The power of the Press!

I drank some memorable bottles with my friends here in Oporto when James Suckling was in town.

My old friend Paul Symington produced a Graham's 48 and a Dow's 31. At 60 years old the Graham's 1948 was still tasting amazingly young and fresh whilst the Dow's 1931 was delicate and dry.

Dirk Nieport also kindly invited me to his house for dinner and produced a decadently sweet Nieport 1955, which I guessed right! First however we had his fabulous Batuta 2001. James and Paul both thought it was French and a top line Rhone wine. I thought the terroir was familiar and said to the assembled company how I wished it could be from the Douro!

"James come back , all is forgiven, more or less!"