Monday Bonus 12-7-20

While we might yet be waiting for winter in Portland (considering 2020 has three weeks left, expect a snowmageddon) it is certainly time for Port. The temperatures have dropped and we’ve still got every excuse to stay home and enjoy the full breadth of a wine that will warm you, head to toe. There are a million reasons to close out the year with the amazing wines of Kopke.

You simply cannot go wrong with these as a gift for someone who’s been with you through the long haul, or as a toast to your own endurance and ability to get through this year. Kopke, founded in 1638, makes what might be the most vibrant and long lived port wines available. They too have been through adverse times in their near 400 year history, seeing dramatic shifts in the climate, swings in the popularity of their product, and the rise and fall of populist dictators. Through all of this, they’ve been consistent in their commitment to making the greatest Tawny and Colheita (vintage Tawny) Port available. 

We’re fortunate to have a tremendous lineup available: Colheita vintage selections from ’57, ’58, ’66, ’78, ’81, ’89, ’99, and 2000, and the 30 Year and 40 Year Tawnies. Highlights from the vintages include the powerful 1981 – stuffed with aromatics from across the spectrum; floral notes, fresh citrus, walnuts and fig with substantial but surprisingly silky tannins. You can experience the unbelievably youthful 1957 or 1966 – these are perfect examples of age adding concentration and depth, but the traditional Kopke freshness that keeps these so vibrant. Flickers of warmth are reminiscent of Cognac, but the clarity of the fruit and spice dominate the balance. Finally, the 1999 might be the best Tawny I have had in the past 20 years. I find the aromatics showing some of the complex spice notes of the best vintages I have ever had. I would strongly recommend this for the long haul (perhaps as a gift!), but if you can’t resist, take your time with it. Allow it to develop and fill your glass to the fullest. All of these will continue to show their highlights and develop rich spice and dried fruit characteristics for years to come.

Newly Arrived from Kopke

Kopke 30 Year Old Tawny Port 750ML ($179.95) $128 special
Wine Spectator 94 points “A very inviting, open style, with butterscotch and caramel notes framing the core of glazed pear, caramelized peach, golden raisin and warm fig flavors. The lush finish lets crème brûlée and ginger cream details hang, showing a flash of honeysuckle for lift. Drink now. 200 cases imported.”
Wine Enthusiast 94 points “Dark gold in color, this Port relishes its age. Like an aged tawny, it has lost its fruit at this mature stage, while gaining the rich, intense character that comes from long wood aging. It has concentrated acidity and a long, lingering aftertaste. Drink now.”
Wine Advocate 93 points “The NV 30 Year Old Tawny Port was bottled in 2017 with a bar-top cork and 130 grams per liter of residual sugar. The last release I saw of this was pretty fine. So, too, here. This adds a layer of depth and more complexity to the Burmester, although it lacks the Burmester’s elegance and sex appeal. While the finish here is bigger and more gripping, it is no more flavorful (actually, less so). Still, as this rolls around the mouth, it is impressive, not necessarily more exciting than the Burmester, but definitely different stylistically. They are good examples of the diversity you can get in one portfolio. As always, these last indefinitely, barring cork failures, but they are not really meant to be held.”
[Bottling year may vary from review]

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $155

Kopke 40 Years Old Tawny Port 750ML ($219.95) $199 special
Wine Spectator 95 points “This offers a dreamy mix of caramelized pear, fig and peach flavors at the core, while caramel, sesame oil and date notes fill in through the expansive finish. At first glance this is quite lush, but the finish lingers with cut and drive. Drink now. 200 cases imported.”
Wine Advocate 93 points “The NV 40 Year Old Tawny Port was bottled in 2016 with a bar top cork and 145 grams per liter of residual sugar. This adds a bit more brandy as a nuance on the finish to the 30, reviewed this issue, but it still seems much like the 30 Year Old, surprisingly fresh and easy, beautifully balanced and on the lighter side in terms of mid-palate concentration. It is a lovely tawny on its own terms–I’m just not sure it delivers enough of an uptick to justify the price spike from the 30 (or, perhaps even the 20). On its own, though, it won’t disappoint. The price references a 750 milliliter bottle.”
[Bottling year may vary from review]

