Quinta do Javali Special Reserve

15.5 / 20

Producer: Quinta do Javali

Region:Porto

Country:Portugal

This is probably a reserve ruby, although that's not explicit from the label or the info on their site. Very fruit forward on the nose, lots of red sweet morello cherries along with some plums and raisins impressions.

Keeps the same approach in the mouth, revealing itself as a young, lightly structured wine. Pleasant enough, I just felt the spirit was a bit too harsh, the alcohol a little too much in the foreground. But this is probably the profile for their ports, as I felt the same thing with their 10-year old tawny.

For that reason, serve it lightly chilled and it be a good apetizer.

Messias Colheita 1977

17.5 / 20

Producer: Messias

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

The first colheita I tasted from Messias, this 1977 was bottled in 2007 and is showing very well at the moment, the spirits here already tamed and integrated into the whole wine.

Really interesting, complex nose where dried fruits mingle with some exotic woods in a sweet, honeyed background.

Smooth and layered in the palate, honey and caramel, rasins and dried plums, the spirits give it some acidity and freshness. Delicate, smooth caramel notes come up as well in a smooth, elegant and velvety body. Great, long finish. Amazing value for the price.

Quinta do Javali 10 Years Old Tawny

16 / 20

Producer: Quinta do Javali

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

Opened this for the Christmas season - the goal was to have a good companion for the after dinner cigars so I thought this 10 year tawny would still have the strength to go down well with cigars and maybe pair with some leftover desserts.

Keeping on the dessert theme, english cake was the first thing that came to mind in the bouquet - a mixture of spices, crystalized fruits in a background of sweetness. When I first poured it, I felt the aguardente was too much to the foreground, hiding the more subtle aromas.

That same feeling marked the first taste, with the aguardente giving it a drier style, but at the same time taking the cherry notes to an almost kirsch level, which was not what I expected. Given time, this is corrected and the wine comes along as a very well balanced tawny, with a good acidity and a decent amount of dried sweet figs.

Niepoort Late Bottled Vintage 2007

15.5 / 20

Producer: Niepoort

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

Bottled a year ago or earlier this year, this Late Bottled Vintage feels very closed.

The nose feels very subdued and disperse, showing some plums and not much else. Later, much later some almonds and dried fruits also show up, along with chemical paper notes.

More expressive in the palate, but also showing some signs of youth, with dry, hard tannins in the foreground, almost hiding the dense sweet fruit that seems to be underneath.

Surprisingly, while showing a lot of structure and density, the finish is somewhat short.

2007 having been a year for very powerful, intense wines from the Douro, it seems this one needs some time in the bottle to soften and become more approachable.

Right now, it's not a very friendly, inviting wine.

Offley Late Bottled Vintage 1997

16.5 / 20

Producer: Offley

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

This one looks a lot younger than its 15 years. Starting by the color, a really dark purple, and carrying on to the nose, where a lot of black berries are still very present, along with a slight more chemical paper feel and the usual dried plums, raisins and a hint of spices. Very intense and vibrant bouquet.

Good intensity on the palate as well, its good structure showing some distinct layers where sweet black fruits mix with sweeter notes, a touch of syrup but still brought together by a nice lingering acidity. Good, strong and lengthy ending.

A notch up from the 200 LBV I tasted a year or so from the same brand and another piece of evidence in favour of older LBVs.

Quinta do Portal Vintage 1999

16.5 / 20

Producer: Quinta do Portal

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

Good, dark ruby color when poured in the glass, the nose is filled with spices, raisins and dried plums and apricots. Also present in the background are cocoa and coffe and, at times, some ripe red berries also come up.

Its 13 years have erased most of the rough edges, the wine feeling very round in the palate, the tannins very integrated into the set, just present enough to give it some bite, and the ripe red fruits not overpowering the other components of the wine. Nevertheless, a full bodied wine, still very imposing where dried fruits and spices mingle with the ripe red fruit to create a good taste. Finish is quite long.

Feels ready to drink and enjoy right now - at its price, a really enjoyable Vintage.

Tasted on 2012-09-09

Quinta do Castelinho Late Bottled Vintage 1994

15.5 / 20

Producer: Quinta do Castelinho

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

An older late bottled vintage, this Quinta do Castelinho was made in an excellent year for Port. 1994 was probably the best year for Port Vintage in the last decade of the twentieth century. The color on this LBV showed some signs of age, being a bricky red/orange veering into light brown.

Very old Port on the nose, sweet, yellow sugar, some spices, dried plums and raisins. Correct and pleasant, if not very exciting.

Feels very light and round in the palate, with lots of yellow sugar and honey notes. Although it feels like it has starting to go downhill, it has a good, inviting presence with dried plums and rasins appearing in an ending that still manages to show some life.

I would not wait anymore to start drinking this one.

Tasted on 2012-08-07

Quinta dos Malvedos Vintage 1999

17.0 / 20

Producer: Graham's

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

In the years when there is no general Vintage declaration and the classical vintages are not bottled, single quinta vintages are usually produced - at least recently. More easily approachable in their youth than the classical vintages, these usually offer great value for a lower price than their classical cousins - and sometimes they're every bit as good as them (I'm thinking Quinta do Vesúvio right now).

