Port Wine Magazine Delaforce Range Tasting

Delaforce Range

Some of the Delaforce range tasted at the at Fonseca Lodge 3rd October 2003.

1986 Colheita Very pale delicate colour. Faded but pleasantly light and elegant nose and palate. Pleasant wine, but probably expensive.

1994 Colheita Much bigger and fatter style. More youthful vigour and guts to it. Probably far more popular style and giving better value for money.

His Eminence's Choice Unusually for this wine some dirty wood on the nose and rather raw spirit too. A disappointing wine which is better on the palate but which has been better in the past.

Curious and Ancient Light and again with a bit of dirtiness on nose. Very light palate. Again a disappointing showing.

Quinta da Corte 1997 Big black wine. Ripe plum character. Nice palate but not a great wine, but considerably cheaper than the other Vintages from the Fladgate stable.

Quinta da Corte 2001 Equally black but with a far greater structure to it. Still not up with the best but a good wine.

Delaforce 2000 Looks the part, very deep colour, and the nose is nice and clear, if simple of course. Palate a little lean and unforgiving, lacking the power and guts of the best 2000.

Overall this was not a great showing. Perhaps it was partly tasting the wines in direct comparison with their Taylor and Fonseca equivalents that tipped the balance but they showed a general lack of structure and fruit and in some cases a disappointing level of unclean wood.

Looking at is cynically, was this a deliberate plan on the part of the Taylor management? It certainly made the other three houses in the stable look better by comparison and any improvement will be welcomed.

A little background about Delaforce

Delaforce was bought by the Fladgate Partnership along with Croft, when they bought the Port interests from IDV. The two together were known as C. D. Vintners. The wines are not particularly important on the UK market but are very significant on the German market. The stunningly picturesque Quinta da Corte in the Rio Torto Valley, perhaps the most photographed of all Port wine vineyards, has always formed the heart of the vintage blend, although it has never belonged to the company.

The former winemaker and last remaining family member involved with the company moved shortly after the takeover and now works for Dirk Neipoort.

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1986 Colheita	Very pale delicate colour. Faded but pleasantly light and elegant nose and palate. Pleasant wine, but probably expensive.
1994 Colheita	Much bigger and fatter style. More youthful vigour and guts to it. Probably far more popular style and giving better value for money.
His Eminence's Choice	Unusually for this wine some dirty wood on the nose and rather raw spirit too. A disappointing wine which is better on the palate but which has been better in the past.
Curious and Ancient	Light and again with a bit of dirtiness on nose. Very light palate. Again a disappointing showing.
Quinta da Corte 1997	Big black wine. Ripe plum character. Nice palate but not a great wine, but considerably cheaper than the other Vintages from the Fladgate stable.
Quinta da Corte 2001	Equally black but with a far greater structure to it. Still not up with the best but a good wine.
Delaforce 2000	Looks the part, very deep colour, and the nose is nice and clear, if simple of course. Palate a little lean and unforgiving, lacking the power and guts of the best 2000.