Great Vintage Port Tasting
Cockburn
Cockburn was founded in 1815. For the house history read what we had written on the Cockburn page. Cockburn is mostly a dry vintage port which we all three tasters in vintageport.se are very fond of so on the 12th of November 2009 we decided to have a Great Tasting in the Wine Society 18% of 19 different vintages of Cockburn from 1904 to 1994, including the Cockburn's single quinta i.e. Quinta do Tua from 1987 and Quinta do Canais 1991.
We were 19 participants. The tasting was semi-blind i.e. we know which vintages who participate but not what we had in the glass.
The tasting was conducted over two flights.
First flight was Cockburn 1967, 1970, 1975, 1983, 1985, 1991 and 1994, Quinta do Tua 1987 and Quinta do Canais 1991.
Second flight was Cockburn 1904, 1908, 1927, 1935, 1947, 1950, 1955, 1960 and 1963
Tasting notes. Note that the points are for the actual bottle tasted. Read about how we set point on the page "How to understand our points valuations"
Sort on: Vintage Sten's rank Jörgen's rank Stefan's rank Group's rank
| House | Cockburn | Vintage | 1904 |
| Colour | Mature tawny in colour. |
| Bouquet | A bit old, strange and soapy. |
| Taste | Medium-bodied. Mature but fading a little. Still quite drinkable. |
| SAI point | 14.00 | JB point | 15.50 | SS point | 15.50 | Group point | 13.24 |
| SAI rank | 15 | JB rank | 14 | SS rank | 13 | Group rank | 17 |
| Comment | Due to shortness of local brandy Cockburn used brandy from the Azores in this vintage. |
| House | Cockburn | Vintage | 1908 |
| Colour | Wonderful mature yellow in colour. |
| Bouquet | Elegant, complex aromas from pharmacy, old grocery shop and much more. |
| Taste | Full-bodied. Elegant magnificent, complex port with a wonderful finish of mint and liquorice. It seems never to end!! |
| SAI point | 17.90 | JB point | 15.50 | SS point | 17.75 | Group point | 16.11 |
| SAI rank | 2 | JB rank | 6 | SS rank | 2 | Group rank | 4 |
| Comment | |
| House | Cockburn | Vintage | 1927 |
| Colour | Mature beautiful yellow in colour. |
| Bouquet | Aromatic, plum, pharmacy but also coffee and cacao in the nose. Very complex and attractive. |
| Taste | Full-bodied. Silky tannins. Flavour of burned sugar. Mature, wonderful with an everlasting finish. A really magnificent port. |
| SAI point | 18.00 | JB point | 17.90 | SS point | 15.90 | Group point | 15.92 |
| SAI rank | 1 | JB rank | 2 | SS rank | 10 | Group rank | 5 |
| Comment | |
| House | Cockburn | Vintage | 1935 |
| Colour | Amber in quite beautiful in colour |
| Bouquet | Complex bouquet of black current, blackberry and pharmacy. |
| Taste | Quite full-bodied. Still sweet. Flavour of old hospital and much more. Very mature and maybe a little old but complex and with a delicious and quite long finish. |
| SAI point | 16.00 | JB point | 18.90 | SS point | 18.00 | Group point | 16.55 |
| SAI rank | 12 | JB rank | 1 | SS rank | 1 | Group rank | 2 |
| Comment | |
| House | Cockburn | Vintage | 1947 |
| Colour | Mature beautiful amber in colour. |
| Bouquet | Rich delicious crème caramel, coffee, cacao, hazelnuts and some chocolate in the nose. |
| Taste | Quite full-bodied. Mature and maybe a little old in taste. Hazelnuts and fudge in taste. Harmonious, rich, balanced and elegant with a dry finish. This is port just to love and drink. Wonderful port indeed |
| SAI point | 17.00 | JB point | 15.75 | SS point | 17.25 | Group point | 16.79 |