This port is the single quinta from Graham's. The grapes used for this wine are usually the backbone of the great Graham's vintages. I had the opportunity to taste this wine a year and a half ago in a wine fair in Oporto and was completely blown away by it - amazing aromas and flavors and an amazing depth and complexity.

This time, the wine felt more restrained and closed than before. Although allowed a good decanting time, it never seemed to get to that level of expressiveness that I remembered. Lots of plums in the nose, a touch of oak/smoke, some raisins. Feels very young and restrained, as if the full set of aromas are there but unable to break out.

Still impressively structured in the palate, with really velvet smooth tannins and a good acidity, it shows some meaty red plums - also some dried plums and raising give it some residual sweetness. Really good persistence.

I'd say that you should not drink this right now. It's probably going through a closed phase right now - not uncommon in vintage Port. Hold on to it for a couple of years more - it should be worth it.

Tasted on 2012-07-07

Churchill's LBV 1999

16.5 / 20

Producer: Churchill Graham

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

Dark in the glass, almost black, this Late Bottled Vintage has loads of chocolate and cocoa notes in the nose, along with jammy cherries and blackcurrants. Feeling very closed and subdued at first, with a strong emphasis on the oak side and a slight chemical side, it opens up to a more fruit-forward wine as it breathes.

Brilliantly structured in the palate, with lively, round tannins and very sweet and dense, almost chewy, it does not feel heavy at all since it has a fresh, alive acidity that keeps it very interesting. Again, as in the nose, the first tastes are very marked by cocoa/chocolate and oak that overpower the sweet, dense fruit that can be felt underneath. But given time, things tend to balance out and the fruit appears more to the foreground. Good, long finish marked by cocoa beans finish this up.

A good match for a cigar after dinner, this will undoubtedly last for quite some years in the bottle. If you decide to open it now, give it an hour or so in the decanter before consuming it.

Tasted on 2012-05-05

Barão de Vilar Late Bottled Vintage 2005

15.5 / 20

Producer: Barão de Vilar

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

Dark purple in the glass, this 6-year old Late Bottled Vintage has quite a closed bouquet, with some ripe red and black fruits, a lingering jammy trace and some more chemical paper in the background.

Also feeling very closed in the palate, big bodied, almost chewable and sporting some hard, uncompromising tannins. Good, refreshing acidity gives it some air in a taste where the layers of red and black fruits are still hidden beneath some very hard tannins. Hints of pepper in the long finish.

Definitely one to leave in the cellar for some years. It certainly felt as if it needed a lot of time to mature and mellow.

Tasted on 2012-03-04

Ramos Pinto Vintage 1924

18.5 / 20

Producer: Ramos Pinto

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

I think, from what I've read, this was the first vintage ever from Ramos Pinto. And almost 90 years later, I can saely say it was an excellent premiére.

Amber in the glass, almost golden, this has an amazing bouquet, rich in complexity and subtlety with notes of wax, tobacco, old wood and dried fruits. There are also some lovely cocoa and coffee hints that add to an exquisite and fabulous nose.

On first impact in the palate, what stands out are milk chocolate notes, quickly followed by leather and dried fruits. Fantastic life for its age, still showing some strength, this has one of those never ending, immense finishes that seems to linger forever.

Tasted on 2012-02-06

Ramos Pinto Vintage 1983

18.0 / 20

Producer: Ramos Pinto

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

Showing some evolution in color, this vintage has a wonderfully complex bouquet, where dried fruits mingle with burnt sugars, cherry jams and a definite smoky feel. Very refined and balanced.

Exceptional acidity and freshness in the palate, this shows a lot of spices, cherries and dried fruits in a very layered, potent and structured body that has had enough time to mellow and refine. Seems to be at a really nice drinking window, expertly balancing strength and refinement. Very long finish.

At the tasting event where I tasted this vintage, we also had the opportunity to taste the Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca varietals that went into this blend. The differences between these two and the final blend are amazing: The two varietals felt a lot more tired than the blend, having lost most of their fruit and strength. Touriga Nacional is an exceptional grape, but it cannot compete with a carefully selected blend.

Tasted on 2012-01-28

Ramos Pinto Vintage 1994

17.0 / 20

Producer: Ramos Pinto

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

Garnet with a slight brownish tinge, this vintage from probably the best year in the 1990s still shows a good amount of sweet red fruit on the nose, along with sweeter, jammier notes. Some almonds and hazelnuts also appear, along with some spices.

Good body, with a sweeter approach, this is a balanced, already tamed by time vintage. In my opinion, it has a profile close to some Colheitas, with dried fruits, some sweetness and tamed tannins that make it very approachable.

Tasted on 2012-01-19

Ramos Pinto Vintage 1997

17.0 / 20

Producer: Ramos Pinto

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

Light ruby with a slight garnet tinge, the nose shows some signs of evolution, with raisins and prunes taking center stage along with some spices and toffee.

Feeling quite tamed in the mouth, this is a delicate and elegant wine still showing a lot of fruit, although its age is starting to show in some more tertiary, sweeter flavors. Good finale with some smoke hints and toffee.

