Comments on: Vintage Port 2008: Noval and Romaneira http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/wine-reviews/vintage-port-2008-noval-and-romaneira mostly about wine Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:40:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: jamiegoode http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/wine-reviews/vintage-port-2008-noval-and-romaneira/comment-page-1#comment-8501 jamiegoode Sat, 20 Nov 2010 12:30:32 +0000 http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/?p=992#comment-8501 Not dumb questions. By 'silly' I was saying that the trend in Bordeaux for going early to barrel and doing malo there may make the wines taste better at primeur stage, but I'm not sure that it's ideal for the long run. Of course, with many red wines where malo is taking place very late, then the wine will be in barrel already. With Port, fortification occurs part way through alcoholic fermentation, so I'd be pretty sure that malo isn't going to then follow! But I hadn't really thought of this before. We tend to forget about poor old oenococcus and focus on yeasts. Not dumb questions. By ‘silly’ I was saying that the trend in Bordeaux for going early to barrel and doing malo there may make the wines taste better at primeur stage, but I’m not sure that it’s ideal for the long run. Of course, with many red wines where malo is taking place very late, then the wine will be in barrel already.

With Port, fortification occurs part way through alcoholic fermentation, so I’d be pretty sure that malo isn’t going to then follow! But I hadn’t really thought of this before. We tend to forget about poor old oenococcus and focus on yeasts.

]]> By: Paul http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/wine-reviews/vintage-port-2008-noval-and-romaneira/comment-page-1#comment-8497 Paul Fri, 19 Nov 2010 20:28:54 +0000 http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/?p=992#comment-8497 Jamie, just wondering what you mean by "silly malo in barrel"...? Do you mean that malo is not done for Ports? or that it's done but not in barrel? Sorry... probably dumb questions, but just wanted to really understand the process a bit better and this is something I've never read or heard about before. Jamie, just wondering what you mean by “silly malo in barrel”…? Do you mean that malo is not done for Ports? or that it’s done but not in barrel? Sorry… probably dumb questions, but just wanted to really understand the process a bit better and this is something I’ve never read or heard about before.

]]> By: jamiegoode http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/wine-reviews/vintage-port-2008-noval-and-romaneira/comment-page-1#comment-4956 jamiegoode Sun, 01 Aug 2010 20:00:50 +0000 http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/?p=992#comment-4956 Andrew, that's an excellent point. I think Vintage Port is delicious young, and then goes through a dumb-ish phase, before emerging at say 15 years of age. Therefore drink them very young or older. I think the quality has improved, for example through much better spirit now being used for fortification. But I don't think that the wines have changed all that much - they're still tannic beasts, and no one does silly malo in barrel and using too much new oak like they do with Bordeaux. I think Bordeaux has changed more than vintage Port has. Andrew, that’s an excellent point. I think Vintage Port is delicious young, and then goes through a dumb-ish phase, before emerging at say 15 years of age. Therefore drink them very young or older.

I think the quality has improved, for example through much better spirit now being used for fortification. But I don’t think that the wines have changed all that much – they’re still tannic beasts, and no one does silly malo in barrel and using too much new oak like they do with Bordeaux. I think Bordeaux has changed more than vintage Port has.

]]> By: Andrew Halliwell http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/wine-reviews/vintage-port-2008-noval-and-romaneira/comment-page-1#comment-4943 Andrew Halliwell Sun, 01 Aug 2010 15:36:39 +0000 http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/?p=992#comment-4943 No doubt the Quinta do Noval is "delicious now". I was just wondering if you think that vintage port has undergone the same sort of flavour development as other big red (table) wines, in that it is possible to enjoy them at less than 2 years. Traditionally the idea would be wait 20-30 years, am I right? Also do you know if vintage port goes through a dumb patch after an initially attractive youth, before revealing it's true self - like top Bordeaus and other wines are supposed to? No doubt the Quinta do Noval is “delicious now”. I was just wondering if you think that vintage port has undergone the same sort of flavour development as other big red (table) wines, in that it is possible to enjoy them at less than 2 years. Traditionally the idea would be wait 20-30 years, am I right? Also do you know if vintage port goes through a dumb patch after an initially attractive youth, before revealing it’s true self – like top Bordeaus and other wines are supposed to?

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