| SAI rank | 5 | JB rank | 13 | SS rank | 3 | Group rank | 1 |
| Comment | |
| House | Cockburn | Vintage | 1950 |
| Colour | Beautiful amber in colour. |
| Bouquet | Complex bouquet of old grocery shop, crème caramel, toffee, candy, Christmas raisin, burned sugar and liquorice in the nose. |
| Taste | Medium body. Mature and at its peak. Sweet, attractive with candy and fudge in taste. Balanced and elegant port with a wonderful finish. |
| SAI point | 17.40 | JB point | 16.75 | SS point | 16.75 | Group point | 15.61 |
| SAI rank | 3 | JB rank | 8 | SS rank | 5 | Group rank | 7 |
| Comment | |
| House | Cockburn | Vintage | 1955 |
| Colour | Mature amber and quite beautiful in colour. |
| Bouquet | Elegant fudge, toffee, candy, Christmas raisin, burned sugar and liquorice in the nose. Generous and lovely. |
| Taste | Medium body. Mature and at its peak. Dry and attractive with candy and fudge in taste. Balanced and elegant port with a wonderful and longl finish. |
| SAI point | 16.90 | JB point | 17.75 | SS point | 17.00 | Group point | 15.87 |
| SAI rank | 7 | JB rank | 3 | SS rank | 4 | Group rank | 6 |
| Comment | |
| House | Cockburn | Vintage | 1960 |
| Colour | Mature very yellow but still lovely colour. |
| Bouquet | Crème caramel, fudge, toffee and burned sugar in the nose. |
| Taste | Mature and absolutely peaking now. Fairly sweet, lean and nutty. Elegant and balanced. A long, complex and attractive finish which hardly will end. Lovely port. |
| SAI point | 17.00 | JB point | 17.00 | SS point | 16.00 | Group point | 15.50 |
| SAI rank | 5 | JB rank | 6 | SS rank | 9 | Group rank | 8 |
| Comment | |
| House | Cockburn | Vintage | 1963 |
| Colour | Attractive mature yellow in colour. |
| Bouquet | Wonderful complex bouquet of old grocery shop, coffee, fudge, toffee, tea, cacao, liquorice and much more. |
| Taste | Full-bodied. Mature and at its peak. Vanilla, toffee, fudge, liquorice and chocolate in taste. Dry but balanced. Long finish. Easy to drink and love. An attractive port indeed. |
| SAI point | 17.40 | JB point | 17.50 | SS point | 15.50 | Group point | 15.50 |
| SAI rank | 3 | JB rank | 4 | SS rank | 13 | Group rank | 8 |
| Comment | |
| House | Cockburn | Vintage | 1967 |
| Colour | Yellow almost tawny in colour. |
| Bouquet | Quite intensive plum, chocolate, coffee and old grocery shop in the nose. |
| Taste | Medium-body. Complex and attractive. Cacao and much more in flavour. Mature and on top. Lovely and balanced finish. Good mature port. |
| SAI point | 16.25 | JB point | 16.25 | SS point | 12.50 | Group point | 14.35 |
| SAI rank | 10 | JB rank | 10 | SS rank | 16 | Group rank | 16 |
| Comment | |
| House | Cockburn | Vintage | 1970 |
| Colour | Yellow mature in colour. |
| Bouquet | Complex delicious spicy bouquet of liquorice, nuts, coffee, toffee and marzipan. |
| Taste | Full-bodied. Mature and peaking. Liquorice and toffee in flavour. Quite dry. Complex and elegant port. Balanced and a solid and long wonderful finish. Delicious port. |
| SAI point | 16.90 | JB point | 16.75 | SS point | 16.50 | Group point | 15.37 |
| SAI rank | 7 | JB rank | 8 | SS rank | 6 | Group rank | 12 |
| Comment | |
| House | Cockburn | Vintage | 1975 |
| Colour | Mature almost fair tawny in colour. |
| Bouquet | Quite old bouquet with some burned sugar, dried apricot and dried figs in the nose. |
