Search found 16694 matches

by Alex Bridgeman
15:27 Tue 18 Aug 2026
Forum: Introductions
Topic: Between Lake Constance and the Douro – a port lover introduces himself
Replies: 7
Views: 5509

Re: Between Lake Constance and the Douro – a port lover introduces himself

There's also oPortUno, Maria Tita's new business venture. She used to run LaDo but is now truly independent.
by Alex Bridgeman
15:24 Tue 18 Aug 2026
Forum: Selling Port
Topic: Quinta do Noval Nacional 1931
Replies: 8
Views: 228

Re: Quinta do Noval Nacional 1931

Just to manage expectations, Alex, are you aware that the last bottle sold (that we have seen) was by Vintage Wine & Port and it sold for £22,950 in March 2024.

These bottles don't come up very often and will be eye-wateringly expensive!
by Alex Bridgeman
15:55 Tue 11 Aug 2026
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Port-box enclosures
Replies: 21
Views: 37311

Re: Port-box enclosures

IMG_9765.jpeg The text on the left face of the box reads: Quinta da Devesa Porto Very Very Old Tawny. The 1951 Douro harvest was defined by natural balance. A wet winter replenished underground reserves within the schist soils, a stable spring ensured even flowering and fruit set, and a hot, dry su...
by Alex Bridgeman
12:51 Tue 11 Aug 2026
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Quinta do Noval Tasting 1 September 2026
Replies: 90
Views: 21718

Re: Quinta do Noval Tasting 1 September 2026

We currently have 14 bottles between 13 of us. Ideally we would have 16 bottles. Is anyone able to fill in any of the gaps above? I’m back home tomorrow. I’ll have a look then to see if I can fill any gaps. I have a 1955 I could bring (as well as the 1978). I also have a pale looking 1942 which com...
by Alex Bridgeman
16:30 Mon 10 Aug 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 2020 Niepoort LBV
Replies: 5
Views: 326

2020 Niepoort LBV

Niepoort 2020 LBV, £15 for a 100ml pour at the Portminster Café in St Ives, Cornwall. The justified recommended wine to accompany a slice of blue cheese with a slice of walnut and honey tart. From a freshly opened bottle. Dark red, almost black, with a narrow rim. A lovely nose of forest fruits and ...
by Alex Bridgeman
16:28 Mon 10 Aug 2026
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Quinta do Noval Tasting 1 September 2026
Replies: 90
Views: 21718

Re: Quinta do Noval Tasting 1 September 2026

Bertie3000 wrote: 15:24 Mon 10 Aug 2026 We currently have 14 bottles between 13 of us. Ideally we would have 16 bottles.

Is anyone able to fill in any of the gaps above?
I’m back home tomorrow. I’ll have a look then to see if I can fill any gaps.
by Alex Bridgeman
16:26 Mon 10 Aug 2026
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Quinta do Noval Tasting 1 September 2026
Replies: 90
Views: 21718

Re: Quinta do Noval Tasting 1 September 2026

Anyone want to share a MR Club Sirloin? I'll share that with you .... plus can I have salmon as a starter and then green beans - 2 mins in hot water - no butter with the steak please along with some fries please No starter. Sharing the medium rare club sirloin with Martin - plus skinny chips and cr...
by Alex Bridgeman
15:58 Sat 08 Aug 2026
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Quinta do Noval Tasting 1 September 2026
Replies: 90
Views: 21718

Re: Quinta do Noval Tasting 1 September 2026

Anyone want to share a MR Club Sirloin?
by Alex Bridgeman
15:50 Sat 08 Aug 2026
Forum: Travel
Topic: A Port-Lover’s Guide to Cornwall
Replies: 0
Views: 443

A Port-Lover’s Guide to Cornwall

Many of us are regular or occasional visitors to Cornwall and I thought it might be helpful to have a thread to capture any places we find particularly sympathetic to fortified wine drinkers. I’ll start with Johns Wine & Spirits on the right at the far end of Fore Street as you walk from the St ...
by Alex Bridgeman
22:47 Thu 06 Aug 2026
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: The Untold Story of Port
Replies: 8
Views: 3290

