This was a thrilling, very privileged tasting which Bento Amaral, Chief of the Board of Tasters of the IVDP, introduced with the words“the sum of the ages of the wines is the highest number I’ve ever tasted.”
The 40 wines were tasted semi-blind – we had details of the vintage and style, but not the producer.
My tasting notes reflect the order of tasting and, as is invariably the case, some wines perhaps suffered unfairly in comparison with their neighbours.
Flight 1
Adega Cooperativa de Favaios Moscatel do Douro 1975 – pale amber with a greenish yellow rim. A restrained nose shows subtle orange peel/fruit cake with a hint of tobacco. Though very soft and smooth in the mouth it shows a remarkable freshness, delicacy and persistence of barley sugar, caramel and nuts. With impressive delicacy and finesse, it’s very expressive of this region – Favaios lies on a plateau at 630m. An appetising start!
Secret Spot 40 year old Moscatel do Douro – also from the Favaios area but only bottled in May 2010, this could not be more different. Lengthy cask ageing has produced a wine that is deep brown/mahogany in hue with a green rim. Deep, dark and nutty on the mid-palate, it gathers energy through a rum soaked plump raisined finish with toasted almonds and dark spun sugar with good underlying freshness. Corpulent.
Bacalhôa Moscatel de Setubal 2004 – vivid reddish, golden/orange hue with a floral scented nose and palate, it shows orange blossom, peel and flesh with fresh almond and toothsome caramel notes. After the previous wine it seems almost ridiculously primary and a little simple on the finish, but having previously tasted this wine, though it’s youthful, I’m sure its apparent simplicity is just a function of the line up.
Casa Ermelinda Freitas Moscatel Superior 2000 – a deep reddish orange hue with lovely depth to the nose and palate, good freshness too. Rich, expansive and warm with nuts, thick cut marmalade, marzipan and caramel, it has terrific length/resonance. A lovely wine.
Bacalhôa Moscatel de Setubal Roxo 2000 – I selected the 1999 vintage of this rare Roxo (pink Moscatel) for my 50 Great Portuguese wines (see here) and the follow up vintage did not disappoint. A deep reddish hue, not much different from the previous wine colour-wise, but the nose is quite different – nuttier, Roxo style. In the mouth, as is typically the case with Roxo, it’s much more textured with a sense of tannin and drier notes adding complexity in terms of mouthfeel and taste: hints of chicory, caramelised chicory and orange, with good freshness carrying a long finish. A really lovely, very elegant and complex wine.
Bacalhôa Moscatel de Setubal 1999 – a vivid tangerine/amber hue. The nose is quite restrained, with nuts and hints of chicory. On the palate it’s super silky with a very harmonious balance of sweetness, perfume and fruit – orange blossom, fleshy, sweet tangerine, nuts and caramel permeate the palate, which has lovely freshness, persistence and length. Though delicious now, it’s still very youthful, so lots of potential.
José Maria Fonseca Alambre 20 year old Moscatel de Setubal – Alambre is the name of the estate where José Maria Fonseca first planted Moscatel vines and also refers to the amber colour of these gorgeous wood-aged wines, this one bright amber with greenish yellow hints to rim. The youngest wine (a minimum of 70% Moscatel with Arinto, Malvasia and Boais) is 20 years old while the oldest 40 years old bringing considerable complexity and wood-aged depth to the palate. In fact there’s something aged Madeira-like to the nose with its tangy chutney, dried spice and fruit spice which follow through on the palate together with singed caramel and glassy butterscotch. It’s a little woody texturally, with an underlying vegetal note which detracts, especially on the finish.
José Maria Fonseca Moscatel de Setubal Roxo 20 years old – compared with the Bacalhôa, this is more evidently Roxo in hue with its inviting pinkish/reddish glints and contrasting saffron rim. As for the palate, it’s positively indolent with sumptuous taffeta layers of tobacco/chicory, toffee, nuts and raisins. A stunning wine whose fine nutty spine, balancing freshness and subtle astringency combine to create a super-long, reverberating finish. Spine tinglingly glorious. My wine of the flight.
