Szepsy Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2008
My first Aszú, and what better way to taste it than in the Tokaj with István Szepsy Sr., a 17th generation winemaker. It’s amber colored and viscous with magnetic aromas of marmalade and dried apricot, fleshy quince, burnt caramel, nutmeg and dust. On the the palate, this wine’s considerable gravity, a honeyed elixir with an […]
MÁD Tokaj Kesoi Late Harvest 2013
I had the good fortune to have spent time with István Szepsy Jr. while in Tokaji’s Mád village, from which this wine takes its name. This is a late harvest Furmint-Hárslevelű endowed with pungent botrytisized aromas of dried mango, yellow peach, apricot, orange blossom and nougatine, it’s profile on the nose mirrors that of that […]
Domaine Weinbach Gewürztraminer Alsace Grand Cru Mambourg Vendanges Tardives 2013
A stunner of a Vendanges Tardives, certainly not as unctuous as a Sauternes, the Weinbach Alsace Grand Cru Mambourg offers that rare combination of power and delicacy, tenderness and concentration. On the nose, apricot and white peach notes are cradled in orange blossom, granulated honey and spice. On the palate, supple creaminess, and lots of […]
Quinta do Noval Quarenta Anos 40 Year Old Tawny
Sampled at Noval’s tasting room in Porto, the Noval ‘Quarenta Anos’ 40 Year Old Tawny is translucent and brickish, replete with developed notes of dates, Dalmatia fig spread, dried apples, aged leather, and warm wicker. In the mouth it’s viscous and full, more so than Noval’s Colheita, it’s the acidity that really brings this Port […]
Taylor’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2011
Taylor’s Late Bottled Vintage Port remains in wood for four to six years, as such, it is concentrated and intense, round and deliciously full-bodied. 2011, for me, has been one of the most exciting vintages I’ve tasted, it’s one I’m collecting and cellaring, though the ’11s are certainly enjoyably now. Taylor’s 2011 LBV is totally […]
Taylor’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port NV
Delicate. Taylor’s 10 Year Old Tawny proved to be more reticent than other Tawny’s I’d sampled while in Porto. On the palate, it’s medium bodied and inlaid with dried fruit notes, a touch of caramel seamlessly interlaces dates, figs, and dried cherries in a silky embrace. There is, at times discernible heat, especially on the […]
Taylor Fladgate Single Harvest Tawny Port 1863
From pre-phylloxera vines, Taylor’s bought a small lot of only three barrels from the 1863 vintage that had been quietly resting in a cellar for well over a century—the producer had the foresight to reserve them when phylloxera first swept through the region. An important wine because, as Taylor’s staff pointed out, ungrafted vines are […]
Quinta do Noval White Port Extra Dry 2008
Quinta do Noval’s Extra Dry White Port sports a tropical nose, heavy with aromas of dried pineapple, Meyer lemon and golden delicious apple that drift toward cider. On the palate, it’s very smooth, I love the acidity here, a vibrant cord piercing heavier layers. The finish is slightly savory, a dusting of dried thyme, marjoram. […]
Long Shadows Poet’s Leap Ice Wine 2008
Amber-colored in the glass, the 2008 Poet’s Leap Ice Wine is a heady melange of apricot preserves, forest honey, and caramel richly perfumed with spice; cinnamon, allspice, powdered ginger and mace. Incredibly concentrated, with palate drenching viscocity, it’s reminiscent of a full-bodied Sauternes with the merest hint of Bachelet Maury. The finish is lengthy, punctuated […]
Fonseca Bin 27 Finest Reserve NV
The Fonseca Bin 27 Finest Reserve, was, admittedly a bit of a disappointment, owing to the fact that I cut my teeth on Fonseca’s outstanding 2011. Of course, 2011 Fonseca is now going for around $100 per bottle, a price that is increasing over time as the vintage sells out. Bin 27 is pleasant enough, […]