A Colheita/Aged Tawny 2016 Tasting in London

[Doggett]

Other than the Vesuvio tasting in February there is not anything else I have seen planned in for 2016 yet (although I am sure there are thoughts around the 66s at 50), so here is a suggestion for a tasting...

I would be interested in organising a tasting of Colheitas and aged Tawnies if there is enough interest from members. I know that some are not as keen on the 'brown sweet stuff' but also know that lots are.

Let me know if you would be keen to come along and also what format you would be interested in. The options are many with 10/20/30/40 year old tawnies from many shippers and also lots of colheitas and single harvest ports to chose from too. I for one would like to compare some of the 20/30/40 year old tawnies on release, and would be keen to try lots more colheita ports too.

Post if you are interested and hopefully we can get something organised in 2016.

Cheers,

Simon

UPDATE:
The Timing/format of this at the moment is TBC Aug/Sept 2016 to see if we can have Glenn (aka Mr Tawny) join us on a trip to Europe.

Attendees:

1. SCD
2. DJ
3. JDAW
4. Glenn E
5. Phil W
6. WS1
7. MPM
8. IDJ
9. SCP
10. TC
11. Axel P
12. AWGH
13. CPR

[djewesbury]

Yes... Potentially. Could be very good. I can think of a few people who won't be there!

[jdaw1]

Please include me in. For my palate 20Y tawnies seem to be the best value for money, but I’ll go with the consensus tasting design.

When details are known I’ll do my traditional task of making the placemats.

[Doggett]

I would always have said 20Y was best too Julian...and for Value it still probably is. But today I was celebrating a life change and opened a 30year old Sandeman. I was able to compare with a 20Y sandman that I had open from the weekend. The 20Y is an old favourite, and a port that I have enjoyed many times over the last 20 years or so. Much to my surprise I have enjoyed the 30Y much more today on comparison. The 30Y may not be quite as silky smooth as the 20Y, but it has a bit more strength of flavour and a bit more heat in the longer finish. The 30Y has a slightly deeper colour with a thinner rim, and the caramel and orange peel flavours really shine through. As a point to note the 20Y was bottled in 2014 and the 30Y in 2015. (20Y £30 waitrose and 30Y £48 Costco).

So I am now inspired to compare more Tawnies together and see what findings that leads to. Hopefully it will not mean that I will need to be spending more on 30/40Y tawnies, but an appreciation that there is a time and a place for all of the styles.

[DRT]

Yes... Potentially. Could be very good. I can think of a few people who won't be there!

Who are the others on that list?

I appreciate your enthusiasm for organising a tasting, Simon, but this one is not for me. My palate dies after two or three tawnies and they all taste the same to me after that.

I hope the life change works out for you. Would I be right in thinking it was linked to a very recent announcement in the press?

[Doggett]

No problem Derek...you will obviously be missed, but we can't all like the same things.

And yes indeed re the press announcements. I am no longer in magazines and have a few months to work out the next plan...and in the meantime indulge my passion for port. Maybe a marketing role for a port shipper would be the way forward! Enjoy the Loch next week.

[Glenn E.]

Please add me to the list. We are planning a trip to Europe for 2016 but haven't reached any specifics yet. If possible, I would like to combine our vacation with this tasting.

[DRT]

Thanks.

Best of luck with the job hunt

[Alex Bridgeman]

Maybe a marketing role for a port shipper would be the way forward!

Please start with their websites and lack of blog posts!

[PhilW]

I'd certainly be interested, subject to dates etc. I'm hoping that by next year my current issues will be resolved and I can resume actually attending tastings again! Regarding format, I think 20yr is the baseline; I find that they are usually the best value for money, though (brand dependent) the 30yrs often offer more complexity (as opposed to power necessarily). So, any theme such as 20yr, 30yr, 40yr+, Kr or K colheita verticals, "bring a 30yr+ colheita" etc would all work for me.

While my interest has been heavily (primarily vintage) ruby-biased, I've been finding that while I'm less impressed with younger tawnies, I have really (really) enjoyed some of the older tawnies and colheitas. My cellar is beginning to reflect that, going from roughly 99:1 ruby:tawny last year, to 94:6 ruby:tawny/white this year (and if I had tried the San Leonardo before rather than after the FTLoP offer earlier this year, there would have been further bias!). It would be good to see Glenn again too (since I missed his last visit) if he is able to join us.

