Sacred Cow  
Wine Thief
Posts: 2764
 | | 05-16-2003 03:11 AM |
| Tasted at the Denver offline with WIML on 5/12/03.
Served double blind with the desserts. The desserts served were chocolate-hazelnut truffle tarts with raspberry coulis and whipped cream, and grilled pears with gorgonzola dolce and reduced riesling sauce.
Twelve to fifteen year tawny port, 18% alcohol. As the degeneration of the conversation continues, the only description I can use is this is like Vermont maple syrup, complete with pancakes. Yes, in the liquor. Both the texture and the flavor carried this theme through. Also noted on the palate was CrackerJack.
Which led to an argument at the table over who gets the prize in the box of CrackerJack. Last I knew, FreeTheGrapes and WIML were still arguing. It was time for me to leave.
Mike | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Stomper
Posts: 135
| | 05-16-2003 04:06 PM |
| I took the last of this bottle (which had been vacu-vined and put back in teh cellar) to Sideshow's house last night. If anything, it was better than Monday. Of course, it could be that I was just more sober this time.
Anyway, this is a great wine. The complexity and length of finish is amazing. Notes of grahm cracker, chocolate, orange and nutmeg all took turns. Sideshow finally declared the finish to be Smores, with a little marshmallow sweetness mixing with the grahm cracker, chocolate and toasted flavors. A perfect way to end an evening of wine and pool. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Stomper
Posts: 135
| | 06-19-2003 06:56 PM |
| | As an experiment, I've kept the second half of this bottle around for the last 5 weeks since our tasting with WineIsMyLife. Kept it in the cellar, vacu-vined. I've had a glass every week or so, finishing the bottle last night. I must say that it held up remarkable well over that length of time. Not quite as crisp in the flavors as it was upon opening, but still an enjoyable wine that had not gone bad at all. | | | |
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Matt Carton
Grape Destemmer
Posts: 72
| | 06-19-2003 08:45 PM |
| I agree, this is a really good value at $20 or so...
...it can even be used on those Sunday morning pancakes!  | | | |
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Seaquam
Barrel Filler
Posts: 1141
| | 06-25-2003 03:12 PM |
| | I think this entire family of Australian tawny ports--the Gallway Pipe, Whisker's Blake, Clocktower, Old Cave, and many others--represents one of the greatest bargains in the wine world. I don't recall ever having had a disappoining one, and I don't think I can say that about any other class of wine. | | | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts: 8568
| | 06-25-2003 03:18 PM |
| | They are extraordinarily reliable. | | | |
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Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts: 13767
| | 06-25-2003 04:26 PM |
| | Can someone explain to me what the "tawny" in "Tawny Port" means? | | | www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
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Seaquam
Barrel Filler
Posts: 1141
| | 06-25-2003 05:30 PM |
| It refers to the color.
Tawny Port has spent more time in oak barrels, thus acquiring a lighter color through wood and air contact and a brownish tinge as opposed to the deep inky purple of a Vintage Port which is bottled after a couple (I think) of years. Tawnies are also rounder, softer, and more mature at bottling due to the time in barrel.
Are you going to ask about the Solera method next?  | | | |
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Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts: 13767
| | 06-25-2003 06:16 PM |
| Solera?
I must be a port neo-newbie, so please do tell. | | | www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts: 8568
| | 06-25-2003 06:36 PM |
| | That is sherry. | | | |
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stemor
Collierville, TN
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5564
| | 06-25-2003 06:47 PM |
| TJ,
Here's a very informative article from Wine Spectator, discussing both Tawny Port and the Solera process -- among many other dessert wine topics:
Bruce Sanderson article
| | | Cheers, y'all | |
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Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts: 13767
| | 06-25-2003 07:00 PM |
| | Many thanks, dudes | | | www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
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love_cab_chard
Master of Wine
Posts: 12600
| | 06-25-2003 07:16 PM |
| Interesting. And, very timely posts (for me).
As I am discovering Dessert Wines (& my appreciation for these Wines), I just ordered a few bottles of Buller Tawny from MudPuppy. Looking forward to these. Thank You. | | | |
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Jeremy Matthew
Barrel Sampler
Posts: 2067
| | 06-26-2003 12:00 AM |
| | Buller and Chambers Muscat is also made utilising the Solera system. I think Marsala and Maideira are also. | | | |
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Seaquam
Barrel Filler
Posts: 1141
| | 06-26-2003 01:07 AM |
| The Sanderson article was pretty good, but I'll just add one thing that may be of interest.
I understand that with the Solera method stickies, the oldest barrel (sometimes called the mother barrel, or something like that) will obviously contain the oldest, most concentrated, and most unctuous sample of the wine. The closest barrels will, of course, be closest to that one in quality, and the further away, the younger and less refined the blend will become. That accounts for the price differences among the releases from companies like Chambers (I think I read that their oldest is about 70 years old), Bullers, or Morris, with designations like "old," "rare," "museum" etc. denoting the wine's proximity to the original barrel. They're priced accordingly as well.
It's my understanding that some of the Australian Tawnies are made utilizing the same Solera method. I believe Yalumba has 3 tiers of Tawny Port that all derive from the same sources. | | | |
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Jeremy Matthew
Barrel Sampler
Posts: 2067
| | 06-26-2003 01:24 AM |
| Chambers Very Ancient Tokay is a 125 yr Solera.
Not sure about the Yalumba. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Destemmer
Posts: 51
| | 09-14-2003 04:02 AM |
| | I'm glad I wandered over here because my Aussie visitor last night gifted me a bottle of this. The bottle says it is a Mildara wine though, not Yalumba. But it's Galway Pipe tawny, 12-15 years old, so it's gotta be the same, right? | | | |
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Jeremy Matthew
Barrel Sampler
Posts: 2067
| | 09-16-2003 02:26 AM |
| Same stuff indeed.
Good to see you over here Bman! | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Destemmer
Posts: 51
| | 09-19-2003 02:22 AM |
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wineismylife
Arlington, TX
Master of Wine
Posts: 12428
| | 01-25-2004 02:34 AM |
| NV Yalumba Galway Pipe Tawny Port (90 WIML)
Australia
Quick update for this wine. Purchased locally from Majestic for $22.99 per 750ml bottle. Matured for twelve to fifteen years in small oak casks. 18% alcohol by volume. Opened and served immediately without decanting in Spiegelau Authentis Dessert Wine glasses (did allow to decant in the glass about 30 minutes prior to tasting). Clear amber color. Nose of caramel and brown sugar. Flavors of sweet raisins and toffee with a nutty, fresh pecans like finish. From a “tawny port of view” I’d peg this right at 90 WIML points. Pleasant. | | | Joe-----Wine is like potato chips around me...if it's open, it's gone. | |
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