Tag Archives: port

Quinta Do Noval Silval Vintage Port 1998

Taste notes right after decanting

Clear thin red in the color, brown notes, but not going into the violet spectrum. Thin curtains on the walls of the glass.

Ripe fruit in the aroma with a dominating alcohol. Some spicy notes and darkness to it.

Good balance between tannin and fruit, warm and bossy from the alcohol. Leaves a good after taste of dried fruits. Hopefully it will become more full bodied the more air it gets.

Intermediate rating 87 / 100

Taste notes 3 hours after decanting

The color is a bit darker, it has become a more deep red.

Aroma has picked up a bit on the spices, but is still dominated by alcohol.

A bit more notes of the grapes in the taste, tannins relaxing a bit more but still a tad to the thin side.

Intermediate rating 88 / 100

Taste notes 7 hours after decanting

No significant change in color or aroma, since last taste note.

More dried fruits in the taste and a longer after taste. Alcohol has diminished a bit.

Overall rating 89 / 100

Dow Vintage Port 2004 Quinta do Bomfim #2 (2021)

This vintage port comes at a alcohol percentage of 20% in a 375 ml glass bottle.

Taste notes right after opening and decanting

Clear and deep red in the color. Heavy curtains on the sides of the glass.

Powerful dark aroma with spices and dried fruits. Complex composition.

Soft tannins with a good dried fruits taste. Medium strength and with more dried fruits in the after taste.

Drink now.

Intermediate rating 89 / 100

Taste notes 3 hours after decanting

Much more balanced tasting experience.

Overall rating 91 / 100

Quinta do Infantado Vintage Port 2007

Estimated cost of this Quinta do Infantado Vintage Port 2007 bottle of 375 ml is ? Euro.

Quinta do Infantado has been a estate-bottled port producer since 1979. Until that time, all exported Ports had to be shipped in bulk to Vila Nova de Gaia.

Taste notes right after decanting

Clear and deep red in the color, with purple notes. Light curtains on the glass.

Light aroma with a fruited darkness.

Light in the taste, very fresh. However also with a thin feeling to it. Very dry.

Intermediate rating 84 / 100

Taste notes 2 hours after decanting

Much more balance in the taste, the different taste notes come together and is more powerful.

Overall rating 88 / 100

Quinta do Grifo Vintage Port 2011 (2020)

Tasted on 23-12-2020.

Taste notes 1 hour after decanting.

Clear, but thin red in the color with hints of purple.

Powerful and spicy aroma, with a good fruit to it. Some alcohol, but not dominating.

Medium tannins, somewhere between fresh grapes and dried fruits. Young, but not that potent.

Overall rating 81 / 100

Quinta Do Portal Vintage Port 2000

Quinta Do Portal is a family owned wine yard and maker, founded in the 1990s in Porto, Portugal. The vintages from Portal is recommended to be stored for 10 years as they aim for a lighter Port to distinguish themselves form the traditional tannin heavy Douro Port.

Taste notes right after decanting

Aroma is dominated by alcohol with a thin dark spice to it.

Brown and red in the colour with orange edges.

Good balance very early, shows a fresh fruit with a sharp tannin. Comes off a little thin and with little to no after taste.

Intermediate rating 83 / 100

Taste notes 3 hours after decanting

Aroma is unchanged, alcohol is still dominating.

Colour has changed to be slightly darker, a good sign.

It has now gained some dried fruits in the after taste.

Intermediate rating 85 / 100

Taste notes 7½ hours after decanting

The alcohol is no longer dominant in the aroma, a deep and ark spicy fruit comes off nicely.

Slightly darker in the colour.

Fresh and lively wine, not full bodied in the mouth, but still with good tannin. After taste has also gained a fair amount of dried fruits and a prominent raisin.

Overall rating 88 / 100

Taste notes 26 hours after decanting. Less alcohol in the aroma, but not much fruit gained. Taste and mouth feel is more tame, tannin has worn off and it is flattening out.

Real Companhia Velha Vintage Port 1983

Real Companhia Velha was founded on the 10th of September 1756 by Royal Charter of King D. José I, under the auspices of his Prime Minister, Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, the Count of Oeiras and Marquis of Pombal. By 1781 the company was known as Royal Oporto in England. In 1960, with the support of the banker Pinto de Magalhães, Manuel da Silva Reis acquires the majority of the company and assumes its leadership.

Estimated cost of this Real Companhia Velha Vintage Port 1983 bottle of 750 ml at 20% is 50 Euro.