Bacalhôa Moscatel de Setubal Superior 1983 – deep, golden amber with a broad saffron rim – lovely colour! A dark, spicy but fresh and tangy nose and mid-palate show chutney, tamarind, jaggery, sweet dried fruits and spice, again putting me in mind of Madeira. Mellower, richer, rounder toffee and brazil nut notes run through a textured slightly woody finish with a rancio notes. Lots of complexity and mouthfeel here. Very good.
José Maria Fonseca Apoteca Moscatel de Setubal 1902 – glass staining, with an unctuous, molten dark treacle toffee-like core and saffron rim – tree trunks not legs! On the palate it’s viscous (PX-like), its sweetness, spice and acidity palpably concentrated into the essence of carraway seed, Camp coffee/chicory and mocha – more savoury than sweet, with a woody, slightly dry texture to the finish. Formidable and I’d have liked it to be a little more biddable – for me its searing acidity skews the balance.
Flight 2
Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port 1994 – deep plum with youthful ruby glints and an intense nose with esteva-edged confit fruit and “cloudier” smoke and tar notes. In the mouth it shows a good concentration of ripe sweet plum and red and black berry fruits and esteva which, with the juiciness of the fruits, brings balancing freshness. Powerful but ripe tannins in support give good length. Very youthful and slightly turned in on itself. Needs time.
Fonseca Vintage Port 1985 – deep aubergine in colour, it shows savoury development on its nose and burly black-fruited palate as well as liquorice spice and mocha. Quite solid at the moment – surly as well as burly!
Kopke Vintage Port 1985 – with a ruby core and garnet rim it’s less concentrated in colour and on the palate than the Fonseca and correspondingly more expressive. An attractive spicy nose leads on to an elegant palate with red berry and cherry fruit. It’s well balanced, pure and long, with fine but subtly present tannins in support. Drinking well now.
Ramos Pinto Vintage Port 1983 – a deep aubergine hue and dark, savoury, quite meaty nose and palate shows molasses, brown liquorice, esteva, coffee and macaroons. Firm tannins are a touch astringent on the finish.
Dow Vintage Port 1980 – not giving away much on the nose, but after a spot of swirling and hard nosing it shows enticing esteva and lifted, incense spice notes. On the palate it has tremendous vigor, with animated red and black berry fruits, plenty of spice and esteva and hints of leather, coffee and macaroons. Very long; top notch. My joint favourite wine of the flight.
Niepoort Vintage Port 1970 – pale garnet, it shows its more advanced years. Though initially a little woolly on the nose and palate, it slowly builds in intensity, showing sweet red fruit conserve, esteva, mushroom, spice and coffee supported by elegant tannins. A sweet but balanced finish shows a little warmth, but despite this and the slow start, the overall impression harmonious.
Borges Vintage Port 1970 – looking significantly older with a pronounced brownish tinge to its garnet hue; a little sediment in my glass too. An expressive nose shows sweet lifted red fruit, raisin too and a touch of volatile acidity. Like the Niepoort, going in, it starts to build in intensity, showing traces of sweet red fruits, dried fig and spice, almonds, liquorice and a subtle smoky thread from nose to tail. Lovely length. At its peak; not one to cellar for much longer while I reckon the Niepoort has another decade.
Sandeman Vintage Port 1963 – pale garnet/reddish amber. It’s a little vegetal, sweet vegetal, on the nose, which greenness comes through on a slightly muddy palate with coffee, liquorice and aniseed notes and stringy tannins. Seen better years.
Borges Vintage Port 1963 –slightly deeper (redder) in colour than the previous wine and showing a bit more stuffing (including alcoholic warmth) with a core of dried spice edged red fruits wed to savoury Camp coffee, cafe crème and macaroons – an expansive, resonant, cigar-friendly wine. Very good.
