Fonseca en Taylor's Vintage Port 2007

Bedankt voor de info. Inmiddels van beide VP's een kistje besteld.

Voor de liefhebbers, ik vond dit nog op Squires, proefnotities van Neal Martin. Hier komen Fonseca en Taylor's ook goed voor de dag.

2007 Skeffington Vintage Port 89

The Skeffington 2007 has a deep, quite luscious nose with blackberry, black cherries, liquorices, raisin, scorched leather and roasting hazelnuts. Good definition and lift. The palate is understated on the entry, very smooth and feminine but then those spicy black fruits hit the back palate. Fine tannins, just a little dry and foursquare on the finish but it punches above its weight.

2007 Croft Vintage Port 93

There is a nice limpidity on this Croft 2007. It is not the power that strikes you but the purity with black cherries, liquorices, violets and a hint of iodine. Very tight and focused. The palate is full-bodied with chewy tannins on the entry, pure blackberry, raspberry, white pepper and Asian spice towards the finish. Very fine focus, very pure and harmonious. Sensuous finish but it just tapers away when I need more grip and assertiveness. Still, this is a lovely Croft.

2007 Fonseca Vintage Port 96

A limpid purple garnet core. The nose is quintessential Fonseca, like a riotous party reaching its crescendo in the glass. Macerated black cherries, eau-de-vie, damson, fig and a touch of Seville orange. Then what is fascinating is that the uproar dies down with aeration, becomes more focused…as if the host has asked everyone to quieten down. The palate is powerful and spicy on the entry, sweet ripe black berried fruits, a touch of spice, fig and apricot, lovely cohesion and weight building towards a deeply joyous finish that lacquers the mouth in port-like reverie. Perhaps more approachable than the 2000 or the 2003 at this stage, this is a marvellous Fonseca.

2007 Taylors Vintage Port 97

Remarkably deep in colour, almost to the verge of being opaque. The nose is very well defined but much more introverted than Fonseca – aloof, stentorian, correct. The palate is full-bodied, beautifully defined, great weight that is channelled in one direction. Brilliant focus here, less extrovert than Fonseca of course but more refined and sophisticated. Certainly this is a Taylors for long-term ageing, one can feel it reserving its energy for 20-years down the line. Great backbone here. Very harmonious towards the finish that really caresses the palate, with a hint of white pepper lingering in the mouth. Wonderful.

2007 Taylors Vino Verdhe Vintage Port 92

A deep garnet core, less opaque than the regular Taylors Vintage. There is a real warmth to the nose, more red-berried fruit than black, raspberry, hot bricks, tertiary and feral. Well defined and very complex. The palate is full-bodied, very sumptuous on the entry with raspberry, cherry, spice, cracked black pepper. Nice weight, quite fleshy towards the finish that has a sedate, elegant quality to it. Very good length. But if push came to shove, I prefer the regular Taylors this year as it seems to have a little more backbone.

2007 Quinta da Noval Silval 91

A limpid purple hue. The nose is very lifted and pure with crème de cassis, blackberry, a touch of earth/sous-bois and a hint of leather. Nice lift and vigour. The palate is medium-bodied, velvety on the entry and then firms up towards a more masculine finish with blackberry, spice, a touch of eau-de-vie and cassis. Just a little short towards the finish and not as expressive or refined as the Romaneira, but still very fine.

2007 Quinta da Romaneira Vintage Port 95

Christian Seely’s own property. Even more opaque than the Silval, this has a very expressive nose with blackberry, liquorices, a touch of fruitcake and freshly tilled soil. Good definition. The palate has wonderful concentration, with an almost viscous texture, good acidity cutting through those layers of rich black, saturated fruit, leading to a honeyed, svelte finish that caresses the mouth like Fonseca. Superb.

2007 Quinta da Noval Vintage Port 95+

Again, very deep in colour, deep purple. The nose is deep and broody – you have to really stick your nose in the glass. But it has so much primal intensity: blackberry, raspberry, liquorice, fruitcake, a touch of Indian ink. Wonderful definition – great clarity here. The palate has a rounded, quite approachable texture, extremely pure with luscious black fruits entwined with white pepper, crème de menthe, damson and black plum. So harmonious towards the finish. Beautiful.

2007 Smith-Woodhouse Vintage Port 92

Brambly black fruit on the nose with touches of cigar box, fireside hearth, just a faint touch of wild mint. Good definition although it does not have the same level of vigour as other 2007 ports. The palate is medium-bodied with great purity on the entry. A port defined by its elegance – almost understated but it builds beautifully. Fine tannins on the finish, touches of cloves and ginger lingering on the aftertaste. Perhaps earlier drinking but very refined.

2007 Quinta do Vesuvio Capela 90

There is a lot of vigour on the nose, although I find this a little “unruly” with just a touch of alcohol and heat that is detracting. Soft entry, nice purity on the palate but overall it is quite simple, with blackberry, black olive, maraschino and blueberry. Linear towards the sensuous, candied finish. This is an approachable 2007 vintage port that should drink well between 10-20 years.

2007 Quinta do Vesuvio 94

A blend of 55% Touriga Nacional and 45% Tinta Franca, picked at 3.80 Baume (the former on 30 year old vines at just 0.7kg/vine). A deep, opaque purple colour. The nose is reticent at first, reluctantly revealing macerated black cherries, blueberry, violets and a touch of rose petals. Very feminine and refined. The palate is medium-bodied, very fine tannins with blackberry, Xmas cake, ginger and a touch of dark honey towards the finish. It has a very attractive sense of energy and tension towards the finish. Good length. A vivacious Vesuvio!

2007 Graham’s Vintage Port 92

Picked at 4.1 Baume, 40% Touriga Nacional, 25% Tinta Franca, 20% old vines, 10% Tinta Barocca and 5% Tinta Roriz, The Graham’s has an intense, earthy nose with introverted blackberry, wild hedgerow, liquorices, cassis and a touch of burnt honey. The palate is very spicy on the entry, succulent black fruits, cloves, ginger, very refined on the finish, perhaps more approachable than other 2007 ports. Very focused and harmonious but perhaps I would have like more complexity that may come with age.

2007 Dow Vintage Port 96

Picked at a lower Baume than the Grahams (3.4) with the backbone sourced from Touriga Nacional in Bomfim this has a more austere nose, introverted with blackberry, cigar box, raspberry leaf, a touch of cold stones and blueberry. Complex but you have to come to it – it does not come to you. The palate is masculine, aloof, beautifully balanced, spicy and earthy. Very structured on the mid-palate, almost foursquare but I find the focus and the sense of symmetry bewitching. Not a port that will please everyone, but one that Dow-lovers will adore. That includes me by the way. Aristocratic!

2007 Warres Vintage Port 90

This has an expressive nose with blackberry, raspberry liqueur, crème de menthe and a touch of honey. Less complex than the Dow but more approachable. The palate is very well balanced with quite a fleshy, succulent entry, nice grip, quite gentle but building nicely to a more structured finish. Just the right amount of backbone without detracting from its more approachable personality. It just lacks a bit of chutzpah.

Peter Z.

Ruud Göebel

Udo Göebel

Peter Z.

Peter Z.

Udo Göebel

Alphons vd vorst

Peter Z.

Hendrik de vierde

Udo Göebel