Christmas Day port...

[benread]

What are you opening for Christmas Day festivities?

I have a bottle of Warre 1985 in mind and expect to open it sometime on Christmas Day morning based on this tasting note. I will try and link my own TN sometime late on 26th December.

Happy Christmas to all fellow TPFers and general 'lurkers' on the site.

[Glenn E.]

We will be spending Christmas Eve with my wife's immediate family, and I plan to take a nice Bertani Reccioto to drink along with the dark chocolate dessert that my sister-in-law is making.

Then on Christmas Day, my wife's entire family (17!) will be coming to our house for Christmas dinner. I plan to open a pair of 1980s for that - one Graham's and one Warre's. I doubt that we would even go through a single bottle - not many people in my wife's family drink anything - but I figure that if there are leftovers I can probably deal with them myself over the next couple of days.

I haven't figured out what I'm going to open on New Year's Eve yet, but it will probably be a Colheita. I have a half bottle of 1957 Kopke... that might do the trick.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I've got a Vesuvio 2006 lined up for Christmas Day. After that, it will probably be a Cockburn Quinta da Tua 1987 - the port that used to be my house port about 5 years ago. Not sure what it will be on New Year's Eve. I'm sure we'll come up with something appropriate.

Alex

[benread]

I shall need to go shopping for New Years Eve. I have in mind a trip to this Houston off licence. They seem to have a good selection - particularly of colheitas. It may be a new year "colheita - thon" in Texas for me!

[JacobH]

Not quite sure what I will have on Christmas day, yet. I’ll see what I decide on the spur-of-the-moment! New Year’s Eve is likely to be a Neipoort 1994 Colheita as I think I might be going to a party where the host is particularly fond of the tawny stuff.

[uncle tom]

I popped a Sandeman '63 yesterday, but it was looking a bit of a faded relic last night, so may quaff it down this evening and open something else.

I recently got hold of a pair of Dalva '44 colheitas...

- why not..

Tom

[ajfeather]

Having enjoyed a Vesuvio 1995 so much the other day I am tempted to try a Vesuvio 1994 but it will probably end up being a taylor from 77...

[Glenn E.]

I shall need to go shopping for New Years Eve. I have in mind a trip to this Houston off licence. They seem to have a good selection - particularly of colheitas. It may be a new year "colheita - thon" in Texas for me!

Wow that's a good price for the 1937 Kopke... I might have to get some of that!

[Andy Velebil]

Not today, but tommorow will be a 1980 Taylor's VP. Saturday will be a whole lot of ports from my cellar as I'll have friends over and I have deceided it's time to make room for incoming purchased made over the summer.

[g-man]

Fellow NY tasters shall partake in a mini Fonseca tasting =)

Merry Xmas you guys!

[Michael M.]

Yesterday and before yesterday: 1989 Porto Pocas Colheita. Today+ yesterday: 1995 Warre's Quinta da Cavadinha Vintage Port. Today Ferreira Duque de Braganca 20 year old Tawny.

Merry Xmas you guys!

dito

Michael

[Alex Bridgeman]

Michael - how was the Cavadinha 1995?

[Michael M.]

Alex,

I find this example to be a very good (SQ)VP, but far from being mature. I would guess that this one is at least 10 years from being fully mature. If served to me blind, I never would have guessed it as a 13 years old Vintage Port. I would have said 2001 or 2004.

+ 5 hours: violet at the edge, opaque, nearly black in the middle. Nose of red fruits, dominating raspberries, lot of alcohol. On the palate full bodied, not too sweet, masses of tannins, aggressive.

+ 24 hours: Always a lot of alcohol in the nose, more raspberries and dark cherries. In the mouth lots of tannins. Long aftertaste.

+30 hours: On the nose raspberries and dominating dark cherries, reduced alcohol. Because of the tannins always very youthfull mouth feeling. Long lasting aftertaste.

+ 51 hours, now: Even after more than two days in the decanter it did not fade away. Reduced alcohol on the nose, red to dark fruits, very powerful on the palate with a long lasting aftertaste. Impressive and better than before. Love it.

Michael

[DRT]

Yesterday I opened a Dow 1983. Very yummy and, best of all, hardly anyone wanted any of it

...the remainder will not see tomorrow

Merry Christmas everyone.

Derek

[RonnieRoots]

We thoroughly enjoyed a Niepoort Garrafeira 1952 after Christmas dinner. A TN will follow in the appropriate section.

That was the only port, but we also had some nice wines:
- Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel 2006
- Le Serre Nuove dell' Ornellaia 2005
- Niepoort Charme 2005

The Serre Nuove was a very nice match with mushroom risotto and the Charme worked well with tenderloin steak, poached in a red wine stock.