A.A. Ferreira Garrafeira Vintage Port 1863 – Bento Amaral explained that this wine is, by the skin of its teeth, made from pre-phylloxera vines – 1863 was the year when it’s reckoned phylloxera came to the Douro at Quinta dos Montes in Gouvinhas. It was a year with very hot weather until the end of August and, according to Ernest Cockburn, one of the best in the history of Port. Back then, the Port classification didn’t exist so apparently this wine was known as a “novelty” wine. Amaral suspects it probably spent 4-6 years in cask (whereas vintage port must be bottled between 2-3 years of vintage). It’s also possible that this wine contains white grapes. Hazy with a pale pinky/yellow hue, saffron core and green/gold rim its appearance hints at the elegance to come. A gently spicy nose shows a rich Madeline egginess/honey glaze even, but there’s a freshness too – this is still very much in the game! In the mouth, it more closely resembles a tawny port with its wonderfully resonant spice, macaroons and cafe crème – an echo of centuries past! Incredibly, far from being attenuated or pinched, it has a girlish fleshiness, with sweet and sour tangy tamarind too. Wonderful. My joint favourite wine of the flight.
Flight 3
Taylor’s Port 30 Year Old Tawny Port – a deep reddish hue with yellow rim. A seductive smoothie with dried fruits, nuts whole hazelnuts and toasted and smoked almonds spun in a web of nougat and caramel with a balancing woody/cello edge. Utterly butterly delicious with lovely length and balance.
Graham’s 30 Year Old Tawny Port – a little paler than the Taylor’s and more restrained on the nose and palate with seemingly more developed walnut and rancio notes, a little more spirit/warmth too. Not as generous, though good nutty persistence. Query if 100% in condition since I’d expect more richness/fruit from Graham’s?
Ramos Pinto 30 Year Old Tawny Port – golden yellow, with a divine salt butter caramel nose and palate of lovely intensity, which seamlessly combines with a nutty spine over a long and intensely lingering nutty, buttery finish. Gorgeous.
Niepoort Garrafeira 1977 (bottled into 18th century demijons in 1982 – 7 to 11 litre glass balloons in the form of old apothecaries’ bottles - decanted 2007) – mahogany with red flashes. On the nose it puts me in mind of a Moscatel with its pronounced orange peel, though the palate is way spicier, with aniseed and liquorice and good drive and animation to its nutty finish. The power of glass over cask ageing! Very good.
Burmester 40 Year Old White Port - a tawny hue with a green outer rim and golden yellow/saffron band within. It’s less expressive/intense on the nose than the tawnies with barley sugar as opposed to nuts and caramel or dried fruits. In the mouth, the tannins seem more present, greener even, though it’s part of the wine’s freshness and elegance. Wonderful length, with lovely nutty intensity (toasted almonds).
Sandeman 40 year old Tawny Port – a deeper colour as you’d expect from a tawny with a rich nutty mid-palate with smoky almond, soft caramel and dried fruits. More rancio on the finish with singed tatin caramel and walnut to the persistent finish. Very good.
Poças Colheita Port 1964 – quite sweet on the nose with barley sugar, nuts and dreamy salt caramel, which notes follow through on a round yet fresh palate. Just gorgeous, the pull and definition of a single vintage lending extra focus to the finish. Sublime levity, layer and length given its lushness! My wine of the flight.
Quinta do Noval Colheita Port 1964 – a deeper, redder hue and more spirity on the nose. Compared with the Poças it seems a little lean, pinched even, the wood more evident, though the trade off is a concentrated, nutty spine – linear not lush!
Flight 4
Niepoort Colheita Port 1957 (bottled 97) – deep amber with a golden rim. Impressive vigor and single vintage focus on the palate, with great depth and intensity of coffee, macaroons, nuts and dried fruits. In a word, powerful.
