Calem, Vintage Port

Late Dec 2021: black-brown color; classic port wine nose with raisins, big, prune and plum; opulent and sweet on the palate; long finish.

Xmas party at Chateau Davyd. Pop and poured. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, garnet colour. Long legs. Nose is pronounced, with aromas of oxidative caramel, nuts, toffee, raisins, red fruits. Developed. On the palate, sweet, juicy high acidity, high alcohol (19.5%), full body. Pronounced flavour intensity, with flavours of fresh fruity strawberries, sweet red cherries, married to dried raisins, caramel, nuts, toffee, cinnamon spice and chocolate. Long finish. Good quality Reserve Ruby Port. The alcohol burns, as with anything above …

Bottle is open for 24 hours, ruby red colour, smells of raisins and of minerality, not that sweet, smooth in the mouth, in the mouth and aftertaste raisins, smoke and acidity, good length (30 sec), good Reserve Tawny.

Ótimo vinho do Porto. Harmônico, aromas de castanhas, terrosos, frutas secas maduras. Equilibrado, intenso e de coloração marrom clara e vermelho.

Pop'N'Pour: garnet red colour, smells of raisins, marzipan and a little bit plum, light body, in the mouth raisins and marzipan, too, not that sweet for a Reserve Tawny (Ferreira's Dona Antonia is definitely sweeter), in the aftertaste raisins, marzipan and acidity, good length (30 sec), a very good Reserve Tawny for the price, better than Ferreira's Dona Antonia, which in comparison is hotter and more rough than this Calem.

By no mean am I a Porto connaisseur at all, but this is by far the best I've so far had the chance to taste!

No formal notes. Light weight. Raisins, figs, some nuts. Completely ready, easy going and nice. Last bottle and that is oké.

No decanting (I'm away) - searing hot when first opened, this mellowed nicely after 24 hours - pale brown - colour of a light Madeira - nuts, honey, more honey and a decent finish - quite stylish.

A private lunch (Restaurant Perceel *, near Rotterdam) : Relatively light, hints of cherry stones and almonds, figs, sweet, completely resolved tannins, gentle, decent length. Drink up.

See also previous note. This is a light weight and completely ready now.

Luckily I had a second bottle. Bought this at a bargain sale for less than $20 and that is about what it is worth. Good sweet berry fruits, black as well as very ripe red and soft tannin. The wine lacks elegance and complexity and is quite alcoholic.

Dark carmine red with flavors of black fruits, currants, raisins, nuts and marzipan. On the palate however the wine seems to be not completely clean. There is some chocolate, but too many flavors which remind of a slightly corked wine. No more notes and no score.

Weekly tasting group #014a; End of year tasting; a mixed set. (@ My place) : Not many notes. A light weight, but pleasurable port wine. Completely ready now (and the next few years).

Quite impressive and intense nose that is also complex. Almost candied and burnt prunes in the nose mixing nicely with scorched earth, vanilla. The prunes carries nicely into the palate and also the burnt dirt. The wine is however quite alcoholic and it really dominates the wine. it is however an enjoyable wine and there is also a great fruit acidity that really carries well into the medium aftertaste. 86-88p where the alcohol really drags it down.

Wines of Portugal Annual Grand Tasting (168 wines tasted) (Westin St. Francis, 32nd Imperial Floor, San Francisco, California) : Coffee, nutty nose; coffee, nutty palate; long finish (7 years in cask)