New EPTT website

I justed created a new EPTT website on a free web hosting program. It is pretty basic and I didn't go crazy with the pages, so it is just reviews. There may be some font issues, but the reviews are there, the site is free, and the adds are not egregious.
It is pretty wild to look back at some of the old reviews. Niepoort 1992 vintage reviewed in June 1998 - that review is almost 10 years old! Some great bottles and great memories are listed.

Enjoy the reviews...
http://www.freewebs.com/jammysense/index.htm

Graham's 10 Year Tawny

With all of the tastings in BK, I thought I'd sip a staple of the 10 year tawny class. Graham's 10 year tawny is widely available and often receives high scores.

Color is a vibrant amber. The nose is full with orange peel, caramel, and dried fruits. The wine has good concentration on the palate and is well balanced. Hints of dried fruits, nuts, and vanilla give way to a long finish. Still, after all of these years of tastings, my favorite 10 year tawny. Bottled 2006.

Tasted 2/08

Chalking it up...

If any of my fellow sippers are checking this out, I just wanted to say a little something about the scoring system that I recently decided to add to my port reviews. My last batch of notes was the first time that I used it. Basically, I chose to use a scale of 70-100 and this is the way that I've broken it down in my mind:

70 - 74

A seventy would have to be a wine that I'd just about pour down the sink as soon as I'd drink it. Seventy four would be the lowest end of tolerable, but not enjoyable - flawed in some way.

75 - 79

This range covers wines that might have a thing or two going for them, but wouldn't make you want to pour yourself another glass. Not total duds, but definitely not recommended. Blah.

80 - 84

Eighty one starts to say that this is pretty tasty port, 84 being the pivotal point where I start to want to pour a second glass,and probably feel that the wine was worth investing in. Anything above an eighty four would be considered as recommended sipping.

85 - 89

Solid, quality port - lacking that wow factor in one way or another, but still, good to very good stuff - A pleasure to drink.

90 - 95

To score in this range a port needs to have numerous desirable characteristics - balance, complexity, power, good length of finish, etc. Wines that score in the lower 90s might not be all-time classics, but they are wines that show character well above the average fare.

96 - 100

Wines that score in this upper echelon are the total package. They give you everything you want in a great port, and do it in an exceptional way. Any wine scoring in this range is a memorable, classic bottle that would be well worth specifically seeking out - even if it costs you quite a pretty penny.



Basically, this is meant to be a measure of simply how enjoyable the port is to drink - regardless of any other factors (e.g. price, quality relative to other wines of the vintage or producer, etc...). Hopefully this will add a little more consistency to the notes as well as a good quick reference point.

Let me know what you think...

PORT DRINKING SEASON CONTINUES UNABATED IN BROOKLYN...

The past week brought a sudden burst of port drinking, beginning with the evening of my birthday when Lillian Petherbridge generously popped a Taylor's 1975 in my honor. It turned out to be an excellent surprise from what, by most accounts that I've heard, was an unexciting and now over the hill year in vintage port. That was the highlight.

I also had the chance to sample a Royal Oporto 1977 Colheita which turned out to be an enjoyable wine as well. Not a tawny that impresses with complexity, but a pleasingly rich port well suited to sipping with dessert.

The week ended with a Burmester 1970 which I thought I had found for a very good deal. Although I know that Burmester is known for making great colheitas, not necessarily vintage ports, I figured that a great vintage like 1970 would be a decent bet regardless of the fact that it was coming from a less prestigious name. It was a bad bet. It turns out this was one of those instances when I just could't help but be disappointed. Oh well, I suppose you always have to risk a bum bottle here and there - two outta three ain't bad. Notes as follows:

TAYLOR FLADGATE VINTAGE 1975

Bright brick red in color with orangey hints on the rim. The nose is expressive and complex: dried cherry, cranberry, orange peel and coffee bean - there was also a bit of alcohol but this blew off after a little more airing out. The palate is well fleshed out: smooth cherry fruit and tangerine mingle with a mild spiciness and continue to evolve through the medium length finish, revealing nutty caramel nuances as well. The tannins are velvety and the mouthfeel a bit creamy - overall drinking lovely. I would think that this is one that would be best to open now or in the very near future - it's delicious but getting delicate. My first tasting of a port from my birth year and it turned out to be a winner. Great fully mature port! 91 pts.

- Tasted 2/08

ROYAL OPORTO COLHEITA 1977





Dark amber in color - The nose is sweet and rich, something like caramelized bananas and cinnamon with vanilla ice cream. The palate is also on the sweet side, though short of being overwhelmingly so, as the acidity is just enough to balance out the full carmelized fruit flavor profile, edged with citrus notes and ending with a fairly long finish. This colheita doesn't show quite as much complexity as I might expect from a tawny of this age, however it's a nice rich treat. It went perfectly with the vanilla-pear cake that I ate with it. 85 pts.

