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winesecretary

@MigSu - the Symington 1980 wines are all pretty dark. The Taylor Fladgate ones are lighter. I do worry a bit with this one, and the Dow, that they won’t be ready until I am dead, but there is much to admire about them if not love.

winesecretary

Five hour decant. Heavy sediment. A gentle mid red. Nose redolent of thyme, orange trees, and dusty cherry jujubes. Sweet entry with some red fruit but lots of well- soaked prune and licorice on the mid palate and finish. A nice clove- studded orange and mace note, late. A particularly delicious bot...

winesecretary

@ hadge - very sorry to hear you won’t be there. We will raise a glass of D27 to you…

winesecretary

+ 23 hours Still 85% opaque, red rim. A bit more strawberry on the nose. Palate - and tannins - have softened somewhat, but the finish is still formidably chocolatey and there’s even a prickle of white pepper on the finish still. Drinkable with pleasure after the 24 hour decant but I am not going to...

winesecretary

Pop and decant and pour. Remarkably dark, still 90% opaque, red rim. Nose very much in the plum, almost prune, licorice, and black currant mode. Big rich congruent palate. Tannins still pretty obvious and quite brutal with this short decant. Long finish, though, where the fruit is starting to peep t...

winesecretary

@ AHB - I know you bought a good deal of claret in the 1980s and 1990s; when did you switch your allegiance to port?

winesecretary

A light mahogany with a greenish tinge to the rim. Nose has hazelnut oil, candied chestnut, orange blossom. Super smooth entry, seems sweet at first. Then gently dries out. Some unsulphured apricot. The long wood aging shows but the orchard fruit note - dried quince - remains predominant. Fantastic ...

winesecretary

@MSC - might you be able to bring a couple of bottles of the usual with you for me to pick up at this one?

winesecretary

@MigSU - quite so; someone else has tied up the capital, and stored it properly for 20 years, for a gross return of 10%. So, net, probably down about £30 a bottle on just putting the money in a savings account.

winesecretary

3 bottles of Fonseca 2003 from L&W for a remarkable £137 delivered for the three. As I recall, that is quite a lot less than release price. Updated to add - I have checked, and I am wrong, it is more than release price which was £95 for 3 in bond. So, duty and VAT paid, and including delivery, I...

winesecretary

A bottle of any good port and a good recording of the St Matthew Passion is an admirable pairing, not least because, presuming you to be drinking solo, they last about the same amount of time.

winesecretary

F77 confirmed.

winesecretary

A six-pack containing halves of the 2016 big names.

winesecretary

A multi-day court hearing concluded. Accordingly, port. This is its usual translucent ruby - it’s never been a deeply coloured port. A two hour decant, with a lovely waft of heliotrope as I did so. Nose of summer pudding jelly. It’s all gone a bit Hartley’s. Palate is bursting with summer pudding no...

winesecretary

Harry, a superb write up. Thank you.

winesecretary

Assume Fonseca 1977, but to be reviewed when I get to the cellar later in the week.

winesecretary

Starter - scotch egg

Main - chicken supreme and chips

Pudding - welsh rarebit

winesecretary

[Sample taken on night and consumed on 13/10/25] Good light garnet. Nice start to the palate - good fruit. Rather acidic aftertaste.

winesecretary

[Sample taken on night and consumed on 13/10/25] Pale red. Nose suggests a long way over the coffee-scented hill. Palate is revolting. No second sip.

winesecretary

[Sample taken on night and consumed on 13/10/25] Very pale. Little on the nose. Palate is very pleasant stuff but not really discernible as vintage port.

winesecretary

[Sample taken on night and consumed on 13/10/25] Light red, yellow rim. Light on the nose. Palate rather prettily red fruited. But not memorable.

winesecretary

[Sample taken on night and consumed on 13/10/25] Cloudy reddish brown liquid. Nose revolting. Not tasted.

winesecretary

[Sample taken on night and consumed on 13/10/25] Very pale rim but the colour is good in the centre. Palate is proper port with some mulled wine cinnamon and orange and milk chocolate notes. Still drinkable with considerable pleasure, but do not hold for the long term.

winesecretary

[Sample taken on night and consumed on 13/10/25] A deep rich red. Slightly acid note on the nose but promised well nevertheless. Palate is slightly bitter and unbalanced but there’s is some real wine in there somewhere and not over the hill.

winesecretary

[Sample taken on night and consumed on 13/10/25] Excellent rich red. Nose of summer pudding. Palate is lively and beautifully balanced with a sort of cranberry bakewell tart quality. I really like this and would actively seek it out.

winesecretary

[Sample taken on night and consumed on 13/10/25] Cloudy appearance. Various shades from yellow to orange to brown. Smells like the effluent at the bottom of a food recycling bin after a warm week. Almost entrancingly unpleasant. Goblins might like it. Palate actually better than the nose, merely hor...

winesecretary

[Sample taken on night and consumed on 13/10/25] A good clear brick red. Nose a little clouded by VA. Palate has some kola kube and aniseed, slightly confected and a bit acrid. But drinkable, and thus the best Burmester I have ever had.

