East India Club port tasting - 7 November 2012

What happened?
Post Reply
User avatar
RAYC
Taylor Quinta de Vargellas 1987
Posts: 2060
Joined: 23:50 Tue 04 May 2010
Location: London

East India Club port tasting - 7 November 2012

Post by RAYC »

AJM very kindly took me as his guest to the annual East India Club port tasting.

This was a sit-down format, with circular tables of 8-10, wines served in pairs, about 2/3 of a bottle per table.

The East India Club sommelier, Eric Lagre, did a very impressive job in introducing the wines, talking through the basics of the different styles and historical/market background. While he conveyed great enthusiasm throughout, there was a refreshing Gallic bluntness to his appraisal of the less impressive or closed wines! (i took the opportunity at the end of the tasting to encourage him to visit this site and - if he ever wants to drink port to excess and for pleasure - sign up for one of our tastings. I hope he does)

Ports included in the tasting were:

Fonseca Sirocco white (extra dry): Not favoured by me or elsewhere in the room, and perhaps might have gone down better if served with tonic. But it did make me wonder whether there were any premium (aged) extra dry whites...if so, could make an interesting prospect.

Croft Pink: Very sweet and simple - AJM commenting it was a bit too much like haribo solution! Quite an alcoholic burn at the end, too. Not for me, though i'm not totally against pinks (Lamelas was quite good, i thought).

Taylor's Fine Tawny: Varnish and heat on the nose, not too much better to taste. Was not convinced.

Skeffington Ruby: slightly rough brandy on the nose, but was actually rather nice to drink, good brambly dark fruit and liquorice/ainseed flavours. Simple, yes, and quite light bodied, but definitely gluggable. I'd take this over quite a few of the Ruby Reserves we drank earlier this year...

Fonseca 1994: Light minty nose- not giving much up. Sure enough, this turns out to be completely closed down. Actually quite a boring, grapey port at the moment, with an empty finish - certainly no sense of this being a 100-pointer at the moment. Doesn't feel particularly tannic or big. Based on this experience, I'd leave well alone for the moment.

Ferreira Quinta do Porto 10yr (bottled 2011): Not a particularly attractive nose, but nice fresh, crisp red fruits, followed by a refined dryness at the finish with a really very attractive nutty and olive aftertaste of great length. Very impressive ad good complexity for a 10, i thought. Would make great mid-week drinking.

Barros 1996 Coleheita (bottled 2012): I didn't appear to take notes, but was not as taken with this as with the Ferreira. A bit simple and short on the finish.

DALVA Golden white 1963: Lovely almond essence on the nose, with a touch of volatility. Thick unctuous texture with good concentration of flavour - zesty orange peel on the finish. Long. Very sweet, with good balancing acidity...but perhaps just a little bit too cloying to make this a "session" port! Nevertheless, a real treat.

Graham's 40yr Tawny (bottled 2012): One of the new "re-branded" / "re-blended" bottles. I'd like to give this another go, as it was surprisingly dry and lacking in fruit, and overall concentration/flavour felt more like a 20 than a 40. I didn't think it was bad, but not a "wow" wine. Possibly because it followed the DALVA GW63, but even so you'd think a premium 40 would do a better job of standing up to it. Possibly flawed, definitely not showing particularly well tonight given its cost.

After the tasting we retired to the dining room, where roast lamb was washed down by the rather tasty club claret, and a bottle of Warre 83. The Warre is in a great place right now - perhaps could have done with a bit more of a decant to open up even more - but it was really very elegant and tasty, and just at a nice stage of maturity. I have a number of BBR own label bottles of this, but have seen the regular bottles going for attractive prices recently and i am tempted to look out for it a bit more actively.

Many thanks to AJM for a great evening.
Last edited by RAYC on 00:01 Sat 10 Nov 2012, edited 1 time in total.
Rob C.
User avatar
Alex Bridgeman
Graham’s 1948
Posts: 14880
Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
Location: Berkshire, UK

Re: East India Club port tasting - 7 November 2012

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

That sounds like a splendidly civilised evening. I'm glad the attendees also had the chance to taste a mature vintage port in a drinking window, as well as a technically challenging and shutdown teenager!
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
User avatar
RAYC
Taylor Quinta de Vargellas 1987
Posts: 2060
Joined: 23:50 Tue 04 May 2010
Location: London

Re: East India Club port tasting - 7 November 2012

Post by RAYC »

I think the Warre is a good medium term prospect as well - i wouldn't be surprised to see it showing even better in 5 years.

Didn't quite know what to make of the Fonseca, other than a slight sense of sadness that 6 bottles had been sacrificed so far before their time!
Rob C.
User avatar
Alex Bridgeman
Graham’s 1948
Posts: 14880
Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
Location: Berkshire, UK

Re: East India Club port tasting - 7 November 2012

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

RAYC wrote:I think the Warre is a good medium term prospect as well - i wouldn't be surprised to see it showing even better in 5 years.
I think the Warre is splendid now, and will be for another 20 years. I'm less convinced that it will be better in 5 years, but look forward to seeing if that's the case.
Didn't quite know what to make of the Fonseca, other than a slight sense of sadness that 6 bottles had been sacrificed so far before their time!
To some extent, I'm working on faith with this port. I've not tried it for myself, but have to believe that it is something good given the praise it gathered in its younger days.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
Alex M
Quinta do Noval LBV
Posts: 230
Joined: 11:14 Tue 12 May 2009

Re: East India Club port tasting - 7 November 2012

Post by Alex M »

Many thanks to RAYC for accepting my last minute offer to this tasting. It was a pleasant evening for all involved with good food and good wine. Please forgive my notes that follow; they are not as detailed as those of RAYC but I hope provide an insight into the current drinking stages of the wines.

Fonseca Sirocco white (extra dry): Quite a bitter wine yet slightly peachy. Refreshing with a long aftertaste. I would not want to drink this all night.

Croft Pink: Slightly tangy, tastes almost of Haribo. Too sweet and I concluded that I wouldn't want to drink in Winter or all night.

Taylor's Fine Tawny: Lots of spirit on the nose, caramel and zesty.

Skeffington Ruby: Acidic and heavy on the nose. Would not choose to drink but would if served with no choice.

Fonseca 1994: Light and heady when smelling, almost minty and fresh. I could barely taste the alcohol, almost like fruit juice. It felt like it had a silky aftertaste.

Ferreira Quinta do Porto 10yr (bottled 2011):Not great to smell but rather tasty.Nutty, hints of walnuts and perhaps raisins. Long aftertaste.

Barros 1996 Coleheita (bottled 2012): Smelt and tasted of sweet spice. I, like RAYC, preferred the Ferreira.

DALVA Golden white 1963: Long smells of honey, spices, lovely! Tasted of honey and spice with hints of orange. It felt like it had the consistancy of honey syrup.

Graham's 40yr Tawny (bottled 2012): Not many notes on this, it smelt quite closed with not much on the nose. A rather dry taste.

A good night overall, I've no notes on the W83 or club claret but like RAYC, have 12 of the BBR bottling so I look forward to tasting more. Perhaps in late 2013 there might be some interest in holding a tasting at the East India Club. If so, I shall investigate.
Post Reply