Doug Powers

9.3

[8 hour decant] This is from a very fine lot of 1977 Graham’s I purchased in the mid-to-late 1990s from a small Napa importer, and is at the level of the 1977 Fonseca we drank last week, sweet, nice weight and balance, long, lingering finish, very nice!! — a day ago

with Jim

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

1994 vintage. Popped, decanted and filtered and tasted immediately. Opened six decades too early. The whole crushed violets and plummy thang definitely there alongside hints of sweet tobacco in her breath. With apologies, just another number in your little black book. These are the pros and cons. 1.24.26. — 4 months ago

Ryan

9.4

Date, fig, apricot, almond, tobacco. Layer upon layer of flavor! Delicious! — 6 months ago

Doug Powers

9.1

Big, rich, ripe LBV with awesome fruit and structure, lacks the subtlety of the 1977 Graham’s vintage, but a great LBV as a sipper!! — a day ago

with Jim

Doug Powers

9.4

[8 hour decant] This smells and (in particular) tastes like Dow’s, the drier style of classic Vintage Port, still shows lovely fruit and depth, just not as sweet as Fonseca or Graham’s, nor as structured as Taylor’s, longish finish, very, very sneaky fine!! — 5 months ago

with Jim

Stephen Fitzpatrick

8.9

Thick, chewy, full bodied Douro, heavy taste of black cherry and slightly smoky. — 7 months ago

Paul St Clair

9.1

Strong red fruit in the nose with a touch of smokey oak. Raspberry and red cherry with a touch of leather and violet opens into round tannins with a dry medium mouth feel. The finish is long with good tannins settling into a touch of maduro style cigar and fennel seed. Very enjoyable and I recommend decanting this bottle. — 25 days ago

Ming L

9.0

Taylor Fladgate is arguably the benchmark for LBV which they basically pioneered.

Notes of ripe blackberries, plum, cedar, chocolate, and spice. Warm and supple with balancing acidity. Great value. — a month ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.5

Served this slightly chilled (12’C?).
Gorgeously fresh and pure dark fruit. Succulent, juicy, still primary….
Tannines and alcohol beautifully blended into the dense and viscous core. Only a slight hint of spice, chocolate and licorice now. Sweetness and freshness in excellent balance. It even feels more fresh than sweet at the moment. Certainly not too heavy nor intense.
This is so forward and yummy and sexy right now… I just don’t miss the complexity it might be lacking at this stage.
Sure, it has a few decades of life left and it could get more cerebral and complex…
But don’t bother. Drink it now! — 5 months ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.2

Opaque purple in color, Welch's grape juice, cedar, and anise on the nose. Palate is evolved and settled with muddled blue and blackberry. Definitely nods to Porto with a tawny hint. A bit hot on the alcohol (guessing 14.8 ABV). Wine is dry, medium minus acidity. Full bodied. A bit of bitterness keeps this from presenting a rounded mouth feel. Tannins non existent at this point. Good.

92 points — 7 months ago