First Sighting: 2000 Port
Courtesy of
30 Second Wine Advisor
By Robin Garr
Even in a fast-moving modern world of technology,
some things can't be hurried. And so it is, sometimes, in the world
of wine.
Take, for instance, the much ballyhooed Vintage 2000 Port. By
late in the summer of 2000, Port-watchers were already talking about
the great potential of a year in which the weather consistently
broke right ... long, hot summer days and weather that stayed warm
and dry right through a late, ripe harvest.
All the elements were there for a memorable vintage, but only
time would tell. And in the deliberate pace of Oporto wine making,
it would be almost two years before the wines were available for
tasting in a state at which serious criticism made sense.
It wasn't until the spring of 2002, a year and a half after the
harvest, that we started getting rave reports from such experts as
Roy Hersh (a frequent contributor to
WineLoversPage.com), who
called the 2000 vintage "one for the ages," adding, "this young
vintage has the best across-the-board quality level I've yet to
experience ... and I am including the revered 1994 vintage."
And even at that late date, the wine was still resting in
barrels, not to be bottled and released to the market until later in
the year. It's only in recent weeks that the first 2000 Vintage Port
started showing up on retail shelves where everyday wine lovers can
have a crack at it.
Unable to resist, I picked up the least-expensive 2000 available
here (the GOULD CAMPBELL 2000 PORTO at $23 for a 375 ml half-
bottle), and sacrificed it for tasting. It was indeed impressive:
full-bodied, sweet and strong, showing exceptional complexity and
balance. At the same time, its fierce, almost fiery tannic and
acidic nature demonstrated a point that bears repeating: Even though
you can drink Vintage Port while it's young, it simply doesn't make
sense to do so. This is one wine that simply demands aging, and that
won't come into its own for 20 years or more. If you buy it, plan to
keep it, on its side in a cool, dark place, and enjoy it in your
retirement, or perhaps to celebrate your child's college graduation.
Still, if you have any interest in what is arguably one of the
world's greatest wines, and one of the few that has not totally
succumbed to price inflation, you'll never be able to buy the 2000
Ports for less than they're selling for today. Most of the early
arrivals here are going in the range of $25 to $60 for half-
bottles, roughly double that for full bottles.
For Roy Hersh's comprehensive barrel-tasting reports on most of
the top-name 2000s, click to:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/port/2000forecast.phtml
GOULD CAMPBELL 2000 VINTAGE PORTO ($22.99)
Inky blackish-purple, opaque, slips down the sides of the glass
in sheets rather than mere "legs," already throwing enough sediment
in the bottle to make decanting advisable. Characteristic Port
aromas, more restrained than forward; plummy fruit with herbal
nuances. Dried plum aromas open up with swirling in the glass, along
with a distinct alcoholic edge. Abundant fruit shows on the palate,
plummy and ripe, full-bodied and unctuous with back notes of dark
chocolate, Acidic "grip" and fiery tannins build structure but make
it a bit challenging to enjoy this wine young despite its ripe and
appealing fruit. U.S. importer: Ex-Cellars Wine Agencies Inc.,
Solvang, Calif. (Feb. 26, 2003)
FOOD MATCH: Best sipped alone after dinner, but two experimental
food matches prove of interest: Good-quality white Cheddar (Cabot
from Vermont) coats the palate with sweet fat and dramatically
smooths the wine's tannins; dark semisweet chocolate brings up the
wine's plummy fruit, although it also accentuates the acidity.
VALUE: Excellent value at this price for a 375 ml half-bottle;
less than half the toll for some of the other Port houses in the
2000 vintage.
WHEN TO DRINK: Vintage Port from a top vintage like this can last
for decades and really needs 20 years to come into its own, but note
that ideal cellar conditions are required for such long-term
storage. It won't age well on a wine rack at room temperature.
There's enough fruit to make it drinkable now, but it's frankly a
waste to open it so young.
WEB LINK: You'll find the winery's English-language fact sheet at
http://www.smithwoodhouse.com/gc.htm |
