Vintage Port Tasting at Wine Watch

“I've gotten more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.” ― Winston Churchill

 

We will be taking down some high alcohol wines on Saturday November 23th. Like the great Charles Dickens one of my favorite types of high octane wines is vintage Port. This type of wine was created hundreds of years ago to appease the English thirst for wine during their hundred year’s war with France during the 14th and 15th centuries.

There are several types of fortified wines but Vintage Port is considered by those in the know to be among the world's finest high octane grape juice elixir. The really old ports from the Duero River Valley are incredible today and they are getting harder and harder to find making this tasting qualify for our "Once in Lifetime" status with wines like the 1948 Taylor Fladgate.

A "Vintage" year is only declared 2-3 times a decade by most major port houses. This declaration happens two years after the vintage and the wines are bottled shortly after so they spend just 2 years in the oak casks. Most people consider these young vintage ports in need of more bottle age to drink them in their prime, so 10-20 years is a must but these old dogs tonight are all over 40 years old.

Join us as we experience this legendary 1948 Taylor Fladgate vintage port along with 6 other vintage ports from classic vintages like 1955, 1963 and a flight of 1970. Wine Watch Caterings Toni Lampasone will be making a few small courses to accompany the old dogs. The fee for this tasting is $195 + Tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

 

Vintage Port Tasting at Wine Watch

Saturday, November 23st

7pm

 

Tasting Line-up:

 

1948 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port

(99 Points) I have had this numerous times and I have always been bowled over by its great quality. It is teeming with plum aromas and flavors. Deep ruby-red, with coffee, cocoa, violet and plum aromas, full-bodied, with ripe fruit flavors, medium tannins and a balanced finish. Very firm and refined, it will age on and on. –JS Wine Spectator Issue: Web Only - 1989

 

 

1955 Martinez Vintage Port

(86 Points) Very rich, delicious and silky sweet. Medium red-garnet with a lighter edge, rich bitter chocolate nose, medium-bodied, with lovely, balanced, sweet chocolate and fruit flavors and a very long, silky finish. –JS Wine Spectator Issue: Web Only - 1989

 

1963 Quinta Do Noval Vintage Port

Wild nose. Drier and spicier than most vintage ports. Romany port! This builds gloriously on the palate. Rounds out on the end and wonderfully. Prunes and dried peel. Dried figs. Opened out. Vibrates. But it also has SO much potential. A magnificent monument. 20/20 points. Drink to 2060.  (7/ 2013) Jancis Robinson

 

 

1970 Fonseca Vintage Port

(96 Points) Some people may enjoy this wine's rather fat, rich and powerful fruit now, but I still find it too young for drinking. Deeply colored, with smoky mint, tar and fruit aromas, full-bodied, with concentrated fruit flavors and plenty of tannins. –JS Wine Spectator Issue: Web Only - 1989

 

 

1970 Grahams Vintage Port

(94 Points) This is an extremely full-bodied, powerful wine, but it still retains a classy balance. Deep ruby, with chocolate and berry aromas, full-bodied, with anise and dried cherry flavors, full, hard tannins and a long finish. Good now but a few more years of bottle age would improve it. Best from 1990 through 1993. –JS Wine Spectator Issue: Web Only - 1989

 

 

1970 Quinta Do Noval Vintage Port

(89 Points) I have had this wine numerous times. Bottles vary from outstanding to disappointing. At its best, it is medium ruby-red, with a ripe fruit and tobacco nose, sweet, fresh plum flavors, a round mouth-feel and a silky finish. –JS Wine Spectator Issue: Web Only - 1989

 

 

1970 Cockburn Vintage Port

(86 Points) This is ripe and ready to drink. It is slightly more forward than many of the '70s from the other top houses. Medium ruby-red, with rich aromas of cherry and marzipan, medium-bodied, with ripe cherry flavors, balanced tannins and a solid finish. –JS Wine Spectator Issue: Web Only - 1989

 

Menu

Assortment of Cheese: Stilton, Epoisses, St. Andre, Reggiano Parmesan

 

Lavendar & Sage Rubbed Grilled Beef Sirloin with Port Demi Glaze

Dark Chocolate Crème Brulee with Candied Apricot & Cranberry Bites  

 

Port and other fortified wines available in the store:

 

I will start this offering with two of the best values in the store and they are fortified wines from Australia.

