Wine & Spirits - December 2017 - 75

C O L H E I TA

FOCUS: PORTO
Our blind panels tasted 97 new-release Port wines for this issue. Joshua Greene, our
critic for Portuguese wines, rated 32 as exceptional (90+) and 10 as Best Buys. Find a
complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com.

W HI T E P O RT

sheer and delicate enough to make this feel
sexy. It's rich without any excess sweetness,
more about the acidity in an orange peel
than the sweetness in the flesh of the fruit.
It's a match for Zimbro cheese and a plate
of glazed chestnuts this winter. § Vintus, Pleasantville, NY
225668

92 | Borges

225764

93 | Dalva

$225

1963 Porto Colheita Golden White ^ The
freshness of this wine is astonishing, as is
the activity in the finish, layering scents of
fresh cream and freshly churned butter with
butter brickle, shifting to golden raisins,
orange blossoms and hazelnuts. It's lasting
and complex, a delicate take on an ancient
Port. § Grape2Glass, Newark, NJ
224957

92 | Kopke

$150/375ml

Porto 40 Year Old White Port ^ As silken as
an old Tawny with more delicacy and less
weight, this has refined notes of caramel,
dried thyme and candied nuts. It lasts on a
pervasive spice, harmonious and long. Serve
it with almond cookies, or enjoy the wine on
its own. § Wine In-Motion USA, Union, NJ
225763

91 | Dalva

$185

1971 Porto Colheita Golden White ^ The
first scent is brown sugar and spice, the first
taste brown butter and hazelnuts. Later,
coming back to the wine after it opens with
air, that richness fills a salty frame of alcohol
and adds generous fatness to the wine's lasting nutty flavors. Delicious with bread pudding. § Grape2Glass, Newark, NJ

TAW N Y
225073

94 | Quinta do Noval

92 | Churchill's

$165

Porto 40 Year Old Tawny ^ Warm scents of
cedar, apricot and orange oil fill this luscious
wine. What remains of its schist tannins is

$102/500ml

Porto 30 Year Tawny ^ This wine's gentle,
silken texture incorporates precise tannins,
framing the warm cherry flavors that feel
sunny and fat. It's a sleek, pretty 30-year-old
that still tastes bright in the midst of its aged
character. § Frederick Wildman and Sons, NY
225739

90 | Meneres

$60/375ml

Porto 40 Year Old Tawny (Best Buy) ^ More
savory than sweet, this wine's smoky flavors
have a foresty tone, like hen-of-the-woods
mushrooms, along with citrusy acidity. Age
has brought out complex umami character,
from toasted sesame scents to notes of beef
stock. It's a contemplative wine for late-night
sipping. § Elixir Wine Group, Bend, OR
225070

90 | Quinta do Noval

$100

Porto 20 Year Old Tawny ^ This gentle, redfruited Tawny is showing its share of alcohol as well as vibrant tannins in a spicy, cayenne pepper-like note. It comes together in
a smooth, clean finish, making this a wine to
serve with savory dishes, like duck braised
with prunes and chestnuts. § Vintus, Pleasantville, NY
225411

88 | Borges

AGE DESIGNATED

$39

Porto 20 Year Old Tawny Soalheira (Best
Buy) ^ There's a red-apple blush to this aged
Tawny, adding to the late-autumn vibrancy of
its fruit. The flavors shimmer within a silken
texture, a clean Port to serve with a savory
almond tart. § JMV USA Corp., Newark, NJ
224244

$26

Porto 10 Year Old Tawny Soalheira (Best
Buy) ^ This gives off an initial sense of caramel
and alcohol, but it's easy to find the baked
apple and red plum flavors that fill out that
warmth. It's creamy and gentle, sweet and
soft. § JMV USA Corp., Newark, NJ

224963

96 | Kopke

$885

95 | Dalva

$250

95 | Kopke

$785

1937 Porto Colheita ^ In the Port trade since
1638, Kopke has amassed a cellar full of old
Colheitas, including some remarkable rarities that Sogevinus, the owner of the firm
since 2006, has begun to bring to market.
This 1937 seems to grip every taste receptor
with succulent peach flavor while its texture
is silken and gentle to the touch. You might
expect an 80-year-old wine to be as refined
as this, but you probably wouldn't expect
it to be as generous, with needles of acidity
pricking the cushion of fruit, bringing out
a glistening sweetness. The detail begins to
fade a few days after the wine is first opened,
though it remains delicious. Best to throw a
party for your favorite 80-year-old and share
the bottle until it's just a fond memory. § Wine
In-Motion USA, Union, NJ
225757
1967 Porto Colheita ^ Clemente da Silva
moved to Portugal from Brazil in 1933 and
eventually purchased the Port shipper Corrêa Ribeiro e Filhos, which his wife's family
had owned. The firm now markets its wines
under a contraction of his name, shortened
to Dalva. Based in Vila Nova de Gaia, the
firm offers colheitas back to 1966 and white
Ports back to 1952. This '67 is plump in the
middle, with red fruit that's still luscious and
generous, layered over notes of honey and
floral spice that leave a buzz of sweetness on
the lips. It glistens with pistachio and butterscotch pleasure. § Grape2Glass, Newark, NJ
224962
1941 Porto Colheita ^ Best not to be disappointed if you open this bottle and find a
sweet old Port with notes of brown sugar,
molasses and chocolate. Just leave some in
the glass and come back in a few hours. You
might find a wine that's delicious, all that
sweetness integrated into savory notes of
salted caramels, pecans and spicy red berries. It's a supple beauty well worth the wait. §
Wine In-Motion USA, Union, NJ
WINE & SPIRITS

DECEMBER 2017

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - December 2017