I'm a firm believer in the wine slant of that maxim, so what with the first major winter storm coming to New England I decided last night to open:
2000 Vintage Porto, Graham's
The first thing that I noticed is that the bottle was double sealed. There was the usual metal capsule, but under that was a smaller, tighter plastic capsule. This no doubt contributed to the sound quality of the cork, which was completely sound and sturdy and only slightly stained purple at the bottom. I'm used to having to exercise great care in uncorking 20+ year old vintage Port. The corks are almost invariable soggy and fragile and tend to stick to the sides of the bottleneck. I'm not proficient with an ah-so corkscrew, so I usually use a waiter's corkscrew very carefully. I've found that a screwpull merely drills a hole in the center of the cork. Port tongs work really well, but they're too much of a bother to use. I nearly always end up with some cork bits inside the bottle. But this time the cork came out pretty easily and all in one piece. Refreshing.
Visually the wine has lost the opaque purple color of its youth. It is still purple and young-looking, but translucent. The aromas are mature and complex, with a distinct smoky/roasted nuance. Graham's vintage Ports always have a touch of acetone aroma--usually more than I find pleasant. There's only a very slight and pleasant kiss of acetone in the 2000. In the mouth this is a classic great vintage Port just entering its plateau of maturity. There is only a slight touch of tannin. Flavors, sweetness, and acidity are in near perfect balance. An excellent example of Graham's and a wine that will continue to give pleasure for decades. Double Curly.
-Paul W.
