1970 Graham Porto Vintage – Clear, dark ruby with slight pink grapefruit on the edges. Red fruit with strawberry and some pleasant light Christmas spice notes on the nose. Warm, smooth, well-integrated flavor profile with red cassis and strawberry. Mouth-coating richness with nice warm spices. This wine is supple and almost elegant, but you can get a sense of power lurking just behind the scenes. A great, long finish. (94 pts.) (9/16/2023)
1991 Quinta do Vesuvio Porto Vintage – Ruby-purplish-brown in color. Slightly cloudy. Violets, chocolate, and a touch of dried fruit (especially prune) on the nose. Very rich, powerful entry with fantastic balance on the palate. Great fresh, crushed dark fruit backed by chocolate and some subtle herbal notes. There is a rich intensity here that makes this wine so very drinkable, but not at the expense of quality or structure. (95 pts.) (9/16/2023)
2008 J.H. Andresen Porto Late Bottled Vintage – Unfiltered. Very dark ruby, almost opaque in the center with garnet on the edges. Intense chocolate on the nose with dried red fruit, leather, and light woody notes. Chocolate mixes with cranberry on the palate with some very pleasant, dusty tannins on the long finish. (93 pts.) (9/16/2023)
Quinta de Brunheda Very Old Tawny Port Armazém de Codeçais Tonel 7 – Bottled in 2019. This White Port came from one of the Armazéms (warehouses) hidden away in a small town in the Douro Valley. This Port was reportedly last topped off in the early 2000s. Clear golden orange-yellow. Salted caramel, marzipan, and dried apricots on the nose. There is a ton of vanilla cream on the entry, with maple syrup and some light tropical fruit notes, typical of White Ports. The acidity was slightly out of balance compared to the last time I tried this. (92 pts.) (9/16/2023)
S. Leonardo Porto 90 Year Very Old White – My oh my. Bottled in 2019. Dark orange-brownish with some tinges of red. Not normally the type of color you see in a White Port, but the older it gets, the more the color deepens. Vinegrenio and grilled pineapple on the complex nose. Extremely viscous with a very sweet, complex flavor profile that delivers waves of tropical fruit with honey and orange. Insanely long finish (feels like minutes) with interesting and complex notes riding the crests of the continued waves of flavor. Beautiful, beautiful wine. (97 pts.) (9/16/2023)
