Port tasting, 6 wines, 40 participants!

Assisted in a port tasting downtown Thursday night. Good turnout, a few port rookies and some very nice ports.

1) NV Croft Pink Port. Very good nose, pleasant, watermelon. Nice mellow finish, strawberry. Go to croftpink.com for cocktail recipes. $27 Cdn.
2) Quinta do Infantado 10 year Old Tawny Port. Not well received, very hot finish with not enough true tawny flavors ie raisins, dried fruits. $45, ouch.
3) 1982 Messias Colheita. Close to WOTN. Excellent, smooth, sweet caramel on nose. Solid, not too sweet on palate, roasted nuts, light molasses. $87.
4) NV Senhora do Convento Ruby Port. Small house, quintadehonor.com. Quite a big turn-around in the glass after an hour. Initially thought closed nose, needs more structure, too much acidity. But later some chocolate and rich ripe fruit and much better balance overall. Good tannins, good price at $29.
5) 2006 Quinta Nova Senhora do Sarmo LBV Port. I am a big fan of the reds from here! Not a very expressive nose here, closed? Soft finish, drink now. Not a big style, needs more dark fruits but good tannins. New operation, bound to get better in time. $33.
6) 2007 Quinta do Portal Vintage Port. Roy H likes this, I seem to remember. My WOTN and true for many present. Big thumbs up, very good tannins, dark colour. Exceptional length, sweet red fruits on the nose, spice. Palate showed chocolate, plums, cherry and blackcurrant.
$62 but also available in splits. Go buy!

That Messias Colheita and Q do Portal vintage sound just what we need to combat the arctic weather we have at present. 07 would conventionally considered too young but I remember a vibrant Vau 1997 round about 10 years ago so the conventional wisdom may need revision.

I am hearing about your weather on the news Tim, bad in Italy eh. This house and its wines might help you along>

http://senhoradoconvento.com/wines-ports.php

The Ruby might be worth checking out, see my note above.

That whets my appetite, Bob. My stock of port is quite low but I normally think that I have enough get by at a rate of one bottle per year (at Christmas). In this weather, though, I need one. Yes, Italy has been badly hit. Catherine, in Rome since 1998, had never seen snow there until this month. Needless to say it brought the city to a standstill for several days while the politicians bickered about whom to blame; perhaps the Vatican which ought to have a hotline to the controller of the elements .