The August Meeting of the Sammamish Port Club took place in in Sammamish, Washington on August 20, 2022. Rather than try to put together themes and have to coordinate who is bringing which wines, we decided to try a “bring whatever you want to” approach to the club.
Glenn, who was hosting for this month’s gathering, is a certified PNWBA and KCBS BBQ Judge and makes some mean BBQ himself. He graciously smoked a few racks of ribs for us to enjoy as we socialized before we sat down for the tasting.
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Tom also brought a surprise for the group – a fortified wine called “Victoria’s Surprise” made from grapes that grow from in front of his house! The wine was crafted by a winemaker that one of Tom’s neighbors knows, and it was made from Niagara Grapes and fortified with a 40% VSOP Brandy. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was to drink. Tom and I talked about how it lacked a little complexity because it had not spent any time in wood, but for a local fortified wine, it was really quite good!
After we enjoyed Glenn’s ribs, Tom’s fortified, and getting caught up with each other, we adjourned to the dining room to begin the tasting. Note: most of the wines were served blind, and two were 375ml bottles.
1964 Krohn White Colheita Port – Bottled in 2007. Orange in color with traces of amber and brown. This wine used to be light and lively but as it has aged it has lost some vibrancy. It has a very nice body weight with vanilla and caramelized tropical fruit notes on the entry. It is advanced in its oxidation and in the mid-palate a walnut skin bitterness arrives that really spoils the show. The bitterness carries through to the finish. 90 points. 8/20/2022
1994 Rozes Unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage Port – Bottled in 1999. Amber-purple in color. A touch of sediment in the bottle. Nice notes of berry cobbler and fresh red fruits. Rich entry with chocolate, black fruits, and pronounced tannins. Long finish. 90 points. 8/20/2022
2011 Quinta do Crasto Unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage Port – Bottled in 2015. Very dark purple in color. Cassis and black currant on the nose. Chocolate and blackberry notes on the palate. Medium body initially but on subsequent tastes the body appears to fill out more. Great structured tannins. Long finish. 92 points. 8/20/2022
S. Leonardo 40 Year Old Tawny Port – Bottled in 2019. Clear, light amber in color. Vanilla, light spices, and dried fruits on the nose. Rich, intense flavor profile with bright acidity and notes of orange spice. This is a touch more elegant in style than I am used to this wine showing. 94 points. 8/20/2022
Sandeman 40 Year Old Tawny Port – Bottled in 2021. Bright amber-gold in color. There are dried fruits, nuts, and some light spirit on the nose. Rich flavor profile with citrus and light caramel notes. Great balanced acidity on the long finish. 93 points. 8/20/2022
1968 Andresen Colheita Port – Bottled in 2019. Amber-orange in color. Nose of rich citrus and caramel. A touch of spirit on the nose as well. It has a very rich, complex flavor profile on the palate with dried apricot, caramel, and burnt sugar. This is a very well-balanced wine. 95 points. 8/20/2022
1991 Andresen Colheita Port – Orange-vanilla and some light spirit on the nose. Elegant flavor profile with caramel, dried fruits, and nice acidity. Very long finish with great balance and structure. This is a beautiful sipper. 94 points. 8/20/2022
Kopke 20 Year Old Tawny Port – 375ml bottle. Bottled in 2015. There’s a little funkiness on the nose – some dill and herbal notes that are a little odd. On the palate, there are some rich notes of caramel and herbs, but something seems just a little off with this bottle. 89 points. 8/20/2022
Quinta do Noval 40 Year Old Tawny Port – 375ml bottle. Bottled in 2017. Amber-brown in color with a rich palate of caramel vanilla and a light touch of spirit. Rich intensity on the mid-palate and great acidity through the long finish. 93 points. 8/20/2022
1958 Kopke Colheita Port – Bottled in 2018. Lovely nose of caramel with light spice and citrus. Smooth flavor profile with vanilla, caramel, dried fruits, and just a touch of bitterness on the mid-palate. Long finish with some orange peel and sweet caramel. 94 points. 8/20/2022
