ThePortForum.com

The Sym's site hasn't posted it's report for April yet, but my occasional glances at the weather suggest that the Douro got some rainfall on most days last month, although I don't have quantity figures.

The current BBC 5 day forecast or Vila Real has rain predicted for every day..

Tom

When you stop to think about it, it's a really odd deal. Have RCV contracted to buy the wine from TFP, and if so, how do they set the price? If not, and RCV start selling rubbish wine under the Delaforce brand, then the residual stocks (which were not sold) get devalued, and have no outlet if RCV re...

Thanks Axel - how did we survive before Google language tools?

Also makes me wonder how you could possibly translate the song 'Happy birthday to you' - into German??

Tom

I thought one of you might have dabbled in the old Bulletin Board System

No, just big steaks - hence 'Dead Cow'

Tom

Now I know the occasion to open my remaining fortuitous bottle of Nacional 1960 728 days time might be a suitable occasion! Did Tom actually finish his steak or did he have a platoon of dogs around him to help? I got through two thirds of it on the night, and finished the rest yesterday - without c...

Derek very kindly left half of this half bottle with me, but was absolutely insistant on me posting a tasting note, so here it is:

Q. Ventozelo 2000 Vintage Port

- It was OK

Tom

We sampled this one on my birthday, Derek noting that it was less hot after 24 hours. It shared a peppery note with the De35. I thought we'd finished the bottle, but when clearing up last night I realised that the bottle (un-stoppered) still held a couple of glasses. So after 48 hours, I polished it...

At first sip this one seemed very tertiary, but the colour was very good for its age. Later it showed much better, sharing a distinctive peppery note with the '60.

In decline, but doing so gracefully. My first encounter with this wine, I'm pleased to have several more bottles!

Score 6-5

Tom

Attending my birthday bash, Derek came well stocked.. I polished this off last night - classic, beefy SW signature, both on nose and palate - but a bit lacking in refinement. Slightly acquired taste needed here - not really my scene. Might also benefit from a year or three more in the bottle. Score ...

Are two of the years 1970 and 1992 by any chance??

Tom

O plump head-waiter at The Cock,
To which I most resort,
How goes the time ? 'Tis 5 o'clock.
Go fetch a pint of port!

Alfred Tennyson

Tom

Dassai.. - Wakatake.. - Tsukasabotan.. - Nanbu Bijin..

To hear those words (or similar) just walk past your local boozer at chucking out time..

Tom

I last opened one of these in January last year (and have just put another bottle on death row)

I noted that it took a long time to come round, and needed 24hrs+ in decanter. After that, it was much improved.

Tom

14 years is not excessively young for a very forward vintage like '94, but for a middle to long haul vintage like '00, 8 years is far too soon. I will probably pop a stray '00 in four or five years time to see how the vintage is developing, but I doubt they'll be fit for mainstream consumption befor...

Child killer

Yes, I'm retreating from the young stuff - I might do a V96 and Co94 before the year's out, plus the odd '91 & '85 - but overall, I expect to average well over 30yrs on my casual quaffing..

Tom

Decanted three hours ago. In the glass a dark purple-red colour. Rather subdued nose. On the palate it does the great '94 party trick of having strong fruit masking the tannins, making a relatively young wine quite approachable. Good wine, if a little too young still - a player to challenge the bigg...

PS: After 48 hours it was noticeably better..

Tom

Hang on - looks like Tesco have moved on to another batch - it's a '95 port now..

Tom

Ben, do you know if the Tesco was a special blend made for Tesco by the Symingtons or was is one of their brands, disguised as Tesco? Anyway, sounds like a good bargain. For a long time the Tesco own brand vintage port had Quarles Harris' name in the small print, but now it is simply attributed to ...

Feel free to bring along a bottle of something else from 1931 just to plug the gap

I've got an Offley '31 - that any good?

Tom

I believe the '31 was a small un-released bottling that has now been drunk to extinction - but I would love to be proved wrong!

Tom

I'm seating you within grasp of the Delaforce '35 on Saturday, but you'll also be able to grab a glass of the OBV '83 if you want to compare.

Tom

22 hours on.. Has filled out quite nicely, but a little bit of fire has emerged. I would judge this wine to be at the peak of it's maturation cycle, if anything, a little past it's peak. While this is very much a second division wine, I would not be averse to buying more - if the price was right. To...

I believe my maternal grandfather was in the habit of administering teaspoons of port as a means of quieting babies, but I have no specific recollection of the treatment... I do recall encountering (under the stairs) a box of various leftover bottles that my father had liberated from a hospitality t...

This sounds very similar to my recollection of the Dalva 70

Yes, has more in common with the '70 than other 77's

Tom