Taste notes right after decanting

Aroma is dominated by alcohol with a thin fruit to it.

Thin rosa in the colour with brown notes.

Strong and spicey in the mouth, warmth from alcohol and tannin with a slight sweet after taste.

Intermediate rating 86 / 100

Taste notes 3 hours after decating

Less alcohol in the aroma and the fruit notes have gained more strength.

Colour has gained more weight and is more red now.

Good tannin and fruit balance in the taste. After taste has notes of
liquorice.

Intermediate rating 89 / 100

Taste notes 22 hours after decanting

Clear dark red in the colour, no more haziness.

Good spicy aroma with a dark mysterious fruit to it.

Tannin are still alive and the after taste has grown in length.

Overall rating 91 / 100

Taste notes 48 hours after decanting

Tannin has gone soft and the fruit notes and taste experience has in general become weak.

Sandeman Vau Vintage Port 1999

Estimated cost of this Sandeman Vau Vintage Port 1999 bottle of 750 ml is 35 Euro.

Taste notes right after decanting

Light in the colour, but still resembling blood red. Thin curtains in the glass.

Weak fruit in the aroma, dominated by the alcohol.

Thin fruit taste with a light and acidity feeling in the mouth.

Intermediate rating 81 / 100

Taste notes after 4 hours

Gained some weight and a darker colour.

Intermediate rating 83 / 100

Taste notes after 9 hours

Dark red with a more brown tone to it.

More matured and in balance in the aroma, less alcohol.

Sweet fruits and tannin in a great play. Still a very dry wine with a specific figs and raisins in the after taste.

Intermediate rating 86 / 100

Taste notes after 12 hours

Much more balance in the taste, a bigger joy on the palate.

Overall rating 88 / 100

Fonseca Vintage Port 1995 #2

Estimated cost of this Fonseca Vintage Port 1995 bottle of 750 ml is 55 Euro.

Taste notes right after decanting

Light red just a few notes below blood.

Thin aroma that needs more time to develop.

Soft tannin and sweetness in the taste, but not quite balanced.

Intermediate rating 88 /100

8 hours after decanting

Dark red in the colour.

Medium strength aroma with a sweet dried fruits and alcohol.

Thin curtains on the sides of the glass.

Much more bite to the taste. Good medium strength dried fruits, sweet raisins in the after taste that has a nice length.

Overall rating 90 / 100

Pocas 10 Years Old Tawny

In 1918 Manoel Domingues Poças Júnior and his uncle established Poças & comandita. Manoel Poças receives the Quinta das Quartas, the first of the company’s wine estate in the Douro, in payment of a debt. In 1959 Manoel’s grandsons Manuel and Jorge Pintão joined the firm. In 1962 the declaration of the first Poças Vintage. In 2006 the company remains on family hands with 4 generations working together.

I bought this 375 ml half-bottle at 20% at the price of 10 Euro in a Danish supermarket.

Faint brown colour with red notes in the reflections from light.

Heavy curtains are left on the side of the glass after swinging it around, they descent very slowly.

Overwhelming sweet fruit in the aroma accompanied by a more and more dominating alcohol as the aroma is swept out of the glass.

Very hot from the alcohol, good fruit but still too thin, faint notes of aged wood barrels, as the alcohol fades away it opens up for a good dried fruits in the after-taste which has longer than expected life time.

Overall rating 88 / 100

Croft Vintage Port 2000

Estimated cost of this Croft Vintage Port 2000 bottle of 750 ml is 38 Euro.

Taste notes right after decanting

Dark red with brown notes in the colour

Has a heavy swing to it already, leaves heavy curtains on the sides of the glass

Deep dark fruit with a spiced side in the aroma. Well performing right after opening the bottle.

Warm alcohol, full bodied taste with a dark side to it, though on the weak side. Slight notes of dried fruits with short after taste.

Intermediate rating 88 /100

3 hours after decanting

The alcohol has become more dominant in the aroma and there is no change to the taste.

Intermediate rating 87 /100

7 hours after decanting

Enhanced on the sweet notes, much more open, alcohol is less warm. A specific raisin taste has come forward. 

Tannin’s are still well alive and gives a good play.

Intermediate rating 90 /100

22 hours after decanting

Red as blood.

Still some alcohol in the aroma but certainly with a much more spicy and mysterious darkness about it.

Still bite from the tannin, warmth from the alcohol and a good full bodied taste.

Clear taste of dried fruits in taste and after taste.

Overall rating 90 / 100