Tag Archive | "Port"
Life on the Douro – a film by Zev Robinson
Yesterday’s report (here) of the Symington’s remarkable Single Quinta Vintage Port tasting (2006-1950) may have given you a sense of the Douro Valley - the place, the people and, of course, the Ports, but there’s no substitute for seeing the region yourself. And if you can’t go any time soon, the good news is that Zev Robinson’s understated film, Life on [...]
Continue reading...Heads up on a couple of June case deals: Niepoort port & Australia’s First Families of Wine
Posted Thursday 9th June 2011
In theory pre-mixed cases are a great idea which encourage experimentation and I’m all for that. In practice, quite a few seem to contain makeweights which is off-putting. However, for fellow fans of Portugal and Australia with a spirit of adventure, here are a couple of high quality case deals well worth checking out: Niepoort [...]
Continue reading...1.º Encontro e Prova Internacional de Vinho: 40 old & rare fortified wines, a unique tasting
Posted Wednesday 23rd March 2011
At the weekend, I was taken back to the final session of Australia’s Landmark Tutorial (see here) which focused on fortified wines, including a couple of rare old birds. Why? Because I had the immense good fortune to taste 40 rare and aged Portuguese fortified wines, three of which dated back to the 18th [...]
Continue reading...Encontro com o Vinho e Sabores 2010: Andresen the mutable magic of Colheita Ports, back to 1910
Posted Thursday 23rd December 2010
A couple of years ago, I had a top tasting with Carlos Florés dos Santos of Andresen, an independent, family-owned Portuguese-owned Port House which, as I discovered, is justifiably renowned for its wood aged Ports, not least its Colheitas (single vintage tawny ports). The 1900 Colheita Port lingers in the memory if not the palate, so the opportunity [...]
Continue reading...Quinta do Noval 2004 Single Estate Late Bottled Vintage Port: seasonal wine of the day
Posted Thursday 9th December 2010
This time last year, I visited Quinta do Noval – a real treat (see here). Surveying the property (pictured) with Christian Seely, MD of parent company AXA Millésimes, Seely pointed out that, since AXA acquisition’s in 1993, some 60ha of the 145ha property have been replanted. Adamant that old vines do not necessarily the best wines make, [...]
Continue reading...Warre’s Quinta da Cavadinha Vintage Port 1996: today’s seasonal recommendation
Posted Friday 3rd December 2010
In March, I presented a tasting for Waitrose Food Illustrated readers at The Goring hotel, London. As I blogged back then, I can’t remember a food and wine match that has rendered so many so speechless for such a sustained period of time. It’s not been surpassed since and here it is: Warre’s Quinta da [...]
Continue reading...Paul Symington on giving Cockburn’s “more heart & soul” & focusing on premium Port sales
Posted Monday 22nd November 2010
I’m working on a feature about Portugal for Decanter at the moment and about to start the annual update of Hugh Johnson Pocket Wine for Portugal, Port and Madeira. In that context, I’ve been liaising with Paul Symington of Symington Family Estates and took the opportunity to ask him about the Symington’s recent acquisition of the Cockburn’s Port [...]
Continue reading...Taylor’s Scion – an update on that very special pre-phylloxera tawny port
Posted Tuesday 12th October 2010
You might remember that, in May, I reported on a tawny blending masterclass with Taylor’s Master Blender Natasha Bridge (pictured) – a great exercise it was too plus we got the scoop on a very special pre-phylloxera tawny port dating back to the 1850s, which Taylor’s had recently acquired. Even better, we tasted it! And the latest scoop? It’s [...]
Continue reading...Quinta do Noval 2008 Vintage Port declared
Posted Tuesday 8th June 2010
It’s just been announced that Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2008 is being declared, as was the 2007 vintage. A sample is winging its way to me so I’ll post a tasting note soon. Meantime, you’ll have picked up from my reports about Symington Family Estates and Fladgate that both preferred to declare the 2007 [...]
Continue reading...Fladgate first taste: 2008 Single Quinta Vintage port cask samples
Posted Monday 17th May 2010
In my blog announcing the St George’s Day release of Fladgate’s 2008 SQVPs (see here), I’d mentioned that Guimeraens reckoned Quinta do Panascal 2008 is among the finest yet. Members of the trade will be able to form their own view when cask samples of Fladgate’s 2008 Single Quinta Vintage Ports (SQVPs) are shown this [...]
Continue reading...The Fladgate Partnership announces 2008 Single Quinta Vintage Port releases, including “one of the finest Quinta do Panascal vintages we have made to date”
Posted Sunday 25th April 2010
It’s been fortified fortnight for me, judging mostly fortifieds at the International Wine Challenge, then the Big Fortified Tasting on 19th (see my reports here and here). Though I was back at my desk on Friday to catch my breath, I should have reckoned on a press release from The Fladgate Partnership, which traditionally uses [...]
Continue reading...The Big Fortified Tasting – a big thumbs up
Posted Monday 19th April 2010
Nine out of 10 vegetarians miss bacon and I still hanker after BLT sandwiches. Happily a similar new acronym, BFT – short for Big Fortified Tasting – has entered my vocabulary and I feel well compensated! The name pulls no punches. With over 300 wines at today’s inaugural tasting, it provided a unique opportunity to [...]
Continue reading...Fortnums 25% off a case of Fonseca Quinta do Panascal 1998
Posted Friday 19th February 2010
Just picked up an email from Fortnum & Mason advertising 25% off the case price of, among others, (and this is my star pick), Fonseca Quinta do Panascal 1998. Here’s my tasting note from a vertical of Fonseca port presented by winemaker David Guimaraens: “robust but ripe tannins beneath its red and black fruits with [...]
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Posted Saturday 5th November 2011
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