My first time trying this producer. Very pale ruby in color, clear and bright. An interesting nose of cranberries with Kirsch. Viscous texture. Light tannins. On the palate, a bit more nutty than the nose. Good acidity. Sweet not cloying. Flavors of craisins with slight Snickers Bar. Nice finish. A nice way to end a meal. Perhaps serve with some nutty or chocolate pastry.
Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has raising, black raspberries, milk chocolate and char. Full bodied. Viscous texture. On the palate, black raspberries, black cherries, kirsch, milk chocolate and raisins. Deep and complex. At or near peak but probably another ten to fifteen years left. Great with Blue Cheese, this would also work with a chocolate dessert.
Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has milk chocolate covered raisins. Full bodied. Viscous. On the palate, slightly sweet with milk chocolate covered raisins. Tasty. Some depth. Some heat on the finish. This is at or just past peak. Drink up. Nice on its own and worked well with Blue Cheese.
This is a dry table wine from the island of Madeira. It is a blend of 91% Verdelho, and 9% Arnsburger. A nice, easy white. Some citrus, some sea air/saline and some minerality. Nice on its own, this will work with sea food. Not a crisp wine but a nice wine for a party. drink now.
Served at a wine store tasting. This is nice but getting a bit long in the tooth at this point. This is a nice white wine that has a bit of lemon/orange citrus and some minerality. Refreshing. Easy to drink. Try to look for younger vintages.
Wow, so much fun to try a wine this old. The US Civil War was going on as these grapes were growing. Sercial is the grape used and it makes the driest version of Madeira. The color of Iced Tea, clear and bright. The nose has orange peel, and an earthiness to it. Also some walnut notes. And, of course, some oxidation. Medium bodied. Bracing acidity. On the palate, slightly nutty with a lot of alcohol. A bit of butter scotch. The finish is warm with some char. A very interesting wine and a little goes a long way. Probably best to drink this on its own after a great meal.
Graham's is one of the top Port houses and 1994 was an excellent vintage for them. Inky purple in color with some ruby swirls, opaque and bright. The nose has chocolate covered raisins with black raspberries and slight dusty notes. Full bodied. On the palate, black raspberries, milk chocolate, raisins and alcohol notes. Long finish with some alcohol showing. This is in a great place but not showing a lot of age. Complex. This should easily go another ten to twenty years. Great on its own, this will work well with chocolate desserts.
In France and Portugal, you’ll find Alicante Bouschet. But few other countries make it. So to find a stand-alone bottling from the Symington family (best know for their Ports), my interest was piqued. Soft tannins and mild acidity give way to blackberry, blueberry, ripe black cherry, a hint of huckleberry jam, and back notes of sage, wildflower and rose water. Unique unto itself, this is definitely a wine worth seeking out, if for no other reason than you won’t find this grape bottled very often.
A very nice ten year Tawny Port. Ten years is the average age of the wine which is a blend of 50% Touriga Nacional, 25% Touriga Franca, and 25% Tinta Barroca. Iced tea in color, clear and bright. The nose is great with a nutty quality along with slight chocolate and a bit of Crème brûlée. Full bodied. Viscous. On the palate, this is sweet, not cloying with some alcohol showing (20% abv). It is complex and deep. Long finish. This is nice on its own and will work well with a less sweet dessert. Something nutty would be ideal, but even a Pecan Roll would work. So would a Snickers ba
This is a slightly spritzy wine from northwest Portugal. It is a bit unique for Vinho Verde as it is 100% Laureiro grapes. Straw colored with just a bit of smallish bubbles showing at the rim, clear and bright. The nose is nice with a slight floral note, limes and lots of minerality. Light bodied with a bit of a spritz still showing. Crisp acidity. On the palate, flavors of limes and slight tangerines with underlying minerality. Nice finish. This is very refreshing on its own but is also very food friendly with lighter food. Soft chesses or Quiche would be nice for brunch or lunch.