Re: The Untold Story of Port

I went on one of Matthew Green’s vastly entertaining walking tours of London a few weeks ago (his Medieval Wine Tour). He is an astonishingly charismatic guide and host. I received an email today inviting me to subscribe to a 1 hour Zoom presentation on the Untold Story of Port at 6.30pm on Wednesd...
by Alex Bridgeman
10:30 Tue 04 Aug 2026
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Latest buy
Replies: 2481
Views: 6643935

Re: Latest buy

Mike, that is really sneaky! Good use of a chat function.
by Alex Bridgeman
10:27 Tue 04 Aug 2026
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Chocolate Box waxing, wooden-style
Replies: 25
Views: 10852

Re: Chocolate Box waxing, wooden-style

I do rewax leakers, but seal them first with a dribble of wax to fill whatever flaw or crack is allowing Port to escape. While I completely agree with Phil’s view that a leaker is never going to improve from the point you spot its leaking, sometimes it’s just not the right time to drink it. (@Mike —...
by Alex Bridgeman
18:26 Thu 30 Jul 2026
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Thursday 30th July 2026 - Virtual Tasting
Replies: 32
Views: 11220

Re: Thursday 30th July 2026 - Virtual Tasting

I'm about to join, but probably after the Zoom update...
by Alex Bridgeman
09:11 Tue 28 Jul 2026
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Thursday 30th July 2026 - Virtual Tasting
Replies: 32
Views: 11220

Re: Thursday 30th July 2026 - Virtual Tasting

Port you bought at auction that you definitely did not intend to bid on but as no one else was bidding was a shame to pass up any resemblance to Joycean punctuation was intended That would get rid of one of the tregnums of Graham 2016 I bought for nearly nothing a couple of years ago and which are ...
by Alex Bridgeman
07:39 Sat 25 Jul 2026
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: A reliable company to collect and forward bottles won at Auction
Replies: 39
Views: 65228

Re: A reliable company to collect and forward bottles won at Auction

Along the lines of George’s comments, back in the days when I first started storing wine with both Berry Brothers and with Seckfords I visited their warehouses and looked for myself to see if my wines had my name on them. At that time, two decades ago, they did.
by Alex Bridgeman
07:35 Sat 25 Jul 2026
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Chocolate Box waxing, wooden-style
Replies: 25
Views: 10852

Re: Chocolate Box waxing, wooden-style

I use an approach a little like the one Mike has suggested. I use a teaspoon to dribble a little wax onto the top of the cork of an old bottle to create a first layer to hold the cork and seal in the contents. Once that is cool and set I can dip the bottle. I’ve used this technique for a couple of d...
by Alex Bridgeman
16:57 Fri 24 Jul 2026
Forum: Introductions
Topic: Between Lake Constance and the Douro – a port lover introduces himself
Replies: 7
Views: 5509

Re: Between Lake Constance and the Douro – a port lover introduces himself

Welcome to the Forum, Nico! It’s nice to have you with us.

Let us know the sort of thing you like doing when in Portugal and we might be able to help you with some suggestions.
by Alex Bridgeman
13:17 Thu 23 Jul 2026
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: 2024 Vintage Declarations
Replies: 20
Views: 75247

Re: 2024 Vintage Declarations

At the AEVP presentation in Portugal a week or so ago, there were a number of producers showing their wine who were not on the first post. These have now been added.
by Alex Bridgeman
23:38 Mon 20 Jul 2026
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: The Untold Story of Port
Replies: 8
Views: 3290

Re: The Untold Story of Port

This looks like fun. I have bought a ticket and am hoping I can get home from work in time. 630 is a little early. The wine tour looks good too. How many were in the group tour you did Alex? I see some group tours in London and the group just looks too big. It wasn’t a big group. I think there were...
by Alex Bridgeman
18:48 Thu 16 Jul 2026
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: The Untold Story of Port
Replies: 8
Views: 3290

Re: The Untold Story of Port

No samples shipped out, but I tend to view that as a good thing — it means I can choose what to drink to go with the presentation.

