A Toast to Lamont and Lillian!

The Best Western in DeKalb, IL is not exciting, but Lamont's and Lillian's port adventures are! Here are the bottles they have tasted since January 2008.

1970 Burmester
1970 Fonseca
1975 Taylor
1977 Royal Oporto colheita
1983 Dow's
1985 Sandeman
1986 De La Force colheita
1994 Calem
1994 Croft
1994 Sandeman
1995 Quinta do Noval Sival
1997 Smith Woodhouse
1997 Taylor
1997 Warre's
2001 Niepoort LBV
2003 Quinta do Vesuvio

Another one bites the dust...

I suppose I won't try to qualify myself any further...we'll just get down to the nitty gritty...

SANDEMAN VINTAGE 1994

Dark burgundy with only a hint of brick red developing on the rim. The nose is open and warm and marked by prominent raisin, prune, and black currant aromas as well as an undercurrent of faint smoked meat. Soft, smooth fruit on entry, medium sweet, transitioning through a drier mid-palate of holiday spices, then into a well balanced, medium-long finish with a medicinal cherry character to it. Very nice. There's no harm in popping this bottle now - it's laid back style makes it easy to enjoy - but I would guess it will be another 10 years at least before it really hits it's peak. 89/90pts, Tasted 3/08

1992 Niepoort Vintage - Rare in the US

Reading Lamont's post about the 2003 Vesuivo got me thinking about the blockbuster Niepoort wines from the 1990s. I wanted to know how they had appreciated in price so I checked the three most popular sites, winezap.com, winecommune.com and wine-searcher.com. I was surprised to find that the 1992 Niepoort vintage is not available in the US, based on these sites. I found an auction on Wine Commune that closed in early March 2008 where the 1992 vintage sold for $180. You may be able to find it at a random shop, but I wouldn't bet on it. I think the EPTT currently holds three 1992 vintages. Based on our reviews, we have tasted it in 1998, 2000, and 2006. Being that it is such a long-term wine, I propose a strategic popping so that we can taste the wine when it is at least 40 years old (which will make us almost 60!). The Niepoort lodge will be a sure stop during the trip to Portugal!

Here is a great article about Niepoort (that is Dirk Niepoort in the photo above), including a nice review of a 1863 - yes 1863 - Colheita.
http://www.wineloverspage.com/port/niepoort.phtml

Surprise Banger...

So, just as I'm thinking that this winter 08 port drinking madness is starting to wind down, Lillian Petherbridge returns from Foxwoods casino with a pocketfull of poker winnings burning a hole in her pocket and a thirst for vintage port. Oh well, what can you do? I wasn't arguing. And so we wound up back at a local spot with a decent selection of port and the logical choice seemed to be the 2003 Vesuvio. I've never tasted a Vesuvio to present, and have only sampled one wine from the 2003 vintage to this point. I'd read rave reviews of this particular port and so perhaps I approached it with high expectations, but luckily I was not the least bit disappointed. This is one of the best ports that I've tasted to date, particularly at such a young stage of it's life - multi-layered, fragrant, deeply flavored, and very elegant, but with a powerful underlying structure - excels on all levels. Here were my thoughts...

QUINTA DO VESUVIO VINTAGE 2003

This is a beautiful looking port - dark eggplant purple in the core transitioning to a glowing oxblood colored rim - very vibrant. After the first couple of hours in the decanter the nose remained quite closed - just not giving up much at all. After another couple of hours of decanting it really opened up with an intoxicating perfume of earth, blackberry, cherry, strawberry, flowers, and dark chocolate. On the palate it's decadent and elegant at the same time; there are layers and layers of sweet, ripe, dark fruit with a sumptuous and velvety texture backed by a sprinkling of black pepper and big chalky tannins. The finish is long and lingering. This obviously has years - decades really - before it fleshes out fully, but it is so expressive and the tannins are so well woven in that with sufficient decanting it's totally enjoyable right now. I was very curious to see how this would show after sitting in the decanter overnight - forget about it - it was way too good to stop sipping and was gone way too soon. It was one of those times that I wanted to cry when I saw the last drop dripping out of the decanter. This is a fantastic young port, I love it, and will definitely be going back for more to store away for the years to come. Close to perfect stuff in my book. Thanks Lillian! 99pts, Tasted 3/08

Time for a break?...not.

After the whirlwind of tastings over the past several weeks, I had planned on chilling out for a while. Well, of course that didn't happen. I ran into this bottle of Silval 1995 on sale for $25 and thought that it couldn't hurt to give it a shot...

