Jeremy Pollard

9.1

Still playing catch up from weeks ago. Good classic pinot lines at the weightier end of things. Don’t think it’s improving anymore, but may hold for a few years. — 17 days ago

Turd Ferguson

9.5

That’ll do — 24 days 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!! — 2 months ago

with Jim

Kaitlyn Kosarek

9.0

Sweet but not overly, smokey, fruit notes coming through. Pleasant — 5 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Black a new blend produced from classic varieties that do not make it into the Quinta do Noval vintage. Deep Ruby red color with pronounced aromas of berry fruits, spice and floral notes. On the palate flavors of blackberry, spice, leather and smoke. Long finish, full bodied, smooth tannins, ending with fruit, cacao and tobacco notes. Nice. — 6 months ago

Jerry Raphael

9.2

Very enjoyable, with a lot going on. Loaded with blackberry and dark fruits, along with violet, licorice, spice, and floral notes. A nice long finish to round it out. This was a 375 ml bottle and cost $16.99 back in the day—hard to argue with that value.
I still have some older Vintage Ports resting in the cellar and will get to them in due time—no rush. NYE dinner at Anthony’s in HH was a great way to cap it off. — 7 months ago

Dave Hoffman

9.1

Bottled in 2005 — 8 months ago

Jeremy Pollard

9.2

Playing catch up on some wines consumed weeks ago. Lamenting the change to this gorgeous old Giant Steps label — boring minimalist is apparently the rage these days. Recall enjoying this one, and it’s in a good place. — 22 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Brief Notes. Dark ruby in colour. Aromatics of dark cherry, herbal notes and compost heap (Sous Bois). A medium to full bodied palate. Finishing with silky tannins and a persistent long finish. Could cellar this for another 6 to 10 years. 98 points from James Halliday. — 2 months ago

Doug Powers

9.4

Lovely vintage Porto, dark fruits, solid balance, starting to show its age, long, lingering finish, only quibble is that this doesn’t show the characteristic sweeter style (thus my comment on its age, starting to dry out just a tad). — 2 months ago

with Jim

Angela Filosa

9.5

omg got better and better even a week later — 5 months ago

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. — 6 months 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! — 7 months ago

Doug Powers

8.9

Spice, blue and black fruits, such a lovely cool climate Aussie Shiraz that is a wonderful QPR ($18-22 or so out here), a perfect weekday Shiraz with some ooomph and complexity. — 23 days ago

with Jim

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!! — 2 months ago

with Jim

Ross Bathgate

9.2

2012 Jimmy Watson winner. No Bin 1 or Thompson family made in 20111 due to wet year so all the best fruit in this wine, drinking very nicely but noticeably greenish and lighter due to poor year. — 4 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.1

1994 vintage. 3.15.26. — 4 months ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.5

97P WS, Whopping 15.5%. At the edge of where natural yeast dies. May be they used designer yeast? Anyways this is actually pretty good. Enormously complex with a bazillion interesting flavors including Eucalyptus. Picked this up for a tasting (I am hosting) it will be a mega hit. Folks will love this in your face flavor hammer. Isn’t it nice what a classicist is doing for his friends? — 6 months ago

Tobin Spratte

9.4

Bananas foster, Christmas fruitcake, with balanced gun smoke aromas. Much fruitier and more concentrated than the Warres. Fantastic. — 7 months ago

AHF

9.5

Moderately sweet, viscous and spirity. Balanced and firm, not cloying or sharp. Long finish. — 7 months ago