Yes, we do agree quite often on most VP’s … even from cask, but maybe that’s because we have had so many hundreds or is it thousands of glasses of Port together over the years?
Anyway, no harm, no foul and I respect your palate and knowledge of Port … GREATLY! Few people I know in the USA have anywhere close to your experience or depth of tasting when it comes to Port or DOC Douro wines.
Nothing wrong with adding scores at this point, as these VPs are in such an awkward infant phase at this point (without even opening eyes yet), but good on you for doing so. This early, I figure people can gain as much from a TN as a score which as you’ve mentioned is likely going to be changing one way or another. As we’ve seen from all the other wine journos doing their snapshot thing too, scores can vary wildly. I won’t name names but I am sure you catch my reference.
David,
Don’t get to wrapped up in that one tiny part of my note. As I mentioned, it was tighted and clipped then more expressive later in my glass. This can be quite normal for such a young monster. Oh the hazards of writting up TN’s on such young beasts. LOL.
We’re well in multi-thousands by now I’m sure!!!
Yes, it always strikes me how some reviewers can definitively score such young VP during these short “snap-shot” tastings where one spends 10-15 minutes max per VP. I, like you, know a person should really spend 2-4 days with the same bottle to get a true sense of how it will perform for the long haul.
Yes they have. The Symington’s have turned this into their premier house to publicise. Well deserved IMO. I’ve done several extensive and smaller verticals of their Classic Declarations and of non-classicly declared years where they released the Malvedos (Since late 1990’s called Quinta dos Malvedos). I have been very impressed and IMO Graham’s is one of the most consistant houses in the past 60 years.
I attended the New York event and was also quite impressed with the wines. My biggest problem with them, and the reason I will not buy, is that I won’t be around when they reach their glorious age of maturity.
I was just about to respond to Andy’s relatively low Dow score. But I am with Roy here; far and away my favorite classic vintage of the tasting (although I scored it the same as the wonderful old vine single quinta Cappela). It just screamed its class; with great length and incredible freshness.
I also did find many fairly pruney wines, particularly the Warre and the Cockburn.
I really have not tasted enough wines to talk about the overall vintage. There is a lot of hype with the 2011s, and based on the wines I tasted, I don’t think it is a home run for every estate. However, if I were still buying young Port, I would seriously consider Dow.
Hi,
I was wondering if someone who has tasted the 2011 ports could compare the current vintage to any of the previous vintages in terms of your first impressions of it?
I do realize that the current samples are volatile and far from settled, but if we talk in terms of first impressions, that should be the case universally for all vintages…
Thanks!
Charles Symington has compared their 2011’s to how their 1994’s were when cask samples. If that works out to be true in the long run, and I have no reason to doubt him, then their 2011’s should be fantastic in the long run as 1994 was and still is a fantastic year for VP. I’ve not yet heard any other producer give a comparison to another of their vintages but when I do I’ll report back.
Yes, I am very good friends with a number of people on that forum, including “AHB” who posted his TN’s. He has a very good palate and writes good TN’s. One of the few people’s who’s Port palate I trust.
I got married in 2011 an would like to get a handful of halves, but am an occasional drinker of Port and don’t have any in my cellar. How are the house styles different for Dow, Croft, Graham, Warre, Taylor and Fonseca? Classic vs Modern, longevity, etc. I could get one of each but I generally like more classically styled wines with Cali, Italy and BDX, more aromatic, more acids and minerality.
Backfilling older more mature vintages such as 1983, 1977 and 1970 which are drinking well now makes sense as these wines are generally undervalued for their quality and can mostly be drunk now with upside potential for the best wines.
Based upon the tannic comparision to 1994 it sounds like 15-25 years will be needed for the 2011’s to start coming into focus. That is a long investment in time when older vintages can be enjoyed now for not too much more.
G. Bienstock, not sure what you mean re: 1994 tannins. The big complaint of many 1994s when they were at this exact same stage was that they lacked structure and would never live for the long haul. Of course the pundits were wrong. Like some 2011’s the tannins were just subverted to the massive layers of fruit during their infant phase.
Given how much more approachable Vintage Ports have become since about 1994-1997, due to higher quality aguardente, the mix of vineyards between block planting and those with field blends … that are now in many cases, fermented separately … the approachability factor is greater than ever whilst young. I am not espousing the virtues of drinking Vintage Ports when they are so young, just saying that they are certainly capable of delivering lots of pleasure in a similar way to many well=made Bordeaux. I prefer mature VP, but have learned to be able to appreciate the occasional young bottle too.
I’m not sure you can call VP modern in the same way you can classify many of today’s dry wines as classic vs. modern. They style of VP really hasn’t changed much at all.
It’s difficult to make broad assumptions but generally I find the following houses to have these traits.
Dow - slightly drier profile, a little austere when young, more powerful than elegant, but not the brute force like Fonseca
Croft - Softer more red fruit driven (2003 being a notable exception)
Graham - sweeter, with tobacco/cedar as it ages, one of the most consistent houses over the past 60 years.
Warre - more elegant and subtle like a Rolls Royce
Taylor - rough and tumble as a youngster, mid ground of sweet vs. dry, with a touch of spirit
Fonseca - Brute force, tannic, sweeter than the Talyor to me. Warre’s being a Rolls Royce, this would be a Ferrari.
I’ve not yet had the 2011 Croft/Taylor/Fonseca so can’t speak yet as to how those are. The others I’ve had and you won’t go wrong with any of them.
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