I might open my backup Quevedo 2025 advent calendar and give myself a choice of what to drink in small format.
by Alex Bridgeman
21:48 Wed 15 Jul 2026
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: The Untold Story of Port
Replies: 8
Views: 3290

The Untold Story of Port

I went on one of Matthew Green’s vastly entertaining walking tours of London a few weeks ago (his Medieval Wine Tour). He is an astonishingly charismatic guide and host. I received an email today inviting me to subscribe to a 1 hour Zoom presentation on the Untold Story of Port at 6.30pm on Wednesda...
by Alex Bridgeman
19:27 Tue 14 Jul 2026
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: 2024 - did you buy any?
Replies: 14
Views: 3519

2024 - did you buy any?

George posted his thought on his tasting of the 2024 vintage and mentioned, in passing, a couple of shippers he'd purchased. I thought it might be interesting to have a thread where we discuss and record the wines we purchase from this vintage. While the better known names are quite pricey, there ar...
by Alex Bridgeman
19:15 Tue 14 Jul 2026
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: A reliable company to collect and forward bottles won at Auction
Replies: 39
Views: 65228

Re: A reliable company to collect and forward bottles won at Auction

I wonder if you could put together a file of information and hand it over to the police together with a complaint of fraud? Perhaps also backed up with a complaint to the Insolvency Service about director misconduct and to Companies House about their (deliberate?) mis-leading filing of their registe...
by Alex Bridgeman
19:06 Tue 14 Jul 2026
Forum: Reference
Topic: Taylor 80YO White - 2026 Release - video link
Replies: 2
Views: 4335

Taylor 80YO White - 2026 Release - video link

T80YOw announcement.jpg Taylor's have just announced the release of an 80YO White Port, which includes a small percentage of 1896 White (I presume from Krohn). The video is well worth a watch. One of the best videos that Taylor's have put together recently - and I am told that it was put together i...
by Alex Bridgeman
14:42 Mon 06 Jul 2026
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Julia Harding article on 2024 and 80YO Ports
Replies: 0
Views: 4995

Julia Harding article on 2024 and 80YO Ports

Julia writes on jancisrobinson.com and has just published an article on the 2024 Vintage Ports and on the 80YO / VVO tasting at the BFT.

The article sits behind the paywall on the site, but if you are a subscriber you can read her article using the link above.
by Alex Bridgeman
08:23 Sun 05 Jul 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 1982 Ramos Pinto
Replies: 6
Views: 12825

Re: 1982 Ramos Pinto

As of 28th June 2026, RP82 was still available by the glass at a price of €29 for a decent pour. I like this wine so much that I try to call in to the RP tasting room whenever I’m in Gaia.
by Alex Bridgeman
23:47 Mon 29 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Latest buy
Replies: 2481
Views: 6643935

Re: Latest buy

I came across a bottle of Warre Otima 10YO White while in Porto - the Symington’s first white with an indication of age that I am aware of. Needless to say, there was only one thing to do. Was it to yell "why?! Why?! Why would you do this?" and dash your tambuladeira to floor in the middl...
by Alex Bridgeman
17:55 Mon 29 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Latest buy
Replies: 2481
Views: 6643935

Re: Latest buy

I came across a bottle of Warre Otima 10YO White while in Porto - the Symington’s first white with an indication of age that I am aware of.

Needless to say, there was only one thing to do.
by Alex Bridgeman
21:47 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Porto dos Santos tasting notes
Replies: 0
Views: 6744

Porto dos Santos tasting notes

The eagle eyed among you will have spotted that I've just posted a dozen or so tasting notes of various Porto dos Santos Ports. That's because Frederick's Wines are now Alexandre's UK distributor and the first parcel of his wines have just arrived in LCB. I've placed a cheeky first order for 6 bottl...
by Alex Bridgeman
21:39 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: NV Porto dos Santos White 20YO (bottled 2024)
Replies: 0
Views: 7685

NV Porto dos Santos White 20YO (bottled 2024)

Drunk at lunch at with Alexandre Botelho. This was a bottle from Alexandre's own stocks. Porto dos Santos White 20YO, a blend of wines from the Baixa Corgo. Bottled in 2024, pop and poured. Rich orange, 20% opaque. A little oloroso notes on the nose, a little dried apricot. Medium sweet on the palat...
by Alex Bridgeman
21:37 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: NV Porto dos Santos White 10YO (bottled 2022)
Replies: 0
Views: 6962

NV Porto dos Santos White 10YO (bottled 2022)

Tasted at the Zwolle Port Fair on 18-Oct-2025.