winesecretary

[Sample taken on night and consumed on 13/10/25] Dark as any port of the whole line up. Nose has some licorice but is quite dumb. Palate a bit tough and sour but there’s some matiere there if you work for it. Possibly underdecanted on the night?

winesecretary

[Sample taken on night and consumed on 13/10/25] Big dark red wine. Pale only at rim. Mose of poached SA plums. Palate welcomingly sweet and lush, but still with some firmness on the palate. Some lovely cherry stone late. Alive and well in well stored bottles. A pleasure to drink.

winesecretary

[Sample taken on night and consumed on 13/10/25] Orange rim. Attractive if faded nose of candied citrus. Palate soft and rich and sweet but has a slightly odd bitter herbal note towards the finish. Nice warming after- note with some dried unsulphured apricot. Drinkable with some, but not a lot of, p...

winesecretary

[Sample taken on night and consumed on 13/10/25] A good rich clear red, pink rim. Nose distinctly stinky. Palate really quite vegetal, only residual fruit. A shame.

winesecretary

A sample tasted on 13/10, kindly taken on the night. Fine colour, a clear light garnet. Nose got an ‘ooh Jesus no’. Wine sadly spoiled by VA and undrinkable (I had a sip and that was more than enough).

winesecretary

Tasted 13/10/25 from a sample kindly drawn on the night. Bronze rim. Grubby nose without much fruit, assiduous swirling reveals some candied citrus fruit. Palate has some gentle red fruits with a hint of prune later. Long finish. Wine is completely resolved and needs no more time but good drinking n...

winesecretary

Note taken on 12/10/25 from sample kindly bottled on night. Browning rim, red centre. Attractive nose. Palate is well fruited and attractive in a strawberries and cream sort of way. From Alex's side of the table, I think. Attractive but not stellar.

winesecretary

Note taken on 12/10/25 from sample kindly bottled on night. Attractive colour. Light pretty colour. Very dry indeed. Rather attractive pontefract cake note on the finish. From Julian's side of the table, I think. Attractive but not stellar.

winesecretary

Note taken on 12/10/25 from sample kindly bottled on night. There were two samples labelled Ferreira. Identical to the first sample.

winesecretary

Note taken on 12/10/25 from sample kindly bottled on night. Pleasant port, perhaps somewhat elderly overall, but rather attractive darker fruit. Finish is good. Needs no more time.

winesecretary

Note taken on 12/10/25 from sample kindly bottled on night. Nice colour - bright red. Sweet cherry port with attractive tinned red fruit palate. Fully mature - perhaps missing a bit of freshness. Tangy aftertaste. Very pleasant.

winesecretary

Note taken on 12/10/25 from sample kindly bottled on night. Slightly cloudy but still red-orange rather than red. Cafe creme on nose. Palate is a bit harsh.

winesecretary

Note taken on 12/10/25 from sample kindly bottled on night. There were two samples labelled Ferreira. Colour is light. Palate is pleasant but a little acrid.

winesecretary

Note taken on 12/10/25 from sample kindly bottled on night. Very dark wine. Big rich lovely nose. Huge palate of blackberry pie. Very long finish. Admirable wine. Admirable, admirable wine.

winesecretary

Note taken on 12/10/25 from sample kindly bottled on night. Lighter than perfect. Nose of star anise. Cherry drops and star anise on the palate. Attractive.

Definitely from Julian's side of the table - no TCA.

winesecretary

Cloudy. Nose is a bit bitter- bonfire toffee. That's not right. Palate bitter. This one is from Julian's side of the table.

winesecretary

Good colour. Nose 'as porty as a porty thing'. But a little bit light on nose and palate. Fizzy cola on the finish. Pleasant but not a super bottle of this often enjoyable wine.

winesecretary

Note taken on 12/10/25 from sample kindly bottled on night. Good honest looking mature port, slightly darker than the Graham. Nose a bit mute, or at least less concentrated than the Dow. Possibly a bit of rubber? Palate is positively lush but does have a sort of acrid note on the finish. Good port b...

winesecretary

Note taken on 12/10/25 from sample kindly bottled on night. A lovely mid garnet, looks mature but not over-mature. Cranberries on nose, palate is well fruited but very much the red currant spectrum, positively fresh, port. Acidity is definite. Very much to my taste.

winesecretary

Note taken on 12/10/25 from sample kindly bottled on night. Now indistinguishable in colour from the BBR. Nose possibly slightly fruitier than the BBR. Palate has nice raspberries but is softer than the BBR. Attractive, but I prefer the BBR tonight.

winesecretary

Note taken on 12/10/25 from sample kindly bottled on night. Red centre, pale rim. Spice and white pepper. Palate is very fruity. Soft. Attractive port. I have worked out that some, but not I think, of my samples are coming from the Alex B side of the table.

winesecretary

Note taken on 12/10/25 from sample kindly bottled on night. Darker than its sibling. Interesting nose of apple and blackberry crumble caught round the edges. Fruit is attractively tart with an almost Dubonnet note - a hint of herbal extract. Successful, but drier.

winesecretary

Note taken on 12/10/25 from sample kindly bottled on night. Colour is good. Sweet fruit on nose. Palate has sarsaparilla and red licorice. Thick texture. Fruit is delicious. Long finish. Good port.

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