[WS1]

I would be interested too. Have only limited stock available which is Mourao 20y/30y/40y and Ramos Pinto 30y.

regards

WS1

[flash_uk]

I'd also be up for this. I have exactly zero tawny in the cellar, but no doubt something can happen about adoption or acquisition as required!

[Doggett]

Thank you all for the interest so far...

Glenn has indicated he is looking at a visit to Europe in Aug/sept next year and maybe available for a tasting then if the timings work. In the meantime, please keep joining the thread if interested and if there is the desire we could maybe have a 'Tawny off' earlier in the year to select the best of the 20/30/40Y aged tawnies and have them go against some Colheitas when/if Glenn is able to to join us later in the year. Otherwise we can have a big tasting all at once.

I am looking forward to meeting more of you at the 85 vertical and the 75@40 tastings where we can flesh this out further.

Back to some jobs now to kill some time before lunch, and another glass of the wonderful Sandman 30Y Tawny!

Simon

[DRT]

I am in possession of a slightly leaky bottle of Rozes 40 year old that I collected from a local auction house for a member of

I was instructed to "drink it or take it to a suitable tasting". This seems to be a suitable tasting so please put this down as a bonus bottle. I will ensure it gets to the venue or is given to an attendee before the event.

[idj123]

Count me in for this and also maybe a +1 as a friend of mine has a particular fondness for this category (and has some decent bottles to boot). If we are to be honoured by the presence of Mr Tawny himself (ie Glenn) then we'd better be prepared to bring out some big guns (in tawny terms)

[Glenn E.]

I already ruined some of you with that Mourao 60-yr old. Every other tawny you try will seem underwhelming now.

Hopefully we can work out our vacation plans and route through London!

[Doggett]

I am in possession of a slightly leaky bottle of Rozes 40 year old that I collected from a local auction house for a member of

I was instructed to "drink it or take it to a suitable tasting". This seems to be a suitable tasting so please put this down as a bonus bottle. I will ensure it gets to the venue or is given to an attendee before the event.

That is a very kind offer that will be gratefully enjoyed at the tasting. Many thanks Derek

[jdaw1]

Have only limited stock available which is Mourao 20y/30y/40y

The Mourão 60Y was delicious, so I would very much like to try the younger versions.

[SCP]

I would like to express an interest, subject to dates etc. the two-stage tasting sounds particularly enticing as I'd like to try a range of tawnies before my trip to Porto in May 2016.
I have a half bottle of Dalva 40 year old, Dalva 1985 colheita and a couple of 20 year old tawnies lurking around.

[WS1]

I already ruined some of you with that Mourao 60-yr old. Every other tawny you try will seem underwhelming now.

Hopefully we can work out our vacation plans and route through London!

Indeed you have! Brilliant Tawny port. Also when visiting Mourao a few weeks back the character of Miguel won me over. Old fashioned house with excellent tawnies!

Thanks Glen!

regards

WS1

[djewesbury]

Regarding format, I think 20yr is the baseline

I don't disagree but I will simply take the opportunity to remind Phil what happened when he stated this view when we were last in Porto. That was a very nice 10yr that you reluctantly allowed yourself to be poured, I remember!

[forest26]

Hi - please count me for the event. Most shippers tend to show their 20 year olds at events so my preference would be to look at some of the aged colheitas and perhaps the special editions that have become popular with shippers. I have a few that have been given to me over the past few years so I can put a few into the tasting.

[Axel P]

Hi Simon,

I am game. Let me know when and where. I am a big an of Colheitas and have some.

We should however come up with a logic of the tasting.

5 years ago I organised a seminar with 1937 and 1995 to see the difference. Was extremely well visited:

http://weinverkostungen.de/portwein-col ... -und-1995/

and we had lots of fun with the Ports.

Best

Axel

[AWGH]

Please count me in too - sorry it's been so long folks - new job et al

I'm sure we can tap up Chris at Sogrape for:

Sandeman 10, 20, 30, 40 and.....Cask 33
Offley 10, 20, 30, Colheita 97
Ferreira 10, 20

I'm with the majority re 20 YO, but I'm also a big fan of 40 (+) and a well blended 10 can hit the spot too.

Doing a Tawny blind tasting at work soon, so this'll be interesting. Derek, seriously, are you not for turning?!

Anthony


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DRT]

Derek, seriously, are you not for turning?!

Anthony, I admire your attempt to save my soul, but I am a child of Thatcher, and must hold true to my core values