Blind Tasting VP 05 at Essencia

[Axel P]

The minute I arrived I was taken to a very nice room, the sala arabica, at essencia do vinho to try 5 different Vintage Ports. Very interesting as Im in the middle of the biggest VP tasting from the 05s I guess worldwide, because I think this year I got em all.

When the paper was unwrapped I was kind of shocked by two things. I totally downgraded the Niepoort, which was served first and there was one more VP, that was not on my tasting list: Quinta das Carvalhas. Further questioneerring told me, that this was made by Real Companhia Velha, who also produced a Royal Oporto 05 VP. So, what's the difference. Answer: there is none. For the portugese market this wine is labeled as a Quinta das Carvalhas and for the export market its a Royal Oporto.

I guess you could be in the Portwine-business forever and still encounter such mysteries.

Axel

[Alex Bridgeman]

Axel,

You have just answered one of the mysteries that I have been trying to answer for a while now. I own a few bottles of port with no labels but which are stoppered with corks branded as "Carvalhas Vintage 1963".

I knew that Q. das Carvalhas was the main Royal Oporto / Real Vinicola estate but did not know whether this particular 1963 port was a single quinta wine or was just exactly the same blend as the Royal Oporto.

Now I know the answer. Thanks!

Alex

[RonnieRoots]

When the paper was unwrapped I was kind of shocked by two things. I totally downgraded the Niepoort

I've tasted the Niepoort twice now, and both times didn't think it was up to normal Niepoort standards. A nice port, but lacking in structure and body.

[Simon Lisle]

Alex I last had the Royal oporto 63 twenty five years ago.Bought by my Father at a good wine outlet in Newcastle it was also labelled Quinta das Carvalhas.I thought it was a single Quinta from Royal oporto.They must have used this marketing name in Britain at that time.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Alex I last had the Royal oporto 63 twenty five years ago.Bought by my Father at a good wine outlet in Newcastle it was also labelled Quinta das Carvalhas.I thought it was a single Quinta from Royal oporto.They must have used this marketing name in Britain at that time.

I believe that Adam's merchants sold this particular port as their "own label" 1963 vintage port throughout the UK, with bottles being labelled as "Adam's 1963 Vintage Port". Perhaps they bought from an intermediary in Portugal and so also bought the Carvalhas corks rather than the Royal Oporto corks. We'll probably never know for sure.