Wine & Spirits - December 2017 - 76

YEAR'S BEST PORT
225760

93 | Dalva

$85

1985 Porto Colheita ^ This has the succulence
of a fresh peach and the crystalized sweetness
of that peach when it's been grilled. The wine
is smoky and round, with lovely richness to
complement a cheese board with fresh fruits
and nuts. § Grape2Glass, Newark, NJ
224960

93 | Kopke

$240

1967 Porto Colheita ^ Supple and generously
textured when the bottle is first opened, this
takes time to refresh with exposure to air,
moving past notes of woodsmoke and the
bitterness of raw hazelnuts toward notes of
fruit that glow pale red and last. It's like sucking on a stone that slowly yields delicious,
juicy flavors. § Wine In-Motion USA, Union, NJ
224959

92 | Kopke

$105

1981 Porto Colheita ^ Fully mature, this
wine has turned to shades of umami, as rich
as roasted marrow bones, as savory as miso.
Hints of golden raisin and pipe tobacco
brighten the wine's tone. Pour it with roasted
nuts for late-night conversation. § Wine InMotion USA, Union, NJ
224961

92 | Kopke

$285

1957 Porto Colheita ^ Notes of fresh cherries
and warmer tones of black currant liqueur
introduce this wine, along with some heat
from the alcohol. That warmth integrates
with time into the satin texture, creating a
light beam of orange-blossom honey that
brightens the fruit. This is fully mature, but
still has some tension and energy. § Wine InMotion USA, Union, NJ
225759

90 | Dalva

$58

1994 Porto Colheita ^ A vintage noted for
decadently fruity Vintage Ports produced
this decadent Colheita, a wine that's fat and
juicy up front, then more restrained and
delicate in the finish. Scents of woodsmoke
and fresh mint accent the wine's sweet fruit. §
Grape2Glass, Newark, NJ
225758

90 | Dalva

$52

1991 Porto Colheita ^ Scents of toasted nuts
and dried fruit flavors fill this spicy Colheita.
It's a little oxidative and mature, but there's
a lot of complexity that comes up with air. §
Grape2Glass, Newark, NJ
225753

90 | Dalva

$46

1997 Porto Colheita ^ This is sweet and
rich, with figgy flavors and tingling acidity.
The warmth of the alcohol brings scents of
flamed orange zest and some bitter tannins,
adding complexity. There's also an umami

76

WINE & SPIRITS

DECEMBER 2017

undertone, bringing to mind earthy notes
of bone marrow. § Grape2Glass, Newark, NJ

RU BY
224909

90 | Fonseca

$21

90 | Quinta do Noval

$23

87 | Feuerheerd's

$13

Porto Bin 27 Finest Reserve (Best Buy) ^ A
finely blended Port, this has a bristle of tannins up front, melding their chocolate richness with dried fruit flavors, ending clean and
sweet. The wine's lasting spice places it with a
savory pumpkin pie. § Kobrand, Purchase, NY
225067

ripeness when harvest resumed several days
later. This second release of Stone Terraces
combines the energy of its powerful tannins
with the voluptuous richness Malvedos can
give in the best years. It has the green esteva
note of great young Porto-a scent close to
Thai basil-and has a purity to the structure
that makes it feel grand. § Premium Port Wines,
San Francisco, CA

Porto Noval Black (Best Buy) ^ Sour cherry
flavors and nutmeg spice fill this supple, fruitdriven Porto. The tannins feel integrated into
the fruit, darkening it to plum-skin flavors
and enriching the texture, making this easy
to drink on its own. § Vintus, Pleasantville, NY
225327

Porto Fine Ruby (Best Buy) ^ A sweet and
simple Ruby, this wine's superripe strawberry flavors are clean, its alcohol fully integrated. Serve it chilled for dessert. § Regal Wine
Imports, Moorestown, NJ

L A T E - B O T T L E D V I N TA G E
224882

90 | Quinta do Pessegueiro $28

2011 Porto LBV ^ In the mode of a lighter Vintage Port, this is a rich wine with formidable
schist tannins and baked-cherry sweetness.
Some tarriness and volatility in the finish
suggest it's best to drink this over the next
year or two, decanting it toward a gentler
smokiness to serve with Serra da Estrela
cheese. § Cognac One, NY
224306

90 | Smith Woodhouse

$35

2003 Porto LBV Unfiltered ^ Bottled in 2007,
this has developed under cork to a supple,
marzipan richness while sustaining its raspberry freshness. Notes of currants and brown
sugar add to the wine's depths. Ready for Stilton. § Premium Port Wines, San Francisco, CA

V I N TA G E
224528

96 | W.&J. Graham's

$200

2015 Porto Vintage The Stone Terraces ^
The arid conditions and early-season heat
of 2015 favored north-facing sites, like one
of the three parcels at Malvedos that make
up the Stone Terraces. The other two parcels face east and west, spared from some of
the heat of May and June. The summer was
less intense, but no less dry, until substantial rains fell on September 15, resuscitating
the vines and allowing for more complete

225918

94 | Quinta do Vallado

$110

93 | Quinta do Vesuvio

$80

92 | Dow's

$55

2015 Porto Vintage Adelaide ^ This is based
on fruit from an old-vine mixed planting
farmed by Vallado's team in the Rio Torto;
it's blended with touriga nacional grown at
the quinta, in the hills above the Rio Corgo.
The combination is superconcentrated,
with meaty fruit and powerful bitter-chocolate tannins, revealing the freshness and
succulence of that old-vine fruit as it opens
with air. It's a dramatic wine, suited to long
aging, and one of the best vintages of Adelaide we've tasted. § Quintessential, Napa, CA
224544
2015 Porto Vintage ^ This vast quinta has 329
acres of vines spread over 806 acres on the
winding left bank of the Douro. This complex, steep terrain allows for significant variations in exposures and altitude, which may
be a key to the estate's success in the 2015
vintage. Deep purple in color, richly concentrated in fruit, this wine seemed like a Graham's when we tasted it blind (both are made
by Charles Symington). The supple darkchocolate savor of the tannins and the powerful black-skinned blueberry flavors are, in
fact, a bit drier than the Graham's 2015 Stone
Terraces (also recommended here), though
no less grand. § Premium Port Wines, San Francisco, CA
224307
2005 Porto Vintage Quinta do Bomfim
(Best Buy) ^ Bomfim is centrally located on
the right bank of the Douro, in the Cima
Corgo. It's a south-facing site, and produced
a wine packed with schist tannins in the
2005 vintage, bringing some herbal notes of
http://www.quintessentialwines.com/Quinta-Do-Vallado
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - December 2017
