The first duty of Port...

[JacobH]

I have at last expunged my dark secret amongst readers; for the first time I am in Oporto.

Arrived yesterday to see large adverts for Sandeman as I got off the plane. This was obviously a good start. The equally large signs advertising Mateus were less so...I didn't have much time yesterday to see very much beyond the lights of Gaia from the Luis I bridge, so today was the first real day of my (very short) visit. Spent the morning doing the non-Port things and then trecked up to the Taylor's lodge for lunch. An what a great lunch it was; I think I've found my new favourite restaurant. Large selection of Port; large selection of vegetarian food; and a great view of the Douro. They gave me a very cold glass of Chip Dry when I arrived and, in all honesty, drinking it very cold having walked up the hill from the river, I could just about forgive it! I followed it with some 20-year-old Tawny which was perfectly acceptable.

In the afternoon, I pocked my head around some of the lodges; the Museum of Vintage Port and some non-Port stuff before heading out to the Casa de la Música (which is an excellent concert hall) to hear the Porto orchestra play some Rachmaninoff.

This was followed by a trip to Vinologia. An amazing place, they have huge numbers of Ports available by the glass. Looking through their menu, the most interesting selection (based on the "what can I not buy in the UK" test) was aged whites from Quinta de Santa Eufémia followed by a Dalva white colheita. A very interesting exeperience! The staff their are great and we had a very interesting chat about 2007.

[RonnieRoots]

Good to see you're enjoying yourself Jacob.
Judging from your tasting notes, you'd better move on to the red ports in the coming days.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Glad to hear that you're enjoying yourself. That Dalva white colheita is a pretty impressive wine. What are you plans for today?

[JacobH]

Good to see you're enjoying yourself Jacob.
Judging from your tasting notes, you'd better move on to the red ports in the coming days.

Red? My current ratio of red/tawny/white is 1:1:5 and I was going to do my best to keep it that way! :p

The plan for today is to visit a couple of the museums and churches which were closed on a Sunday and perhaps go to a lodge or two. After lunch, I should have some visits at Cockburn and Niepoort which Derek arranged and that will pretty much be it as my plane leaves this evening!

[JacobH]

Red? My current ratio of red/tawny/white is 1:1:5 and I was going to do my best to keep it that way! :p

In the end, the final ratio was 5:4:6; so I managed to keep white on top, even if the overall ratio was rather more sensible than before.

I spent the morning visiting some more non-Port sights. After lunch I had a trip round Cockburn's. The warehouse I was taken around was hugely spacious, with a combination of the large barrels for the rubies and the small ones where the tawnies age. I didn't realise that Cockburn still doesn't use any stainless steel for aging its wines, nor that they no-longer make or buy any barrels because they have enough to reuse indefinately. The cellar under the warehouse was great, too. How on earth to they get it that dusty? Some very nice bottles they have there...

Afterwards I had a very nice little tasting. A dry white, 20-year-old tawny and then two 2007s: the Canais and regular Cockburn. Interestingly, the 2007 Cockburn is going to be the first Canais-free Cockburn Vintage Port for some time as all of it was used for the SQVP. I am going to keep quite about what they tasted like until the 20th May samples are revealed

Cockburn was followed by a trip around Niepoort. I had a look in both their traditional lodge (next to Cockburn's) and their new one (which used to be owned by Osborne). The traditional lodge is tiny; I have no idea how they worked out of it but is great to look around with huge numbers of barrels. The cellar was great, too with all sorts of interesting stuff; not least (of course) the demi-johns for the garrafeitas. Jose organised a very nice selection of wines to try; the 2004 LBV, the 2007 VP, the 1991 Colheita and the 20-year-old tawny. We then drove off to the new lodge where all the mechanical stuff is now kept. A much more practical building than the old lodge!

Anyway, the plane is about to leave so I should probably hit the "submit" button. I'll post some more when I get a chance!

[goncalo devesas]

Hello,
Jacob, my name is Gonçalo, I´m Jean Philippe´s (the owner of Vinologia) son, I´ve been with you last sunday I´m sorry if I didn´t give you the best attention, because at the time I was very busy, but for me you´ve tasted one of the best ports that we have in the Vinologia La Maison des Porto´s; the 30y white from Quinta de Santa Eufemia and the wonderfull Golden White from 1952 Dalva´s Company, it was a petty you didn´t taste the Over Fourty Years Old from Quinta de Romaneira this one it´s a bomb, and our personal sellection from 10y tawny until 30y, the 2000 Vintage´s São Pedro das Águias, and Quinta Val de Figueira...

I hope see you next time, and like this we can exchange some more valious informations about Ports.
And also I hope that you´ve enjoyed the unic Port environment .

Best regards,

Gonçalo Devesas

[g-man]

but for me you´ve tasted one of the best ports that we have in the Vinologia La Maison des Porto´s; the 30y white from Quinta de Santa Eufemia and the wonderfull Golden White from 1952 Dalva´s Company,

I must agree, Dalva makes some incredible white colheitas that you don't see in the states!

[JacobH]

Jacob, my name is Gonçalo, I´m Jean Philippe´s (the owner of Vinologia) son, I´ve been with you last sunday I´m sorry if I didn´t give you the best attention, because at the time I was very busy, but for me you´ve tasted one of the best ports that we have in the Vinologia La Maison des Porto´s; the 30y white from Quinta de Santa Eufemia and the wonderfull Golden White from 1952 Dalva´s Company, it was a petty you didn´t taste the Over Fourty Years Old from Quinta de Romaneira this one it´s a bomb, and our personal sellection from 10y tawny until 30y, the 2000 Vintage´s São Pedro das Águias, and Quinta Val de Figueira...

I hope see you next time, and like this we can exchange some more valious informations about Ports.
And also I hope that you´ve enjoyed the unic Port environment .

Hi, Gonçalo; it's great to see you posting on ! You treated me very well on Sunday, especially as I arrived so close to the closing time! I had a great time in Oporto and I'll certainly pay you another visit when I'm next around. I need to arrange a chance to go up the Douro and visit some of the Quintas.

Quinta da Romaneira, São Pedro das Águias and Val de Figueira are all ports that we don't see see very often in the UK (actually, I don't think I've ever heard of São Pedro das Águias before... ). The tasting note index gives you an idea of what we have generally been able to drink.

I've been looking for some Quinta do Vale Dona Maria which I think you recommended to me. Corney & Barrow has their 2001 for £20.79. Have you tried this vintage?

[goncalo devesas]

Hello again,

Jacob, actually I´ve to say that from white colheita´s , I only know the 1952 Golden White from Dalva; 1964 from Krohn and I´ve heard about a colheita from Barros from 1937. The last one I´ve never taste it, but the other two yes, and for me only the ´52 it´s amazing, unfourtannely I didn´t had the oportunnity to give you to taste the next Golden White from 1963, we have a Lab bottle (cask sample), like this I also have your impression about it, we give our opinion for the future Golden White from 1963, tasting different cask sample´s, that was very nice.
The Quinta de São Pedro it´s a single quinta from Rozés, and they have very nice vintages.
About the vintage 2001 I´ve never tasted it, and I cannot give you any note about it.

[ac-fast]

Hey Goncalo..... It bring up memories to see your avartar

I visit the Vinologia in 07 and 08

About Dalva.... I tastet the golden white colheita 52.... 2 times - super port. Never tasted other white colheitas

[goncalo devesas]

Hello Ac-fast,

hope to see you soon, and I you´ll give you to taste the next golden white 1963.