanced profile of red fruit and a touch of cinnamon. 94 points. 2/5/2022
1966 Grahams Vintage Port – Red fruits on the nose. Great mouthfeel with some cinnamon and red fruit on the palate. Balanced acidity. Very long finish. 95 points. 2/5/2022
1945 Croft Vintage Port – Amber-brown in color. Chocolate and some light red fruit notes on the nose. Vibrant red fruit and a touch of spirit on the palate. Great complexity and intensity. Very long, balanced finish. 96 points. 2/5/2022
1853 Lomelino Rare Old Solera Malmsey Madeira – Amber-orange in color. Great nose of saline and some chocolate notes. Rich, intense mouthfeel with chocolate, saline, and great acidity. 94 points. 2/5/2022
No Tasting Notes:
1969 Taylor Fladgate Single Harvest Port
1977 Quarles Harris Vintage Port
1950 Vieira de Sousa Colheita Port
S. Leonardo 30 Year Old Tawny Port
The weekend was a delightful journey filled with the rich flavors of friendship and fine wines and Port. I look forward to these quarterly gatherings, and this one had a few extra surprises for us – an amazing meal at Surrell, a mystery old Tawny Port, and a fantastic range of dry wines for us to enjoy. The conversations were lively, the laughter booming, and the memories of this weekend cherished.
