ThePortForum.com

Ola, highly welcome to theportforum.com The restaurants in Porto I normally do visit is the Tomba Rija and one other in Porto itself which name I forgot. I think it was in the Rua Nicolai or so very close to the Douro and the Palacio da bolsa. I had lunch at some bar on the Vila Nova side - very exp...

Without doubt the colour would be loved by my 5 year old daughter. There is even some glitter to be found on the label. To me the strategy of this product is fairly clear. Mr. Broadbent hasn't been invited for the initial product presentation, nor were Spence, Mayson or anyone else on the guest list...

I love the 94s for being so complex, intense and concentrated. The 94 of Ferreira is a worthy representative of the year: A shining red colour with medium structure. The bouquet offers a good complexity with fruits of rasberry and cherry. In the mouth you experience a well balanced tannic note with ...

I never had a VP from 78 yet. It looked typical of what you were expecting from a VP of this age: a shining red colour, that has already lost some of its intensity. Medium intense structure. The nose offers a promising fruity note with mocca- and tobacco-notes. Fully integrated this wine is full and...

A strong red colour with some brown notes. The nose does not offer a lot: slight traces of malt, toffee and spices. In the mouth this wine is more complex than the nose offers: very spicy and lots of toffee. The aftertaste stresses the toffee-note again. A good 66.

Axel

From the Magnum. The winner of the tasting: The 1947 Ferreira VP magnum presented itself with an orange-reddish colour with some brown notes. Very strong intensity. The bouquet offered Toffee and butterscotch with some medicinal notes. An elegant and very mouthfilling VP. In the mouth toffee is very...

Yes, history plays a role. When the grapes were harvested, our grand(grand)fathers were fighting each other in France. Lucky us, that this time has passed and we could harvest the fruits of 1917 in peace. A very shining yellow with strong reflexes. The nose is quite acidic with some Toffee-flavour i...

1863 Ferreira Garrafeira Whenever the age passed the 100 no one could say that there are no emotions in the glass: The Ferreira 1863 is of a golden-brown colour, dusty. Massive Concentration. The nose is old—very old with some coffee that was lost a couple of decades, though still alive with an aci...

... and I do have different labels of the bottles because the Fladgate Partnership labeled the later bottles freshly

Axel

Derek,

I just had the Taylors next to the Fonseca 85 last week. The Fonseca is much more open. Fruity and definitely the winner of the match. The Taylors however was almost as concentrated, but will it ever come close?

Ill drop my TNs within the next days.

Axel

Definitely. For a port lover this is the place to be. Lots to talk, lots to taste and plenty of good looking chicks offering you more.

So - leave all the ladies at home and join me next year in the sun

Axel

Well, I guess sun isnt truly what you want - comming from Oman - is it?

At least they have to be at a certain standard. Im back from an appointment at the IVDP including a very interesting tour through the building. The IVDP is buying certain bottles off the shelf to re-test them again. I guess no one of the big brands could afford really producing two standards which t...

The minute I arrived I was taken to a very nice room, the sala arabica, at essencia do vinho to try 5 different Vintage Ports. Very interesting as Im in the middle of the biggest VP tasting from the 05s I guess worldwide, because I think this year I got em all. When the paper was unwrapped I was kin...

Lucky me Part 2, again I was not really planning to be here:

Calem 1961, Calem 1957, Burmester 1944, Kopke 1941, Burmester 1937, Barros 1935, Kopke 1935 and Kopke 1900.

As you might have imagined, organized by Sogevinus and again TN to follow

Axel

Guys, the best tastings are these, when you do not really expect them. A Ferreira VP Tasting consisting of VP 1994, 1978, 1966, 1947, 1917 and 1863 (Garafeira).

Lucky me Part 1

Axel

P.S. TN to follow soon

Im getting a case on Friday off the island. Lucky me for 30 EUR the bottle. Alex: I will stay a night at Vesuvio from September 06th to 07th and I am fairly sure that I could get more people in. Its the weekend of Vindouro at the fairly nearby Sao Joao da Pesqueira. The 89 is already booked for a ta...

As I just had the 97 unfiltered LBV close to the 97 VP I could only say this: an exellent LBV, but a fairly weak VP. I think this is the line at Rozes. They take extremely care with their (unfiltered) LBVs, but the VPs often lack concentration and depth.

Axel

Yes, report him to ebay. but I guess this will be like fighting zombies. For every killed there will be lots more. My problem with the german market is specifically this. There is little to no knowledge about Port present. So our job is to raise the knowledge, then these guys can go home anyways bec...

Alan, the 10y old Fonseca I got for 10 EUR (without VAT) from the german Importer. Its strength were the combination between a good fairly young tawny and the fruity freshness of an elder LBV. It pretty much had good things from both worlds, thats why I was very positively surprised by it. I tried t...

Ronnie and Lady R, its a shame that we haven't met yet. But a tasting in Oman? Well you should have lots of port (as well as lots of women, maybe a Harem) over there. Im in Porto this weekend, but love to participate on Monday. The Vesuvio would have matched perfectly as the Symingtons announced tha...

Thanks for the flowers, Alan. Im very happy to be on the forum and will take the next event possible to meet you all, too.

I will definitely bear it in mind and 08 has quiete some months to go.

Axel

Ich leider auch nicht...


Axel

To really conquer Europe we have to set foot on new ground. Will anyone be in the vicinity of St. Moritz between March 17th and 27th for some port at a lovely location? As most of us would have to travel I would suggest young VPs or LBVs. I could arrange some 05s.

Love to hear from you.

Axel

Gents,

please think about me as I will hold the southern front in Porto during your stay in Dublin. This sounds as if the portforum is now spread fairly wide over Europe, heh?

Alex: will you be in Munich March 31st by chance?

Axel

I just received a couple of cases of the 10y old from Fonseca which I very much liked concerning Price/ Value.

How about it?

Axel