 

R. L. Buller Muscat Australia (375ml)

Price: $16.50    Sale Price: $9.75

Quantity in Stock: 107

(96 Points) The N.V. Fine Muscat offers the most complexity of this hedonistic trio. Dark amber-colored, it delivers flavors of toffee, caramel, brown sugar, and dates. All three are well balanced and have long, pure finishes. They are extraordinary values. Wine Advocate # 178 Aug 2008

R.L. Buller & Son was founded in 1921 by the grandfather of Andrew Buller, the current winemaker. The winery remains one of the benchmarks in the production of fortified sweet wines from the warm terroir of Rutherglen. Wine Advocate # 181 Feb 2009

R. L. Buller Tokay Tawny Port (375ml)

Price: $16.50    Sale Price: $9.75

Quantity in Stock: 107

(91 Points) Syrupy sweet, but not too rich, with lots of honey and spice flavors that persist appealingly on the long, delicately balanced finish. Drink now. 3,000 cases made. “HS Wine Spectator Issue: May 15, 2004

 

 

Vintage Port

 

2009 Croft Vintage Port

List Price: $85.50    Your Price: $75.24

Quantity in Stock: 2

(95 Points) Redolent of blackberry and dark fruits, this also features a fascinating mix of mocha, graphite and tobacco flavors. Very juicy as well, which figures into the finish of fine-grained tannins and spice. An exuberant and refined Vintage Port. Best from 2020 through 2050. 5,000 cases made. –KM  Wine Spectator Issue: Apr 30, 2012

 

2008 W & J Graham's Late Bottled Vintage Port

Price: $26.00    Your Price: $22.88

Quantity in Stock: 11

Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage Port is a superb wine selected from the finest production of a very good year, but unlike a ‘declared’ Vintage Port - which is bottled in its second year, ‘LBV’ matures for an average of 5 years in seasoned oak casks prior to bottling (hence the term, ‘Late Bottled’). This wood - ageing encourages the wine’s development and it is therefore ready to drink sooner than Vintage Port. As with the latter, Late Bottled Vintage Ports are sourced primarily from the Malvedos vineyard.

Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage possesses attractive liquorice and floral aromas and fresh, ripe blackberry fruit flavours. It epitomizes Graham’s house style very effectively: great rich fruit concentration with spicy complexity and depth, held together by superb structure and balance.

Graham’s LBV is a leader in its category and highly prized by Port enthusiasts in the British Isles, traditionally one of Port’s most discerning and competitive markets.

 

2007 Dows Late Bottled Vintage Port

Price: $24.75    Your Price: $21.78

Quantity in Stock: 10

On the nose very intense, brimming with concentrated aromas of ripe fruits such as cassis, combined with rockrose and peppery spice. On the palate, very powerful and full bodied, fresh and well structured, packed with flavors of black berries and hints of chocolate. With a long and slightly dry finish.

Dow's 2007 Late Bottled Vintage Port pairs wonderfully with chocolate desserts and hard cheeses like aged cheddar or creamy blue.

 

2007 Fonseca Vintage Port (375ml)

Price: $45.00    Sale Price: $38.25

Quantity in Stock: 23

Cooked raspberry, with hints of lemon peel and leaf. Full-bodied and medium sweet, with a beautiful density and a sweet fruity and tannic aftertaste. Balanced yet muscular. A little disappointing, but clearly outstanding. Score range: 92-95 –JS Wine Spectator Issue: Web Only - 2009

 

2005 Quinta Do Noval Late Bottle Vintage Port

Price: $27.00    Your Price: $22.95

Quantity in Stock: 11

Highly Recommended by Kim Marcus in Wine Spectator: "Succulent and fruity, with concentrated flavors of dark plum, blackberry and chocolate mousse that are backed up by good grip. The snappy finish features hints of licorice. Drink now through 2025. 800 cases imported."

