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I could probably make the 24th. I can’t make the 10th (or 17th).

Every bottle I own, I intend to drink - but some of them will be special enough for me to want to keep the empty bottle on my wall of fame. I’m also realistic enough to accept that I am likely to be leaving some very nice bottles for my children, so tend not to open that many bottles from their birt...

Once a week, it’s Friday night — so why not open something nice? It’s lovely, but needs lots of time in the decanter to unwind. It’s like a coiled spring at the moment…

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Thank you so much for taking the time to write up your visit to Portugal. I spent a very happy half hour reading the thread and imagining I was there with you.

I’m happy to provide Cr45 so Ian can open his another time.

This was an announcement I didn’t expect to see.

BB&R and SFE bid to acquire Hambledon Vineyard.

The penultimate wine was the only wine from the Symingtons, Graham’s Ne Oublie from 1882. This is a wine which was bought in the 1920s by Andrew James Symington, quite possibly because that was the year he arrived in Portugal to join the wine trade. He bought four casks, one of which was used over t...

Staying with the order of vintages, next up was the Whitwham’s 1880 Millennium Port. From what I have been able to learn, there are two different Whitwham’s Millennium Ports, the 1853 and the 1880. It seems that both were identified in the 1990s by Cristiano van Zeller as family reserve wines which ...

Alex Bridgeman wrote: ↑14:17 Thu 14 Sep 2023 So long as the tasting is not on the 14th, I should be available.

Not sure which vintage(s) I have on hand, but I’ll check and let you know.

I should be able to fill a gap or two from the earlier vintages from the bottles I have at home.

The Taylor 1863 was our next wine. Two casks of this pre-phylloxera wine were acquired as part of Taylor’s purchase of Wiese & Krohn. These casks might well have been one of the first wines bought by Wiese & Krohn when they were set up in 1865. Wiese & Krohn had seen the success of Scion...

Mature copper red colour, 40% opaque. A little VA shows on the nose, mixed in with a little dried red fruit. Nice texture on the palate with powerful dried red fruit and powdery tannins. A little of the light VA shows a volatile tone on the aftertaste before dried herbs, green nettles and cranberry ...

Shipped by Smith Woodhouse. Deep red colour, opaque with a medium rim. Great nose, full of fruit, fruit which is sweet juicy black cherry - a very fine nose. Neutral entry, surprisingly lacking the fruit promised by the nose. Closed on the mid-palate. Some fruit, which is black cherry, but oddly unb...

Deep red colour with no bricking; opaque centre. Youthful nose, full of primary fruit; a really lovely nose. Juicy and primary fruit on the palate, powerful tannins hiding just below the surface of the deep rich fruit. The primary fruit dominates the palate but dry, dark chocolate shows on the after...

Opened at 21.00 and decanted at 04.30. Mature copper red colour, 30% opaque. Vivacious nose, rich and full of mature fruit; very lovely. Lightly flavoured palate, disappointing with its lack of intensity compared to the nose. Gentle, sweet but not showing much fruit. Dry aftertaste and a limited fin...

A lovely red ochre colour, mature and only 30% opaque. Delicious nose, with lots of fully mature fruit. Satin texture on the palate, rich in the flavours of mature and spiced red fruit. Generous levels of acidity and some remnants of tannins. Rich and complex, very enjoyable - a definite fireside Po...

Mature red colour, 30% opaque. VA on the nose and on the palate. Such a disappointment. Served blind, was guessed to be Niepoort 1991. Bottled for Tanners 150th anniversary and the centenary of the Symington's ownership of Quinta dos Malvedos. Not Rated. Decanted10½ hours.

Deep red colour with an element of bricking in the tone; 90% opaque. Quite closed on the nose, showing some fruit but the fruit is distinctly primary in nature. Youthful but smoothed by age on the palate, lots of tannins in the young fruit. Big and powerful and very impressive on the palate. More an...

Opened at 10.00, decanted at 13.00 and drunk at 20.30. Deep red but mature in tone; 30% opaque. Delicious on the nose, lots of fruit but some hints of harshness and definite freshness to the red fruit. Smooth and very fruity on the palate with rich and luscious mature fruit. Balanced so well with pl...

Deep red, mature tone with a little fine sediment in the centre; 40% opaque. Astringent but fruity nose. Forceful and firm entry onto the palate bringing mature fruit but still with substantial primary tones, rich without being over the top. Plenty of acidity and gentle tannins mingle with the fruit...

Copper red colour, 50% opaque. Gentle, mature nose showing only a little pleasant fruit. Smooth texture but with an odd and unpleasant woody tone to the late palate. A big aftertaste showing a little harsh cranberry, harsh but intensely flavoured aftertaste and a medium length finish. 86/100. Decant...

Bottled by Grants of St. James's. Copper red colour, 40% opaque. A lovely nose, sweet and fragrant fruit gently spiced with mace and All Spice. Smooth texture, mature fruit with a coffee undertone. Rich, dried red fruit and dried figs; complex and very finely balanced giving an impression of richnes...

Selected by Bartholomew Broadbent from Niepoort stocks and blends. An attractive mature red colour, more red pigment than the Taylor 1969 Crusted or the Taylor Vargellas 1969 tasted alongside this wine. Strong VA on the nose and palate making the wine quite revolting. Not Rated. Decanted 8½ hours.

Mature mid-red colour, 40% opaque. Gently scented nose, marred by harsh alcohol protruding from the fruit. Nice texture, watery rather than thick, on the palate with rich and mature flavours. Spicy and lively with the fruit comfortably in its secondary phase, showing raisins and sultanas. Very vibra...

As am I. My TNs are being posted now...