NV Porto dos Santos White 10YO. Bottled 2022. Lovely smooth peach nose. Peach palate, a little honey but very smooth. A lovely mouthful of peach and red pear on the aftertaste and a finish which holds very nicely. 91/100.
by Alex Bridgeman
21:36 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: NV Porto dos Santos White 10YO (bottled 2022)
Replies: 0
Views: 7214

NV Porto dos Santos White 10YO (bottled 2022)

Bottled in 2022. Deep golden orange colour, 40% opaque. From a straight sided water glass this still managed to deliver an attractive butterscotch and apricot nose. Lovely texture on the palate; rich flavours meld together to give a lovely smooth fruit-forward palate where the ripeness of the fruit ...
by Alex Bridgeman
21:35 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: NV Porto dos Santos White 10YO
Replies: 0
Views: 6775

NV Porto dos Santos White 10YO

Gentle tropical fruit on the nose. Elegant and rounded with a balanced sweetness - caramel oozing over the top of a fresh cut lime. But the texture on the palate is so interesting, a little burnt apple, dusty with a bit of grip. A very nice example of a 10YO white. Impressive finish. My score: 89/10...
by Alex Bridgeman
21:33 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: NV Porto dos Santos White Reserve
Replies: 0
Views: 7028

NV Porto dos Santos White Reserve

NV Porto dos Santos Reserve White. The new blend from early 2025. Peach and pear on the nose. Sweet peach with a gentle bitterness on the palate. Persistent bitter quince finish. 86/100. Tasted 18-Oct-25 at the Zwolle Port Fair.
by Alex Bridgeman
21:30 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: NV Porto dos Santos White Reserve
Replies: 0
Views: 6999

NV Porto dos Santos White Reserve

NV Porto dos Santos White Reserve. Open 2 days. A dark golden colour, 20% opaque. Soft, sweet tropical fruit faint on the nose. The fruit is much more obvious on the palate, with just a little tannin holding the sweetness in check. The fruit is a little subdued on the aftertaste, but settles in with...
by Alex Bridgeman
21:29 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: NV Porto dos Santos Tawny 20YO (bottled 2022)
Replies: 0
Views: 6932

NV Porto dos Santos Tawny 20YO (bottled 2022)

NV Porto dos Santos 20YO Tawny, bottled 2022; pop and pour. At cellar temperature (12°C) this doesn’t show much on the nose but on the palate this is full of red toffee apple, candy floss and burnt sugar (and later, when a little warmer, this changed to be clover honey). The huge levels of acidity r...
by Alex Bridgeman
21:28 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: NV Porto dos Santos Tawny 10YO (bottled 2022)
Replies: 0
Views: 6865

NV Porto dos Santos Tawny 10YO (bottled 2022)

Porto dos Santos Tawny 10YO, bottled 2022. A dark chestnut brown colour with a touch of brick in the tone; very dark in the glass, 90% opaque. Rich balsamic on the nose, sweet and sour combining with an opulent umami. Concentrated date and grapefruit, dried figs and so much complex dried fruit. Yet ...
by Alex Bridgeman
21:25 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: NV Porto dos Santos Tawny 10YO
Replies: 0
Views: 7029

NV Porto dos Santos Tawny 10YO

A little dried fruit on the nose. Impressive complexity on the palate with dried fruit, dried alpine strawberries and just the right amount of acidity. Bright and full of flavour. My score: 90/100; awarded a bronze medal and 88 points in the 2024 DWWA.
by Alex Bridgeman
21:21 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: NV Porto dos Santos Tawny Reserve
Replies: 0
Views: 7021

NV Porto dos Santos Tawny Reserve

Porto dos Santos Tawny Reserve NV. Popped and poured at cellar temperature. T-stopper, no bottling date but probably within the last 2 years. Deep brick red in colour, 90% opaque. Spicy on the nose, menthol and red peppercorn. Much more balanced on the palate, still plenty of tannins in the wine but...
by Alex Bridgeman
21:19 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 1989 Porto dos Santos Colheita (bottled 2023)
Replies: 0
Views: 6855

