Matthew's Journal

In the middle of moving house might seem an odd time to do this, but my port notes from our trip there in September 2010 went missing in the last house move, so I figure if I stick them online now, I can recycle them and not worry about them going missing again!

Of course, quite some time has passed since I tried all of these ports, so I'd take them as "what I thought at the time"; sometimes I just give a port a score out of 10 with no other notes... In no particular order:
Quinta do Noval (we visited the shop, and had three samples)

1. 10yo Tawny - OK, not remarkable
   
2. Sweet White - far too sweet!
   
3. Black Port - a gimmick
   

Grahams (post-tour tasting)

4. The Tawny - a good drinking port. 6+
   
5. 20yo Tawny - flavours not very forthcoming. 6
   
6. 30yo Tawny - quite interesting, good nose. 7
   
7. LBV - OK, but too tannic. 5
   
8. 6 Grapes - bit flat, but better than the LBV. 5
   
9. Quinta dos Malvedos 1998 Vintage - starts well, but goes no-where 6
   
10. Dry White - woody, smells like sherry. 4
    
11. Sweet White - very sweet, hints of candy floss? 2
    

Ramos Pinto (post-tour tasting)

12. White - not too sweet! fruity and straightforward. 5
    
13. "Collector" Reserve Ruby - spicy citrus notes. 6
    

Tasting at the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto in Lisbon. I think these four tastings are in order

14. Andresen 40yo Tawny - long complex finish, exceptionally good. 9
    
15. La Rosa 2004 LBV - OK LBV. 4
    
16. Romariz 1963 Colheita - very good port, but finish not as fine and long as the Andresen. 8
    
17. Quinta Portal 10yo - not bad, but not terribly interesting. 8
    
18. Porto Cruz Pink - my notes just say "sigh!", which is not a recommendation ;-)
    
19. Pocas 10yo Tawny - good, complex, tasty. 7-8
    

Another tasting at the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto, Lisbon

20. Barros 20yo Tawny - 7
    
21. Feist Colheita 1980 - very good. 8
    
22. Niepoort 20yo Tawny - bit disappointing. 6
    
23. Barros Colheita 1983 - not as good as the 20yo. 6+
    
24. Pocas Lagrima - horribly sweet.
    
25. Fonseca 10yo Tawny - disappointing. 5
    

A third tasting at the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto, but in Porto. 14/09/2010

26. Burmester Colheita 1985 - a very good, complex, long finish. 8
    
27. Fonseca 10yo Tawny - easy-drinking port. 6 [I obviously liked it better in Porto!]
    

A fourth tasting at the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto, again in Porto. 15/09/2010 I think I was trying to compare some of the ports I'd particularly liked earlier in the trip, with a view to working out what to take home with me :)

28. Burmester 1985 Colheita - more complex, longer finish than the Feist 1980. 8
    
29. Feist 1980 Colheita - more foreward on the palate, but not quite as good as the Burmester 1985. 8
    
30. Ramos Pinto 20yo Tawny - good depth of flavour. 7
    
31. Andresen 40yo Tawny - still remarkably good; great complex finish. 9
    

A tasting in a shop in Porto.

32. Quinta Santa Eufemia Reserve Tawny - A sweet, fruity tawny, but short-lived. 6
    
33. Valriz 10yo Tawny - Woody nose. Not that complex, but pleasant and lingers a little. 6-7
    
34. S. Leonardo 30yo Tawny - Tobacco on the nose, more complex flavours, maybe licorice? 7
    

Post-tour tasting at Ferreira

35. Ferreira 3yo White - less sweet that some white ports. 5
    
36. Ferreira 4yo Tawny - fruity, a little dry. Quite a good finish. 6
    

In the end, we came home with the Burmester 1985 Colheita, and the Andresen 40yo Tawny (and a couple of other less remarkable bottles), both of which were just as wonderful at home :-) For posterity, I took a photo of the Andresen, which is really very good port! Sadly I've yet to find anyone in the UK that sells it (and it's far from cheap...)