What makes an enjoyable tasting note?

[winesecretary]

I often fill odd minutes, while on trains or whatever, by reading the wine tasting notes of others. I suspect many of you do the same. For me the most enjoyable tasting notes are the ones that give me a clear view of the wine but also communicate the sensual response of the taster to the wine. This usually means that the notes that give me most pleasure are the very good ones and the very bad ones.

To illustrate: I do enjoy unequivocal positive recommendations like Alex's lovely note on the Kopke Sao Luiz 2018, which so well communicates not only his pleasure in the wine but his happiness in the achievement of the winemaker, and which made me instantly break out the credit card. But also I enjoy some of the commentary at the other end of the spectrum from the likes of David Strange (his 1st August 2020 review of the Rathfinny Blanc de Noirs 2015 ends "Alas, it had prodigious length.")

What makes you enjoy reading a tasting note?

[rich_n]

A rather intriguing question, and one that for myself has several answers, particularly bearing in mind that I'm very much in the early stages of my port journey, with a smaller and more youthful collection.

If I'm looking to buy some port for future drinking, notes that provide large amounts of information are extremely useful for that (and I guess in that case enjoyable if I find myself making purchases on that basis), as I'm able to understand characteristics that my palate seems to find and enjoy, vs ones that I'm less interested in. Information from those with experience of how ports will age is extremely useful in this situation.

If I've been at an event I enjoy notes that express thoughts that I may have missed in those ports, and that are evocative of the evening's enjoyment.

If I'm reading a note for a port that it's unlikely I'll ever enjoy I love a purely evocative note that explores the enjoyment that the drinker gained rather than necessarily a more "functional" note that tells me just how it tasted.

Probably not a helpful addition to the discussion!

[slateshalehead]

so well communicates not only his pleasure in the wine but his happiness in the achievement of the winemaker, and which made me instantly break out the credit card

I enjoy this in reviews as well. I do not (yet) have the palate to taste all the specific tasting notes that AHB and others post, although when I do buy a bottle reviewed in such a way I try to identify similar notes in an attempt to train my palate. Enthusiasm for the drink, though, is almost as important to me as the rating. As I start tasting many more different ports, I am sure my opinion on this point will change, but as a novice I find that the difference between me buying/betting on one bottle over another of similar price comes down to how positively it has been received.

[Andy Velebil]

A note that is honest about what it is and it's aging potential.

What drives me nuts are notes that are all super excited and praise worthy, so I'm expecting a great score such as 93 or 95. Then the score is something like 85. I'm like WTF, how does that note correspond to that score, LOL.