1989 Porto dos Santos Colheita (bottled 2023)

Drunk at lunch at with Alexandre Botelho. This was a bottle from Alexandre's own stocks. Porto dos Santos 1989 Colheita, bottled 2023. 670 bottles filled from a single cask originating from the Baixa Corgo. Gentle bronze colour, 20% opaque. Rich and sweet caramel on the nose, very nicely integrated ...
by Alex Bridgeman
21:17 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: NV Porto dos Santos Ruby Reserve
Replies: 0
Views: 6956

NV Porto dos Santos Ruby Reserve

Porto dos Santos Reserve Ruby NV, open 2 hours. Sealed with a driven cork. Lavender and bramble on the sweet and dense nose. A little more refined on the palate with generous levels of young fruit wrapped in a fresh wrapper and soft tannins that only really show up on the aftertaste. A long finish o...
by Alex Bridgeman
21:16 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: NV Porto dos Santos Ruby Reserve
Replies: 0
Views: 6850

NV Porto dos Santos Ruby Reserve

Oh my, this is something rather special. Beautifully crafted with the fruit full of summer flowers, framed with gentle and dusty tannins in a way that is just so harmonious. With the structure and fruit to reward a year or few in the cellar, this is one of the best reserve ruby Ports that I have tas...
by Alex Bridgeman
21:15 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 2019 Porto dos Santos LBV
Replies: 0
Views: 6979

2019 Porto dos Santos LBV

Attractive fruit on the nose, with a nice depth to it on the palate. The tannins are well balanced within the fruit, supporting and not dominating giving the wine a wonderful texture. Very nice indeed. My score: 94/100; awarded a silver medal and 91 points in the 2024 DWWA.
by Alex Bridgeman
21:14 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 2018 Porto dos Santos LBV
Replies: 0
Views: 6942

2018 Porto dos Santos LBV

What a lovely nose, fresh flowers and fruits of the forest - so many berries crammed into a glass! Sweet and smooth in texture but a sudden harshness to the core of fruit in the wine. Big tannins grab hold and don't relent giving the wine an extraordinary and unexpected dimension. What a fabulous fi...
by Alex Bridgeman
12:50 Tue 23 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Pension port?
Replies: 21
Views: 10363

Re: Pension port?

Re: Christopher & Co. the oldest bottle for which I have photos of their bottlings is a Noval 1945 bottled 1950 [sic] (note still labelled as Vintage Port) at which point they were at 94 Jermyn St, London SW1; they were still at this address when bottling Fonseca 1955 in 1957, but had moved to ...
by Alex Bridgeman
21:41 Sat 20 Jun 2026
Forum: Reviews
Topic: 2024 Vintage - First Thoughts
Replies: 12
Views: 12086

Re: 2024 Vintage - First Thoughts

Last Thursday the AEVP organised a Port Festival in London, which included a dozen or so producers showing their 2024 Vintage Ports. Below are the tasting notes for the Ports I have not already reported on. Most are available in the UK, but if anyone wants to know where they can be bought, let me kn...
by Alex Bridgeman
23:53 Fri 19 Jun 2026
Forum: Reference
Topic: Port brand abbreviations
Replies: 452
Views: 2388192

Re: Port brand abbreviations

Now that Blackett have produced more than one vintage Port, we should have an abbreviation for them.

The obvious abbreviation is Bl, but is this too easily confused with the existing BI? If so, should we use Bk, which is currently under no threat of being confused with any other producer?
by Alex Bridgeman
18:57 Fri 19 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 2015 Poças White Colheita (bottled 2025)
Replies: 0
Views: 6645

2015 Poças White Colheita (bottled 2025)

Poças 2015 White Colheita, bottled 2025. This has become a staple of our summer. There is no time better to drink a glass of this wine than after a hard afternoon working in the garden in temperatures of 27-28C. It is full of fruit, has enough sugar to be satisfying yet enough acidity to be balanced...
by Alex Bridgeman
18:15 Fri 19 Jun 2026
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: NV Warre King's Tawny Port
Replies: 2
Views: 3465

Re: NV Warre King's Tawny Port

It is one of those wines made to a price point so it can be sold at a discounted price by a supermarket in the run up to Christmas (and remaindered just after Christmas). There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it, but neither is there anything special about it. It’s a good wine to recommend to people...