In typical fashion we started with a fully blind wine:
Krug Collection 1985
I usually find Krug too oaky for my tastes, but this was a rather lovely wine! I thought it more a Bl de Bl -like with its apple and citrus notes despite the toffee (i.e. oak derived?) notes. The palate was very crisp and it had a little creamy edge to it. Due to creamy and toffeeish notes I guessed Bollinger, and due to the crisp acid 1996. Oops. A very lovable Champagne for my tastes, but not really like what I expect Krug to be like on my past experiences.
Then open
Niepoort Secundum 2003
Corked. But before the TCA completely took over, I thought it a rather lovable little wine: a rather modern and fruit forward style, easily approachable, no great complexity but fun to drink. Unfortunatley 10 minutes later I found it rather undrinkable.
Sandeman 2003
Initially the nose was a bit confected. It became a bit lactic/milky with time - the nose didn't appeal to me. The palate was much better: big fruit, soft but plentiful tannins - balanced structure.
Delaforce 2003
Blue toned and floral, like a little brother to the Fonseca style. Juicy, herbal, soft on the mid-palate, but pleasantly tannic on the aftertaste. A very nice little port!
Quinta do Pégo 2003
A very primary and expressive nose with a prominent note of honey - seems a bit confected. The palate isn't bad at all: very sweet, a bit lighter concentration than the previous, nice structure but not IMO for the long term. A very fair port.
Quinta do Portal 2003
Black. A modern style Port: very approachable now despite being brooding and primary and opulently fruity. It is very dark toned and liquorice-like. The palate is very sweet yet is still in balance: powerful in fruit yet not in structure. I rather like this, but I do have some doubts as to how it will age.
Offley Boa Vista 2003
Soft and sweet, red toned and full of strawberry jam - I very much like this one (as I have reported before!). The palate is balanced in the fruit and tannin and acid - nothing sticks out either for good or bad. I.e. it's a fair wine: something I wouldn't mind having in my cellar.
Quinta do Crasto 2003
I rather liked this in previous tastes. This time, in this company, it seemed rather overdone and cumbersome. Dark and confected, overly sweet and not structured enough. It was enjoyable despite my note, but enjoyable is all it was. Not great; not bad.
Burmester 2003
This was my least favourite of the day. The nose was weird with a rancid buttery note and bisquity. The palate was rather better with red toned fruit, elegant structure, yet marred by a spirity edge. Not to my taste.
Ramos Pinto 2003
This is a wine rather to my tastes. The nose is herbal and savoury and perhaps a touch rustic - a very "old" style Port. The palate is very tannic, but to my tastes (I suspect I am a minority in this) it is sufficently fruity to withstand that. To me this is balanced and very enjoyable albeit very young, but I think it might not be to the taste of the majority of drinkers.
Niepoort 2003
A peach-stone -like nose - very refreshing, mineral and herbal and lovable. The palate is very tannic and extracted yet light on its feet refreshing. Excellent wine IMO!
Warre's 2003
A gentlemanly Port: sweet but not overdone, tannic but not overdone, elegant. It is true to the house style. Very good.
Croft 2003
A rather confected nose but with depth and some nice herbal nuances. It is very sweet and rather confected though it is also rather acidic for Port. Very nice, but not really the style that I look for in Ports.
Quinta do Vesuvio 2003
Stylistically this is very similar to the 1994 that I recently reported on. It is blue toned and floral in its fruit, elegant yet packed full of stuff. It is a style that begs me to take another sniff and taste to find out what it is like, rather than a style that immediately flaunts its stuff. Very nice!
Graham's 2003
This is rather primary and grapey, but it does have some depth. Frankly, it is a disappointment for what Graham's usually is like - it is a bit simple.
Quinta do Noval 2003
Deep and savoury, with stone dust minerality and peach stone. Oak is noticable but not annoying. It has lovely structure and is refreshing despite the year and despite being very full bodied. Lovely.
Quinta do Noval Nacional 2003
Fuck me, this is good! Like the previous except more minerality and less jamminess.
Fonseca 2003
At first sniff it was rather lovely and typical Fonseca in its blue toned fruit and floral qualities. Unfortunately, 10 mins later it was obviously corked. What a shame - the first sniff upon opening seemed a fantastic Fonseca.
Dow 2003
I usually love the slightly drier style of Dow. But this isn't Dow as I know it. It's not bad at all - in fact it is a very pleasant Port, but it is rather sweeter than expected. It has fine depth and I think it will develop complexity with age, but I didn't like it enough to seek some out for myself though usually the property is one I like very much.
Taylor 2003
The nose is full of stone dush and strawberries - rather reminds me of warmish climate Rieslings! It is mineral and rather lovable. The palate is sweet and mineral and has noticable structure and very lovably prominent tannins. Very nice!
-O-