SILVAL (QUINTA DO NOVAL) VINTAGE 1995
Burgundy in color with a ruddy rim. The nose is fairly intense with aromas of raisin, dried cherry, coffee, and a prominent earthiness that reminded me of damp autumn leaves. The palate gives soft fruit up front - more like raisin / dried berry fruit than fresh - and on the mid-palate gives way to mild spices and a moderate length finish with a sightly stemmy edge to it. There was a good deal of heat coming through on the first tasting (to be fair, we didn't give it a very long time to air out before sipping it), but after more time in the decanter it calmed down and the alcohol seemed much more integrated into the wine. Overall, this is a softly structured and early-maturing port with some nice qualities but lacking a bit in freshness and depth. Tasty, but not one made to age for the long term - drink this one sooner rather than later. 86 pts, Tasted 3/08

MINI HORIZONTAL - 1997 VINTAGE

Being that the 97's are still widely available in stores, coupled with the fact that this is a heralded vintage of which I've only sampled two examples in the past, I thought it might be an interesting exercise - in the interest of research of course - to taste through a few more specimens of the 97 ilk and see if the wines actually live up to the hype. Well, in a nut shell, so far so good. With the gracious assistance of fellow EPTT member Lillian Petherbridge, I made my way through the 97 Smith Woodhouse, the 97 Taylor Fladgate, and the 97 Warre's over the past week or so. It made for a very impressive lineup. Although the Smith Woodhouse leaned a bit toward the early-maturing, lighter bodied side compared to the other two, it was nevertheless a delicious and well balanced port that I enjoyed thoroughly - and I must say it was up against some stiff competition. The Taylor and the Warre's both impressed with their huge layers of fruit and extremely age-worthy structures, the Taylor's being more meaty, deep, and complex, the Warre's being tightly wound and filled with ripe fruit and juicy acidity. Both are of classic proportions and excellent choices for cellaring. I definitely slept on picking up the 97's early on, I suppose because the 94's were still being so highly touted at the time, as well as the fact that the prices shot up a whole lot between the 94 and 97 vintages, but I can't sleep on them anymore...here's the notes...

SMITH WOODHOUSE VINTAGE 1997

Royal purple with a burgandy rim. The nose is inviting, giving sweet boysenberry syrup, black currant, and raisin with whiffs of licorice and violet. Medium weight in the mouth, this port displays sweet cherry and plum fruit with a smooth layer of milk chocolate overlaying it and a streak of tobacco-like spice running through it. The tannins are soft and round and the finish is of medium length. This is a very tasty and open VP that should be drinking well over the next 10 to 20 years and will probably live longer than that. 90pts - Tasted 3/08

TAYLOR FLADGATE VINTAGE 1997

Still a dark purple color with only a hint of redness developing on its edge. The nose took a good deal of patience before it revealed itself, but after about 5 hours of decanting it began to open, although it's still fairly tight - rich, heavy, dark fruit, smoked meats, and a heady floral edge - beautiful. It's huge on the palate, attacking with a crush of black cherry fruit and notes of tar with a lovely espresso-like bitterness, all centered around a solid core of spicy black pepper. The tannins are strapping, but not harsh at all - this port has great structure and a long finish. Impressively deep, this is an awesome and powerful wine that should only continue getting better for a really long time. 97pts - tasted 3/08

WARRE'S VINTAGE 1997

This is a vibrant looking port, dark plummy purple in color - still very young in appearance. The nose is still tightly closed only giving a general impression of dark berry fruit, and by the second day in the decanter a bit of a violety note, but it was hard to get a lot out of - it definitely needs some more time in bottle to blossom. On the palate it's a whole different story - it is overflowing with ripe, juicy black cherry fruit that gushes over the tongue, backed by big mouthwatering acidity and a wave of pepper and spices. The tannins are boldly structured, but still overpowered by the lushness of the fruit at this point. The finish is long and persistent. Having recently sampled the bookends of this Warre's vintage, the 94 and 00 respectively, I can say that the 97 is definitely of a different breed. Whereas the 94 and 00 both showcase a more dried fruit profile, prune, raisin, etc., and a soft and silky texture, the 97 is ripe, juicy, and has a much more tightly wound, heavyweight kind of structure. This is definitely a wine built to age for the long haul and one that I probably wouldn't venture to open again for at least another decade, if not longer. Excellent. 95pts - Tasted 3/08

Huxley assumes presidency, Livingston's membership questioned

Brooklyn, NY - Lamont Huxley has recently assumed the presidency of the EPTT. Fresh off a run of consumption that surpasses anything in EPTT history, Huxley easily moved into the leadership role. A new member, Lillian Petherbridge, has strongly supported Huxley in his move to the top. EPTT co-founder, Bill Livingston, has almost been absent from the scene. Livingston is quoted as saying "There is no port in Portland", and "Where the hell can I find a vintage for a decent price?" Although Livingston has purchased the most prestigious bottle in the EPTT collection, Graham's 1963 Vintage, he has done little tasting within the last year. Livingston attributes the absences of port in Portland to the fact that wine is sold in grocery stores in Oregon, which makes the speciality wine shop obsolete. However, Livingston is committed to staying active through internet purchasing.
Photo caption: Lamont (L) and Bill (R) enjoy a glass of 1977 Smith Woodhouse Vintage at the 2002 EPTT Winter Event.

Winter Bender spins out of control...

Without further ado, enjoy the notes...


