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A Night in Port at Tuyo Miami Culinary Institute

Opening image from A year in Port, documentary

1983 vintage for the Douro: This year was marked by a growing season which, during mid-summer, nobody would have predicted would be a declared vintage. The winter and spring were both cold, inhibiting flowering and retarding development, so that even as things heated up during the summer the vines were three weeks behind schedule, heralding a late harvest.(excerpt from www.thewinedoctor. com)

Tasked with a tasting for a range of Ports we took the course of : Warre’s 1983 Vintage, Grahams 30 Tawny and Quinta do Noval Vintage 2003(sourced direct from it’s vineyard). An approach that would allow to have a full range of with traditional characteristics and from notable Port houses. It is also interesting to taste wines that were reviewed many years ago with the understanding that these ports clearly upheld or even better than the rave reviews as below.

www.vintageportsite.com

The Warre’s 1983 Vintage Port “The 83 is richly perfumed and fragrant, which is so typical of ports from this vintage, and it is seemingly more forward than normal” -Robert Parker, 1989

“Slightly simple and sweet, but still very good. Deep purple with fresh violet and berry aromas. Full bodied, with very sweet fruit flavors, full tannins and medium finish”.-JS, WS 1989

Grahams 30 year tawny “The intensity and luxuriousness of this Port is a real treat. With an average age of 30 years, there has been plenty of time for the component wines to concentrate down and develop incredible complexity. Rich, syrupy and immediately nutty on the palate, sweet spices follow with a wave of cleansing acidity. Notes of dried orange peel, dried fruits, cinnamon and caramel flood the long finish. Very well balanced and surprisingly fresh”. -Decanter, 2016

Broad in feel and dark in profile, with walnut and hazelnut notes followed by flavors of brown bread, dried fig, bitter orange, singed almond and juniper. A lovely flash of green tea adds sparkle and detail on the finish, but this stays reliant on its bass line throughout. Drink now”. 1,200 cases made. – James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

Quinta do Noval Vintage 2003 has a gorgeous raisin, fig and clove-scented bouquet with more freshness than the whole of Pomerol combined. -Robert Parker 2014

For a relatively young tawny, this shows fine concentration and grip with a youthful and lively finish. Burly and powerful, this opened up over several days proving that is has some elegance too. – Wine Advocate

Tuyo Restaurant
Miami Culinary Institute – 8th floor
Miami Dade College
415 N.E. 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33132