Hardy's 1972 Vintage Port

[Mahmoud Ali]

We opened a bottle of 1972 Hardy's Vintage Port (738ml, no alcohol statement) last night at the end of a birthday dinner and wine. This was made with Shiraz grapes from the Tintara vineyard in the McLaren Vale. Despite it's age I seem to have made a mistake by not giving it more air time.

The colour was brick-red and browning at the rim, the nose and palate was so overly sweet that less than halfway through we gave up on it and turned to a bottle of single malt. The most striking note was that of molasses and raisins and little in the way of structure and balance. There wasn't even any sense of alcohol that one might expect in a freshly opened bottle of port. The decanter was left at the dining table untended and exposed to air.

The next evening we sampled it and it was so much better, the molasses element was decidedly moderated in both the nose and palate and it had turned into a fairly nice old port, in a new world style and not to be confused with real port. The nose still had hints of molasses and raisins but this was accompanied by hints of cocoa powder and spice. There was even a hint of alcohol. The palate was still sweet with the molasses element but gone was the cloying element. In it's place was an airiness, savouriness, and a dry finish, a lovely old Australian port. The dregs from the bottle had really fine sediment and was even more tasty, darker and richer with chalky tannins.

I've had a '67 Stonyfell port and it was not a t all like this Hardy port. I find it amazing that a bottle of port already 45 years old would need so much time in decanter to show its best.

Mahmoud.

[Ozzie W]

I have fond memories of this wine as it's my birth year. I still remember how vibrant it was and could hardly believe a wine 40 years old could be in such good condition. Paired it with Roquefort cheese and crackers. It was also the first VP I ever tried. The bottle didn't make it to day #2.