Barros Colheita Port 1957 – much brighter and impressively round and youthful on the palate with rich, broad macademia nuts, orange peel and caramel. Though very delicious one senses the best is yet to come?!?!
Burmester Colheita Port 1941 – deep amber with a green rim. It’s a little stinky/savoury on the nose with singed, burned even, tatin caramel. In the mouth its piched and woody. Drying out.
Kopke Colheita Port 1937 (bottled 2011) – mahogany with a yellowish rim. Wonderful depth and complexity of flavour in the mouth – a swirl of salty, sweet, savoury and sour flavours with nuts, dried fruits, spice and fleshy tamarind. Impressively youthful, it finishes long and balanced. Terrific. My wine of the flight.
Quinta do Noval Colheita 1937 (bottled 2008) – a darker mahogany with a green rim. Much more evolved on the nose and palate too with concentrated dark caramel, medjool dates, marzipan and spice box notes. Great intensity of flavour but lacks the balance of the Kopke.
Barros Colheita (White) 1935 –yellow/amber with a slightly stinky/casky nose, though there’s barleysugar beneath. In the mouth it seems relatively green and astringent, or is it just hard to taste at this point in the line up?
Andresen Colheita 1910 – the year of revolution in Portugal, this is deep amber with a yellow rim. Showing some volatile acidity which brings an attractive lift to its chutney fruited, spicy nose. In the mouth it’s deep, dark and loaded with dried spice notes which find a fleshy balance in a tangy core of sweet and sour tamarind and jaggery. Terrific intensity, length and focus. Superb.
Flight five
Barbeito 20 Year Old Malvasia Madeira (L 10292) – pale yellow with red/gold flashes. The nose is very fresh and super tangy with spicy chutney fruit which follows through on the palate, together with guava, nuts, mirin and lifted jasmine notes. Great freshness, complexity, lift and bite given the variety and its age.
Barbeito Boal Frasqueira Madeira 1978 (bottled 2007) – light reddish amber with green tomato and tobacco on the nose. In the mouth it’s very tightly focused with great vigor and tangy, tangy, tangy length. Young – a long way to go.
Justino’s Boal Madeira 1978 (bottled 2010?) – a reddish amber hue and, though like the Barbeito it has a tobacco note, it’s much darker, rounder and more savoury with a singed tatin character. Lacks a bit of purity and flow?
Blandy’s Terrantez Madeira 1976 (bottled 1997) – very deep mahogany in colour with a developed, savoury, earthy even quality to its sweet, soft demerara, dark caramel and walnut nose and palate. A little lacking in purity.
Justino’s Terrantez Madeira 1978 - a lively, lifted savoury nose and palate with tight but tangy acidity, tobacco, mirin, jasmine and singed caramel. Focused and fine.
Blandy’s Boal Madeira 1920 (bottled 2006) – quite meaty on the nose with Bovril/ consommé notes as well as coffee and macaroons. In the mouth the coffee/chicory note is pronounced, lending vigour and line. Super-long, resonating finish. Very good.
Barbeito Malvasia Madeira 1875 (do Garrafão No. 2) – a very savoury nose and palate with nam pla, green tomatoes and tobacco providing edge and interest to its essence of dried fruits. Though initially a little fiery/warm, it has more than enough intensity of flavour to relegate the spirit to a supporting role - as my notes say “the intensity of flavour is beyond belief.” Impressive but attractive bracing acidity also accounts for its phenomenal length…wow wow wow wow wow! My wine of the flight and the tasting!
Madeira Wine Company Boal Madeira 1863 (bottled 1978 recorked 1986) – a much deeper colour with an attractive saffron rim. On nose and palate it’s mega-concentrated with spice box and smoke and super-tight acidity. Incredible presence if lacking the purity and poise of the Barbeito – a very hard act to follow…
Sarah Ahmed
The Wine Detective
(Wines tasted 19 March 2011)