 

2005 Ramos Pinto Port LBV

Price: $30.00    Your Price: $26.40

Quantity in Stock: 6

(90 points) Very grapey, with dense, concentrated flavors of dark plum, chocolate, cherry and spice. Mocha and dark chocolate notes, with raisin hints, linger on the finish. Drink now through 2018. 4,600 cases made. “KM Issue: Dec 15, 2010

 

2005 Taylor Fladgate Quinta De Vargellas Vintage Port 375ml

Price: $25.50    Your Price: $21.68

Quantity in Stock: 12

This is a ˜single quinta wine, made in exactly the same way as Taylor's Vintage Port, but using only the grapes from this individual property, trodden on the estate. Only small quantities are made, and only in very good years. Many experts believe Taylor's Single Quinta Vintage Ports to be better than other companies’ declared years. The name of Taylor's is more of an assurance than the year.

Taylor's has owned the beautiful estate of Vargellas for over a century, and it is acknowledged as one of the great vineyards of the world. It has the highest percentage of old vines of any quinta in the Douro, 60% being over 75 years old. Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Ports are ready to drink from ten years, but will go on developing for another twenty years or so - almost as long as Taylor’s declared Vintages.

Records show the Quinta de Vargellas being sold at Christie's auction house in the 1820's.

Quinta de Vargellas vintage ports are one of a small handful of single estate ports to have achieved the stature and reputation of the great 'declared' vintages and to be traded regularly at auction. Still as prized today as they were over 180 years ago, these distinctive wines are one of the longest established of all single estate ports.

 

2004 Ramos Pinto Late Bottled Vintage Port

Price: $30.00    Your Price: $25.50

Quantity in Stock: 3

(84 Points) Attractive dark cherry aromas, with raspberry jam, follow through to a full body. Very sweet, but turns tannic and aggressive. Bottle age will help. Best after 2012. 5,000 cases made. –JS Wine Spectator Issue: Web Only - 2010

 

2003 Dows Vintage Port

List Price: $84.50    Your Price: $74.36

Quantity in Stock: 13

(94 Points) The complex aromatics of the opaque, black-colored 2003 Dow Vintage Port display chocolate, dried oak, black cherries, blackberries, copious spices, and a myriad flowers. This fresh, backward wine offers a medium to full-bodied, deeply concentrated core of spice-laced dark fruits. Softly-textured and seductive in the mid-palate, it boasts abundant layers of candied Damson plums, blueberries, black cherries, molasses, and hints of chocolate before revealing its firm structure. Extremely youthful and primary, this exceptional effort demands patience. Projected maturity: 2025-2045+.  Wine Advocate #161, Oct 2005

2003 Fonseca Vintage Port

List Price: $101.25    Your Price: $89.10

Quantity in Stock: 18

(96+ Points) Sporting an opaque, black-colored robe with dark purple trim, the 2003 Fonseca Vintage Port exhibits a nose of profound depth. Its sweet black mass of dark fruit and spice aromas leads to a character of immense depth, richness, and weight. Full-bodied, viscous, and almost impenetrable, this dense, backward port is powerful and exceptionally long in the finish. Possibly the most masculine Fonseca I've ever encountered, it coats the taster's palate with licorice, jammy black fruits, and notes of chocolate that last for over a minute. This blockbuster will require at least three decades to fully blossom. Anticipated maturity: 2035-2060.Wine Advocate # 161 Oct 2005

 