| Taste | Medium bodied. Mature and even quite far beyond its peak but quite elegant and balanced. Burned sugar and dried apricot in taste. Dry but very easy to drink and like with an elegant finish. Drink up, will not be better! |
| SAI point | 15.75 | JB point | 17.50 | SS point | 15.90 | Group point | 15.14 |
| SAI rank | 14 | JB rank | 4 | SS rank | 10 | Group rank | 13 |
| Comment | |
| House | Cockburn | Vintage | 1983 |
| Colour | Dark blue in colour with a yellow rim. |
| Bouquet | This bottled was cocked and not good in the nose |
| Taste | Full bodied. Still tannic but the taste of chocked got through and the port was not enjoyable. |
| SAI point | 13.00 | JB point | 11.00 | SS point | 10.00 | Group point | 12.61 |
| SAI rank | 16 | JB rank | 17 | SS rank | 17 | Group rank | 18 |
| Comment | This vintage has globally shown a high incidence of cork defects. The former winemaker of Cockburn, Miguel Corte-Real has admitted that there was a “significant problem” with this vintage. |
| House | Cockburn | Vintage | 1985 |
| Colour | Still very dark but mature yellow in colour. |
| Bouquet | Terrible nose of ether. Defect bouquet |
| Taste | Full bodied but ether and old unclean hospital in taste. Terrible indeed |
| SAI point | 10.00 | JB point | 10.50 | SS point | 9.00 | Group point | 11.25 |
| SAI rank | 18 | JB rank | 18 | SS rank | 18 | Group rank | 18 |
| Comment | This vintage has also shown a high incidence of defect bottles but when it is good – it is marvellous. |
| House | Quinta do Tua Cockburn | Vintage | 1987 |
| Colour | Quite dark blue in colour with a yellow rim. |
| Bouquet | Nice bouquet of cinnamon, ginger and old grocery shop in the nose. |
| Taste | Quite full-bodied. Mature but still some soft tannin. Cinnamon and ginger in taste. Balanced and attractive port. Long and complex finish. |
| SAI point | 16.40 | JB point | 16.00 | SS point | 16.40 | Group point | 15.42 |
| SAI rank | 9 | JB rank | 12 | SS rank | 8 | Group rank | 11 |
| Comment | |
| House | Cockburn | Vintage | 1991 |
| Colour | Dark blue in colour with just a hint of yellow edge. |
| Bouquet | Still some dark berry but cream candy, fudge and toffee in the nose. |
| Taste | Full-bodied. Still lots of tannin of course and will develop a lot. Cream candy and toffee in taste. Balanced and attractive with a long and very promising finish but easy to enjoy already now. |
| SAI point | 16.25 | JB point | 16.25 | SS point | 16.50 | Group point | 16.26 |
| SAI rank | 10 | JB rank | 10 | SS rank | 6 | Group rank | 3 |
| Comment | |
| House | Quinta do Canais Cockburn | Vintage | 1991 |
| Colour | Dark blue with a yellow rim. |
| Bouquet | Fruit and burned sugar in the nose. |
| Taste | Medium body. Still some tannin but rather mature. Balanced with burned sugar in flavour. Promising finish. |
| SAI point | 14.00 | JB point | 14.90 | SS point | 14.50 | Group point | 15.11 |
| SAI rank | 15 | JB rank | 16 | SS rank | 15 | Group rank | 14 |
| Comment | |
| House | Cockburn | Vintage | 1994 |
| Colour | Still quite dark but yellow mature in colour. |
| Bouquet | Dark berry, blackthorn and blue berry in the nose. |
| Taste | Full-bodies. Quite mature but with still some tannin. Gingerbread and dark berry in taste. Will be better. Interesting and quite attractive finish. |
| SAI point | 15.90 | JB point | 15.50 | SS point | 15.75 | Group point | 14.87 |
| SAI rank | 13 | JB rank | 14 | SS rank | 12 | Group rank | 15 |
| Comment | |