- Tasted 2/08

BURMESTER VINTAGE 1970




A mature brick red in color, beginning to take on a slightly orange hue. The nose is subdued and somewhat musty, reminiscent of strawberries and marischino cherries, with a strong hint of tar as well. Initially the palate gives a pleasant dose of mellow fruit, basically echoing the flavors that came through on the nose, but comes apart a little on the mid-palate with some spirit showing through and the fruit sort of falling into the background. The finish adds a bit of complexity, lingering with a nutty undertone, but it's relatively short and covered up somewhat by the spirt that's there also. Not exactly unpleasant, but overall has a slighly out of balance and tired out feel to it. Not a bottle I would recommend - there is much better to be had for your buck. 78 pts.

- Tasted 2/08


- Lamont Huxley

Three Graham's

It's been a while since the last post. I don't have any tasting notes to add, but I wanted to post a flick of three Graham's vintages that I can't wait to taste.

Cheers,

Bill

Unposted Notes of 07

So,


It's been a while since I've sat down to post notes on anything, and in the meanwhile, I've done a good bit of sipping. Here are my thoughts on a number of bottles consumed last year...





GRAHAM'S VINTAGE 1977

A clear, mature burgundy/maroon - relatively dark compared to the other 77's that I've sampled. The nose is lovely, giving lush aromas of black raspberry jam and smokey exotic spices with hints of vanilla bean.

The palate is beautifully smooth with waves of spicy, plummy fruit and that streak of licorice that seems to be characteristic of Graham's style. The tannins are silky and the finish goes on and on.

Overall, a beauty of a port - it has that powerful decadent quality that you would expect from Graham's, but with the refined elegance of thirty years of age. This one definitely lived up to the billing of this classic vintage and has a long life left.

-Tasted May 07

DOW'S VINTAGE 1994

Showing a moderate amount of maturity in it's color at this point, being a vibrant garnet/purple with a slightly rusty hue around the rim. The nose is beautiful, bursting with black raspberry, blueberry, cocoa, and figs.

The palate initially packs a wallop of ripe dark berry fruit and then reveals a subtler layer of earthy dark chocolate notes that flow smoothly into an exceptionally long finish with notes of spices - licorice, cardomom and black tea come to mind. The tannins are smooth at this point but firm and very approachable.

Though it is quite obvious that this is a port that will continue to flesh out and develop for a long time to come, I certainly don't regret having cracked it at this stage - it's simply delicious - balanced, complex, and with that refined dryness unique to Dow's. It was one of those ports that I was already missing before it was gone, and another piece of proof to me that the 94's are definitely deserving of the praise they've received.

-Tasted late 07

FONSECA, QUINTA DO PANASCAL VINTAGE 2001

Vibrant royal purple in color going ruby around the edge. The first night that i opened the bottle the nose was a bit hesitant, though there was definitely some ripe dark fruit present, as well as a hint of a floral note. The following day it opened up wonderfully, giving damp earth, raspberry preserves, truffles, flowers and mineral notes.

The palate also opened up on the second day showing loads of ripe black fruit followed by a wave of black pepper, which was very prominent on the first night, but integrated nicely on day two. The structure is solid but not huge, with silky tannins and balanced acidity.

This isn't the blockbuster type, this wine has a sensual and exotic style, enticing the senses similar to the way that a fine burgundy does. I found it impressively complex for a wine from a single Quinta. Probably not a bottle to store for the long haul, though it definitely has aging potential - and coming in at half the price of the 97, 00, or 03 Fonseca vintages, this is a great option for drinking on the younger side.

-Tasted Jan 08

A COUPLE OF UN-NOTED BOTTLES:

WARRE'S VINTAGE 2000

I drank this bottle in late 07 and didn't write notes on it. However, to summarize my impression, I enjoyed it very much. It reminded me very much of the Warre's 94, with that same very smooth and full palate of velvety, slightly raisin and prune laced dark fruits backed up with black pepper and licorice notes, though not as evolved as the 94 at this stage of course. Well structured and balanced. I would love to have this port again a bit further down the line when it has fleshed out some more, but it was pretty approachable and very delicious to drink now.

FONSECA, GUIMARAENS VINTAGE 1991

I drank this one in late 07 as well, around Thanksgiving I believe, with Harrington Chesterfield. This was my second time sampling this vintage of this Fonseca single quinta port, the first time being 5 or 6 years prior. I can't say I was overly impressed this time around. I remember it being a big fat fruit bomb the first time around - dark color and lots of big dark fruit. This time, though it's still a dark purple color and packs a good deal of jammy fruit on the palate, the alcohol seems to be showing through the fruit a bit. I did enjoy it for sure, but it just didn't have that structure and balance of a great port that makes you want to keep on sipping it. One to drink now.