2003 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port

Price: $101.25    Your Price: $89.10

Quantity in Stock: 12

(98 points)The 2003 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port improved each time I raised it to my nose or mouth. It displays a black color and a salty, graphite-laced nose packed with sweet black fruits that is reminiscent of a stellar vintage of Chateau Latour. With air, notes of molasses, burnt sugar, spices, and jammy plums emanate from the glass. Full-bodied, hugely dense, immensely rich, as well as thick, this behemoth is also amazingly balanced and harmonious. Raisins, molasses, licorice, black cherries, plums, and a distinctive note of violets are found in its complex, seamless character. Its interminable finish reveals additional notes of chocolate, kirsch, red as well as black currants, dark cherries, and rose blossoms. Armed with exceptional power, depth, and purity, this Taylor will proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with the finest ever crafted by the Fladgate Partnership. Projected maturity: 2035-2060. Wine Advocate #161 (Oct. 2005 issue)

 

2000 Croft Vintage Port

List Price: $85.50               Your Price: $75.24

Quantity in Stock: 6

(90 Points) A striking, individualistic nose of spring flowers, blackberries, blueberries, and lead pencil shavings emerges from this saturated purple-colored 2000. Evolved yet expansive, sweet, and generous, it admirably conceals moderately high tannins under a wealth of fruit and glycerin. The aromatic profile and attack merit a score in the mid-nineties, but the finish is short, thus lowering the overall rating. My instincts suggest there is more to this port than it revealed the days I tasted it. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025?  Wine Advocate #143, Oct 2002

 

2000 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port Magnum

Price: $425.00    Your Price: $361.25

Quantity in Stock: 1

(98 Points) Among the most saturated blue/purple/black-colored examples of the vintage, Taylor's 2000 tastes like a young vintage of Chateau Latour on steroids. Aromas of graphite, blackberry liqueur, creme de cassis and smoke jump from the glass. Spectacularly concentrated and enormously endowed, with sweetness allied to ripe tannin, decent acidity, and layer upon layer of fruit and extract, this is the leading candidate for the port of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040.

 

2000 Warres Vintage Port

List Price: $72.00    Your Price: $63.36

Quantity in Stock: 8

(91 Points) Straightforward yet intense, ripe black raspberry liqueur and cassis scents are followed by a medium to full-bodied, elegant, restrained, balanced port with moderately high tannin as well as outstanding purity. It is a vintage port with impeccable finesse. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020. Wine Advocate # 143, Oct 2002

 

1997 Fonseca Vintage Port

List Price: $90.00    Your Price: $79.20

Quantity in Stock: 25

(93 Points) Somewhat of a lightweight for Fonseca, but undeniably charming, this dark ruby/purple-colored wine offers a floral, exotic, flamboyant bouquet, a sweet, fleshy style, but not a great deal of weight or massiveness. Heady alcohol, sweet tannin, and a velvety texture make for a gorgeous finish. While I would have preferred to have seen more weight, structure, and intensity, this is an outstanding, albeit lighter than normal Fonseca. Anticipated maturity: now-2020 Wine Advocate # 126 Jan 2000

 

1997 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port MAGNUM

Price: $180.00    Your Price: $158.40

Quantity in Stock: 1

1997 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port

Price: $90.00    Your Price: $79.20

Quantity in Stock: 30

(96 points)Saturated black/purple-colored, with stunning aromatics of blueberries, blackberries, licorice, and iron, this spectacular vintage port is one of the stars of the vintage. Extremely full-bodied, with silky tannin, spectacular concentration and purity, multiple flavor levels, and an evolved, forward personality, this is an exquisite yet precocious 1997 vintage port. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2030. Wine Advocate #126 (Jan 2000 issue)

 

1996 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port

Price: $575.00    Your Price: $506.00

Quantity in Stock: 2

(95 Points) Supple, with rich chocolate and dark plum flavors balanced by fresh, ferrous notes. A touch closed now, and filled with plenty of rich smoky and inky notes that take on an almost oily consistency. Very firm finish.—Non-blind Quinta do Noval Nacional retrospective (February 2011). Best from 2015 through 2030. 250 cases made. “KM Wine Spectator Issue: Web Only - 2011

