Looking back at my notes over the past few years, whilst there have been some amazing wines, equally there has been a number of amazing Vintage Ports, many of which would rank right up there amongst the best things I have ever had.
So,
Spill it, what are your best ever Ports?
Any type, any age…
Not a lot of experience with VP but the Taylor 1970 was amazing.
I’d have to say two bottles of 1966 Graham’s Finest Reserve that I had in the summer and winter of 2007. A steal at the $65 price tag I got them for…
'63 Graham’s followed closely by the '70 Taylor’s
66 Krohn Colheita
70 Fonseca
83 Niepoort Colheita
69 Dow’s Colheita
Best showings by specific bottles:
1945 Taylor
1970 Dow
1985 Fonseca
'94 Taylor Fladgate and Fonseca.
'45 Taylor - tasted about 20 times
As posted in FTLOP, here are my top ones I drank in 2012.
This is no easy task as I was lucky to have had so many wonderful Ports this past year. Most shared with fantastic fellow Port lovers. Here’s my favorites and the winner…
Some Fav’s;
2005 Niepoort VP
1963 Niepoort VP
1963 Niepoort Colheita (b 1989)
1900 Niepoort Colheita (B 1972)
[the aforementioned at the Niepoort Gala in Seattle]
1963 Fonseca VP (the best showing I’ve ever had of this)
1952 Graham’s Single Harvest Tawny (b 2012)
1942 Graham’s VP
1957 Sandeman VP
1966 Ferreira VP
1970 Graham’s VP
But my overall favorite(s), in the following categories, are…
VP:
1927 Graham’s VP
COLHEITA (a tie):
1935 Niepoort Colheita (B 1977)
1970 Quinta do Crasto Colheita (b 2002)
LBV:
2003 Quinta do Tedo LBV
WHITE WITH AGE:
1952 Dalva Golden White
10 YEAR TAWNY:
Villar d. Allen (trial blend) I do hope this is made it was so good.
20 YEAR TAWNY:
Taylors (during the blind 20 year horizontal at my house for the FTLOP on-line tasting) So surprised and glad to see this has improved since I last had it!
30 Year Tawny
Niepoort
Young, but 1985 Fonseca
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< 1955 Taylor, an otherwordly bottle.
63 Fonseca - nothing comes close, but I do not drink much port
![[winner.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/07ec25c9fd71159fe15d7f1ba5fad64e91238d0e.gif "winner"){kind=small}
1880 Ramos Pinto from their library
1963 Taylor
1948 Graham’s
1888 Ramon Pinto (think it was 1888 - from their library)
1961 and 66 Krohn Colheita (these are very variable, as they seem to bottle them on an ongoing basis)
1970 Taylor
Cask samples: 1863 Krohn Colheita along with 1896 Krohn White and red Colheita; 2007 Quinta do Noval.
Vintage:
1896 Dow, 1994 Quinta do Noval Nacional, 1931 Noval regular bottling, 1945 Croft, 1912 Vargellas and Cockburn’s, 1967/1963 Quinta do Noval Nacional, 1985/1948 Fonseca, 1945/1948 Taylor, 1927/1945 Niepoort.
10 Year Old Tawny - Quinta da Romaneira
20 Year Old Tawny - Ferreira’s Duque de Braganca
30 Year Old Tawny - S. Leonardo
40 Year Old Tawny - tie: Quinta da Romaneira and Brunheda
Bottled Colheitas:
White - 1917 Niepoort & 1952 Dalva
red - 1863/1935/1912 Niepoort, 1910/1900 J.H. Andresen, 1937/1976 Krohn, 1952/1957 Kopke, 1890/1937 Burmester, 1900 Ferreira and their 1863 “Vezuvio”, 1870/1896 Real Companhia Velha
LBV’s - 1994 Quinta do Noval, 1994 Poças, 2007 Fonseca
Oh yeah, how could I forget the 31 Quinta Nacional, which made the 45 Taylor taste like water…
I’ve not had a lot of Ports, but this is my runaway choice as well.
Don’t drink much ports. '63 Dow or '85 Fonseca come to mind.