Although this is a good vintage, it felt a bit subdued and hidden. Maybe it's going through a sleeping phase right now, as some vintages seem to do.

Tasted on 2012-01-10

Ramos Pinto Vintage 2003

18.0 / 20

Producer: Ramos Pinto

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

Dark, concentrated purple in the glass, the nose on this vintage is still a bit closed, although it still manages to show lots of red fruits, some mint and a marked and intense flowery side.

Very structured and powerful in the mouth, with some very hard tannins that still are not hard enough to hide the intense red fruit notes on this. Huge persistence that almos numbs the palate.

This is a very powerful vintage that will definitely grow for some decades - hide some bottles in the cellar.

Tasted on 2011-12-30

Burmester Selected Tawny 2001

15.0 / 20

Producer: Burmester

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

Probably an older bottling, since the current Burmester brands do not include a Selected Tawny, this was probably a young tawny, since its color is still very much on the red side with some brown hue - older tawnies usually are more amber or orange.

Dried plums and yellow sugar on the nose, some toffee, almonds and hazelnuts and a background of spices combine into a nice, yet a bit sweet bouquet.

The sweetness is also prevalent on the palate, although a still decent acidity helps to balance it. Soft bodied and sometimes letting the alcohol feel a bit too harsh, I think it would benefit if it had a bigger structure.

Nice, solid finish that leaves toffee and spices notes in the palate.

Tasted on 2011-12-28

Ramos Pinto Vintage 1970

19.0 / 20

Producer: Ramos Pinto

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

Garnet with a brownish tinge, this 1970 vintage is an imposing, complex and lively wine.

Although subdued at first, the nose quickly grows and becomes amazing, with dried orange skin, some coffee, almonds and hazelnuts and a healthy dose of spices. Layered and complex, it has the kind of bouquet that will keep you swirling the glass for hours.

As expected, very round and inviting in the palate. In the mouth, it still shows some nice red fruits, but it is mainly driven by spices, dried fruits, cocoa and some honey in the finish. Incredible acidity for its age, this is an astonishingly elegant and sophisticated wine, with an huge persistence that leaves notes of honey and caramel on the mouth.

Tasted on 2011-12-24

Ramos Pinto Vintage 2007

17.5 / 20

Producer: Ramos Pinto

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

Dark purple, this 2007 vintage has a intense, concentrated bouquet. Some chemical and mineral notes, loads of red berries and a strong sense of rockroses mark the nose.

As usual for vintages this young and specially from 2007, this has an immense structure, with hard, strong tannins which are matched in intensity by the fresh acidity and an astonishing quantity of red berries. Very vigorous, this finishes in a long and imposing way.

Definitely, a vintage to keep for a long time, although it can be tasted right now, if you serve it slightly chilled and give it some decanter time (some 2 or 3 hours).

Tasted on 2011-12-18

Quinta da Ervamoira Vintage 2007

17.5 / 20

Producer: Ramos Pinto

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

Another Ramos Pinto vintage presented late October in a special tasting, this is the single quinta brand for Ramos Pinto. 2007 was a very special year for vintage port, allowing some incredibly powerful wines that will last decades, and this one was no exception.

Very dark colored, the nose is very intense and complex. Some chemical notes, intense flowers and red sweet berries are abundant and almost overwhelming. Also some almonds and dried prunes.

As expected, this is a powerful, untamed, almost chewable wine in the mouth. Very structured, with some pretty hard tannins that stick to your gums, a vibrant acidity and loads and loads of sweet red berries. Finish is very long and shows some subtle vegetable notes.

I'd say this is a wine to keep for a couple of decades before drinking. But if you like young vintages, then this is a good example from a brilliant year. Allow it at least a couple of hours in the decanter and serve it around 14º to ease out the hard tannins.

Will go well with dark chocolate or strong cheeses.

Tasted on 2011-12-04

Ramos Pinto Vintage 1931

19.5 / 20

Producer: Ramos Pinto

Region: Porto

Country: Portugal

One of the vintages presented at a great tasting event - the last 2 centuries of Ramos Pinto Vintages - that took place in Lisbon last month, this was, in my opinion, one of the highlights - which is saying a lot, since all the wines presented were of the highest quality.

Amber colored, the nose is, at first, a little subdued, with some hazelnuts, spices, a touch of iodine. It gains some strength as it breathes, old cupboards come to mind and finally, notes of cocoa and chocolate appear. Twenty minutes after being poured, the nose on this wine is completely unreal, showing a complexity, strength and life beyond expectation.

The palate follows through. On first impact, iodine and hazelnuts take center stage. Spices join the dried fruits making a not very sweet mouth. Acidity is amazing for a 80 year old wine, still vibrant and alive. Marvelously structured, with a ridiculously long finish that leaves cocoa and chocolate impressions.

But again, it's the way the wine grows in the glass that blew me away and make this a truly outstanding wine. 80 year old wines are not supposed to gain complexity and life when exposed to oxygen. Certainly not like this one. Truly otherworldly.

Tasted on 2011-11-26