NIEPOORT LBV 2001
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About halfway between purple and maroon. The nose is brooding - deep blackberry, tar and menthol. The palate comes across medium sweet with a full feel in the mouth - big ripe plum and currant fruit with peppery notes coming through on the medium length finish. This is a well balanced wine with integrated tannins and is drinking nicely. Niepoort delivers another big tasty port. 87pts, Tasted 2/08

DOW'S VINTAGE 1983
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A fairly dark purple hue, though going ruddy around the edges, showing some age. The nose is not particularly giving - there are notes of dark fruit, sort of kirsch-like, a bit raisiny, but hard to coax out of the glass. Opens with soft but fairly full fruit with flavors of black cherry and prune followed by black pepper and a little bit of spirit. There is decent structure there, but the tannins are now well in the background and the finish is of moderate length showing hints of cocoa and a bit of spirit persisting. Decent but unexciting. 84pts, Tasted 2/08

CROFT VINTAGE 1994
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Deep burgundy color with just a hint of maturity beginning to show on the rim. It took quite a while in the decanter before the nose opened up, though it still seems to be holding something back. It shows notes of smokey prune, raspberry jam, and tobacco. The palate is generous, delivering layers of sweet dark fruit - blueberry, blackberry, and raisin come across and just keep on going - smooth, ripe and rich, it builds into a long spicy finish. A delicious vintage port at this stage, but this one should definitely get even more impressive as it fleshes out over the next several decades. 93pts, Tasted 2/08

FONSECA VINTAGE 1970
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Dark raspberry red in color, almost purplish still, and rimmed with just a hint of orange. The nose initially had a very musty character, but this mostly blew off after a few hours of decanting, revealing a bouquet of red berries, roasted nuts, leather, and orange marmalade. The palate is decadent, with big smooth layers of cherry, plum, raspberry and strawberry jam filling the mouth transitioning into notes of pepper, vanilla, roses and licorice on the very long finish. There is still major structure to this port - big tannins and ripe acidity - although the texture is supple and well woven together. It certainly doesn't come off as a 38 year old wine! Still showing strong tannins but excellent mature character as well. Probably hasn't even reached it's peak at this point. Great stuff! 95pts, Tasted 2/08

DELAFORCE COLHEITA 1986
(bottled in 05)
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Fully tawny in color - golden at the edges with only a slight hint of red left. Good intensity on the nose showing hazelnut, marmalade, cinnamon, vanilla, and buttery oak notes. There's good weight to the palate as well, it's smooth and medium sweet with carmelized fruit flavors and butterscotch, balanced by a tart cherry acidity. The finish is long and elegant. Very nice colheita. 91pts, Tasted 3/08

SANDEMANS VINTAGE 1985
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Light maroon color with a tawny hue to the rim. The nose shows a lot of maturity as well - cherry and strawberry, hazelnut, clove and cinnamon - quite nice. Smooth palate of maraschino cherry and caramel apple, pleasantly sweet with some black pepper and nutty notes rounding out the medium length finish. Seems fully fleshed out at this stage, moving toward the delicate side, though it has good balance and is drinking very well - definitely one to drink in the near-term. My first vintage port from this producer and it was a pleasing introduction. 89/90pts, Tasted 3/08

DOW'S VINTAGE 1997
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After several hours in the decanter this was a dark purple color, almost inky, with a vibrant plum-colored rim. The nose is deep-toned and really complex, with a heady blend of blueberry, blackberry, black cherry, prunes, tar, menthol, and cocoa. Rich fruit comes across upon sipping - black raspberry, plum and cassis, with a smokey black pepper edge. Well structured with solid tannins and balanced acidity, it's moderately sweet - typical Dow's style - and has a very long finish. This is an awesome Dow's, probably my favorite of the half dozen vintages I've sampled from them, although side by side with the 94 it would be really hard to say which one would reign supreme. Excellent. 95pts, Tasted 3/08

CALEM VINTAGE 1994
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I was initially impressed by this wine as soon as I started to pour it into the decanter. After 13 years (11 in bottle) it's still virtually black at the core, trimmed with a brilliant reddish purple edge - a pretty port. The nose is concentrated and, as perhaps was portended by the appearance of the wine, dark-toned as well. Black mission fig and boysenberry dominate, with hints of prune, sweet strawberry jam, and lavender coming out after being in decanter overnight - a little bit tight still, yet shows good complexity. It's quite impressive on the palate as well - juicy dark cherry and mixed berry fruit is right up front - generous and with a harmonious texture. The tannins just barely start to come out on the mid-palate, but they are quickly subdued by the lushness of the fruit, and even on the finish, which is of medium-long length, it is still the fruit that continues to echo, taking on a tasty licorice nuance as it draws out - no heat showing here at all. This was my first tasting of a Calem VP and I must say that I was really pleased. It shows the great ripeness and up-front fruit of the 94 vintage, with tannins that already come off as so well integrated that you could easily overlook them. This port seems to have a pretty solid underlying structure, and if that structure can hold up long enough to let the big tasty fruit flesh out, it should turn out to be delicious in it's maturity - my guess is that it will start to be at it's best in another 10 years, and will probably drink well for another decade thereafter, if not longer. With a pricetag of $40 retail (at least half, and even up to only one fifth the price of the big name 94's), this is certainly a good bargain in vintage port. 91pts, Tasted 3/08