 

1994 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port

Price: $1250.00    Your Price: $1100.00

Quantity in Stock: 1

(99 Points) Amazingly, the importer still has tiny stocks of such legendary ports as the 1970, 1963, and 1962 Nacionals. In most vintages the production of Quinta do Noval Nacional is no more than 250-275 cases. The 1970,1963,1962 and 1994 are candidates to achieve perfect scores. The 1994 Nacional is an incredibly rich, massive wine, yet at the same time, well-balanced and amazingly well-delineated. The color is an opaque purple. In addition to the abundant peppery, floral, cassis fruit, there is an ethereal character to this super-rich, pure wine that is not the least bit heavy. A compelling Nacional, it possesses even more stuffing than the regular bottling (as one might suspect), and at least 30-40 years of longevity. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2050.  Wine Advocate #107, Oct 1996

 

1977 Warres Vintage Port

List Price: $110.00    Sale Price: $90.00

Quantity in Stock: 2

(93 Points) Deep garnet. Very pretty plum and berry aromas, with hints of honey and toffee. Turns to custard. Full-bodied, sweet and fresh. Firm tannins, with elegance and balance. Will age for a long time, but ready. Generous, but subtle. '77/'85/'97 blind Port retrospective. Drink now. –JS Wine Spectator, Issue: Web Only - 2008

 

1945 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port

List Price: $1950.00    Your Price: $1716.00

Quantity in Stock: 1

(97 Points) Nearly as sublime as the '48, this is a majestic wine in its own right, with a superb concentration of fruit and a firm structure. Deep, dark ruby with a garnet edge, ripe raisin, almond and cedar aromas, full-bodied, with masses of ripe grape and almond flavors and medium tannins that tickle your palate on the finish. Built to age for centuries but amazing to drink now. –JS  Wine Spectator Issue: Web Only - 1989

 

 

Tawny Port

 

These are ports that are aged in cask their entire life.  These wines have a lovely amber color and a distinct nutty aroma along with dried fruits.  You can keep these wines exposed to air much longer than vintage ports before you have to drink them.

 

Quinta Do Noval 10 year Port

Price: $40.75    Your Price: $35.86

Quantity in Stock: 11

A deliciously crisp, fresh style with intense fruit.  A perfect expression of the Noval Tawny style. It has acquired the classical attributes of an old Tawny Port, while at the same time retaining much of the freshness and fruit of its youth.

Noval 10 year old Tawny is a blend of old Ports from different vintages that have matured all their life in oak casks, with an average age of 10 years.

 

Quinta Do Noval 20 year Port

Price: $87.25    Your Price: $76.78

Quantity in Stock: 5

Harmonious and balanced, fine, elegant and long, with all the aromatic complexity typical of Noval Tawny Ports. Noval 20 year old Tawny is a blend of old Ports from different vintages that have matured all their life in oak casks, with an average age of 20 years.

 

Taylor 20 Year Tawny Port NV

Price: $56.75    Your Price: $49.94

Quantity in Stock: 4

(92 points)It is my opinion that Taylor's tawny ports are the best of their type. When tasted against other tawnys, they all exhibit more aromatic personalities, greater fruit and ripeness, and a wonderful sweetness and length. Although I find the Thirty Year Old Tawny admirable, I prefer the richer, more vibrant Twenty Year Old Tawny. Wine Advocate #97 (Feb. 1995 issue)

 

Taylor Fladgate 30 Year Tawny Port

Price: $141.25    Your Price: $124.30

Quantity in Stock: 1

Blended from Taylor Fladgate's reserves of fine, cask-aged tawnies of several vintages, these wines are on average 30 years old. Rich, silky and elegant, it is a masterpiece of the blender's art.

