Real Vinicola has the longest continuous history of any of today’s producers of Duoro wines. Founded in 1889 under contract with the Portuguese government, it was entrusted with the task of selling wines from various regions in northern Portugal, including Duoro red wines and port wines.

They bought Quinta do Sibio in 1934 and has declared this as Single Quinta Vintage Port. Quinta do Sibio was known as Quinta do Jordão and was planted by Jose Joaquim Pereri Jordão in the 1860s and 1870s. The quinta was in the hands of the Jordão family until 1934 when Real Companhia Vinícola purchased it.

Real Vinicola was bought by Real Companhia Velha in 1963, but the quinta was still sold under the Real Vinicola label.

I bought this 750 ml bottle at 21% as part of a auction lot, this bottle was about 32 Euro.

It was decanted for 6 hours.

Light red see through with brown tones to the colour.

The aroma is dominated by the alcohol over a spiced dried fruits.

Tasting is warm, some tannin, a weak fruit and ends in the sweet end with a little peak of tannin.

By time the alcohol became less dominant and the taste was a bit more balanced, but not a great port.

Overall rating 85 / 100

The Bergqvist family has been making port since 1815. Quinta de Ia Rosa was given as a christening present for Claire Feuheerd, Sophia’s grandmother, in 1906. The family port shipping company, Feueheerd, was sold in the 1930s but La Rosa was kept and run by Sophia’s grandmother, Claire. In 1988 Sophia and her father, Tim Bergqvist, decided to restart the family business and launched Quinta de Ia Rosa as a top quality port producer onto the market place.

I have this 750 ml bottle at 20% from a auction lot. It is a rarely seen vintage year from Quinta De La Rosa.

2 hours in the decanter

Clear and light red colour with amber notes.

Aroma comes off with spices, warmth, dried fruits and they play between them is rather pleasant.

Tannin is strong and together with the alcohol it comes off rather hard in the start. It is more spiced than fruity and it is dry and fresh.

4 hours in the decanter

It has darkened up a little bit.

The aroma is much more fruitful.

Taste is the same and tannin is still dominating.

8 hours in the decanter

No difference from the above.

48 hours after decanting, on the bottle again

More fruit and some oak have started to shine through. Less tannin but it still comes off with a bite and the after taste is not overwhelming with dried fruits and sweetness.

I would say that it needs more than 8 hours in the decanter, the tannin are simply too rough and needs some more air to get the port to come better together. It is a very closed wine that needs some time and attention on when it is ready to drink.

I will save my last bottle of it for another 5 years and see how it is by then.

Overall rating 89 / 100

Read all about Offley at: Visiting Offley in Porto

I bought this vintage port in a local supermarket in Odense, Denmark, it was on offer at 30 Euro. 750ml bottle at 20,5%.

It is only 13 – 14 years old and is properly still too young.

The colour is dark red almost bordeaux.

Taste notes 1 hour after decanting.

Weak fruit to the aroma that is dominated by the alcohol.

Tasting is dry, warm, tannin and some unbalanced notes that almost made me think it was a little corked.

Taste notes 24 hours after decanting.

The dried fruit shines more through in the aroma and alcohol is less dominant.

The taste still have a dry heavy start from the tannin and a great warmth. The unbalanced mentioned earlier is gone and a good after taste finishes it.

It should properly get some more years in the cellar, it lacks the complexity in the taste and a balance in aroma and taste.

Overall rating 87 / 100