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $256.99

Kopke Colheita Port 1957 750ML ($479.95) $379 special
Jamie Goode-Wine Anorak 96 points “There’s a hint of treacle here. It’s rich and dense with old furniture notes and lovely concentration and intensity. Nice depth.”
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 1957 Colheita Tawny Port was seen before, but it’s worth revisiting in the USA, since it’s a great wine. This is also the new 2015 bottling. It has 127 grams per liter of residual sugar. It is stunning how youthful this is. Lush and rich on opening, it has mature flavors that emerge, easily demonstrating the complexity and concentrated aromatics one expects. Gripping on the finish, this delivers fruit flavor and seems to linger indefinitely. When I first saw this, it was tasted next to even more brilliant Colheitas and a bit overshadowed. On its own, it is even more stunning. It was pretty fine next to some other greats here as well.”
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “There is a great balance between acidity and impressively fresh fruit considering the age of this venerable Port. Of course there are many flavors from the wood aging, but they are combined with orange marmalade, fig and raisin flavors in a riot of complex flavors that have created a very great wine. It comes from a year that was not generally declared as a vintage.”

Kopke Colheita Port 1958 750ML ($399.95) $319 special

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $368

Kopke Colheita Port 1966 750ML ($299.95) $249 special
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 1966 Colheita Tawny Port was bottled in 2015 with 126.3 grams per liter of residual sugar, and comes with a bar top cork (as is typical here). As we start getting seriously old in the lineup from Sogevinus this issue, this shows what you get with increasing age: the superb concentration of flavor, the long, intense finishes and the complex medley of flavors that old Tawnies deliver effortlessly. That, to me, is what makes them worth the extra bucks. If some of the youngsters lean more to caramel, this adds more molasses with a touch of Brandy in the background. The concentrated flavors linger more or less endlessly, driven into the palate by the wine’s power and acidity. You can smell and taste this for a long time. The graceful mid-palate is deceptively friendly at first. It sure does grip the palate at the end, though, finishing with juicy bursts of fruit and sugar. Over several days, it acquired a bit more harmony and shed a touch of aggression. The alcohol, speaking relatively, is not as well integrated here as with the 1965, also reviewed, but that is relative. I tended to like this just slightly better anyway for its complexity and concentration on several fronts. The freshness on the 1965 is quite enticing, though. It tastes younger. It depends on what you want: that old-wine complexity and depth or a livelier feel. They both have plenty of power on the finish. You can’t go wrong, really.”
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “Bottled in 2015, this wine from a great Port vintage is dark in color and so concentrated. It is powered by intense acidity from the wood aging as much as any residual fruit. Spice, dried fruits and a perfect balance give this great wine elegance and surprising freshness. Drink now.”
[Bottling year may vary from reviews.]

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $299.99

 
Kopke Colheita Port 1978 750ML ($149.95) $99 special
Mark Squires-Wine Advocate 94 points “The 1978 Colheita Tawny Port was bottled in 2015 with 119 grams per liter of residual sugar and a bar top cork (typical for the house). It is very graceful for its age, finishing with a wave of sweetness, fruit and sugar. Emphasizing the caramel more than the molasses, this is irresistibly delicious, but it becomes more complex and puts on weight as it airs and warms. The wine shows off its power and hints of Brandy on the rather tense finish, too. Overall, this is a beauty that becomes more impressive the longer you sit with it. Then, you realize that its balance is simply perfect, yet it stands out in most every category. This is very fine and the price is pretty nice for the age and the quality.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $116

Kopke Colheita Port 1981 750ML ($144.95) $99 special
Jamie Goode-Wine Anorak 96 points “This is quite special. Wonderfully spicy and raisiny with some fresher citrus and mineral characters, as well as cedary notes. Direct, thrilling and intense.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $69

Kopke Colheita Port 1999 750ML ($59.95) $39 special
Jamie Goode-Wine Anorak 94 points “Complex, spicy and raising with an appealing saline edge. Some lovely savoury notes developing here. Has warmth and complexity.”
 
Kopke Colheita Port 2000 750ML ($79.95) $59 special
Mark Squires-Wine Advocate 93 points

This is the only listing in the USA today!