 

Quinta Do Noval 40 year Tawny Port

Price: $149.00    Your Price: $131.12

Quantity in Stock: 3

(94 Points) Intensely fruity, delivering vibrant orange zest, dried mango, apricot compote and baked apple flavors that are plush, well-structured and long. Notes of sage and honey mark the mineral-infused finish. Drink now. 25 cases imported. –KM Wine Spectator Issue: Jun 30, 2011

The remarkable quintessence of Noval Tawny style, a profoundly concentrated and complex old wine, the memory of the house… The initial red fruit colours have now faded away to be replaced by a rich dark brown hue with wonderful green and yellow hints around the edges, characteristic of very old wood-aged Ports. Yet the wine still retains a wonderful freshness and balance.

Noval 40 year old Tawny is a blend of old Ports from different vintages that have matured all their life in oak casks, with an average age of 40 years.

 

Taylor Fladgate 40 Year Tawny Port

Price: $213.75    Your Price: $188.10

Quantity in Stock: 1

Lush, silky richness reminiscent of caramel with an elegant, slightly austere quality which is quite distinctive. Intense bronze in color with subtle dried fruit flavors underlying rich, exotic layers of burnt sugar and nuts culminating in an endless finish, Taylor, Fladgate Over Forty Year Old Tawny is superb with cheeses, nuts and rich desserts, and stands alone as an ultimate digestif.

 

NV Penfolds Grandfather Port

List Price: $88.75               Your Price: $78.10

Quantity in Stock: 1

The Grandfather name dates back to 1915, when an oak cask containing the finest blend of Tawny was set aside for the exclusive use of the Penfold family. This wine was known as The Grandfather due to the age of the oldest Tawny in the blend. With a core selection of Mourvedre, Shiraz, Cabernet and Grenache (but not limited to these varieties), Grandfather Rare Tawny sources fruit from vineyards specifically selected for fortified wine production. Only the free run wine is used for Penfolds Grandfather Rare Tawny and Penfolds uses a low strength fortifying spirit which is selected specifically for the Penfolds style. This spirit accentuates primary fruit character and adds additional complexity and seamless integration. Each year, fortified wine is made with Grandfather in mind and these selected batches are barrel aged for approximately eight years. Batches of wine that reach the required maturation and Grandfather quality are then blended and added to the 'Grandfather Solera'. In this six stage solera, Grandfather is aged for a further twelve years to give a total average age above 20 years - before being drawn off for bottling. During this extended maturation process the Grandfather Rare Tawny becomes more concentrated and complex with increased palate weight, structure, complexity and sweetness. VINEYARD REGION South Eastern Australia VINTAGE CONDITIONS Penfolds Grandfather Rare Tawny is a multivintage blend with an average age greater than twenty years after being aged in a traditional solera system. GRAPE VARIETY All Penfolds tawny styles are created using a core selection of varieties made up of Mourvedre, Shiraz, Cabernet, and Grenache but are not limited to these varieties. MATURATION Eight years in old small oak casks before a strict barrel selection. These batches are blended and added to the Grandfather Solera for a further 12 years before being drawn off for bottling. WINE ANALYSIS Alc/Vol: 19.5% Acidity: 8.2g/L pH: 3.2 PEAK DRINKING With an average age above 20 years - Grandfather Rare Tawny can be kept for extended maturation in bottle but is blended to drink on release.

 

2009 Justin Obtuse Port Paso Robles (375ml)

Price: $14.00    Sale Price: $9.75

Quantity in Stock: 7

A cabernet Sauvignon based fortified wine from one of the top producers in Paso Robles.

 

2003 Black Bart Syrah Port Napa (375ml)

Price: $46.25    Your Price: $39.31

Quantity in Stock: 5

 

1994 Heitz Cellars Port Napa

Price: $50.00    Your Price: $44.00

Quantity in Stock: 1

 

Veritas Winery 10 Year Tawny Port Barossa

Price: $55.00    Your Price: $48.40

Quantity in Stock: 1