Buckets of rain fell in Rose Bay, Nova Scotia on Sunday, January 12th, 2020. The New Year was well underway, and neighbors on Kingsburg Road gathered after dinner to taste a Warre 1975 Port that had been carefully stored for the past forty-five years. Decanted into a crystal pitcher, the ruby liquid awaited eager lips on this January night, as the rain finally stopped and the wind began to rise.
We held our small glasses to the light and examined the fine color, a blend of amber and ruby, that boded well for our tongues. We inhaled the heady aroma of the wine. The first sip revealed a complex and warm treat. Five-year-old cheddar, crackers, and dark chocolate were among the accompaniments. We sipped and conversed and held up our glasses to delight in the clear and beautiful color. Alas, the small glasses were soon drained, and we savored a twenty-one-year-old late-bottled vintage from the Opimian Society, the Canadian wine club for discriminating lovers of wine.
We finished the evening with a deep red five-year-old port full of fruity flavors including fig, cherry, and spice, from the Sainte Famille winery in Falmouth, Nova Scotia.
The Opimian Society, now known as Opimian Wine Club, derived its name in 1973 from Lucius Opimius, a Roman consul who declared a Falernian wine vintage in 121 BC superb. Opimianus became a Latin adjective to describe an excellent Falernian wine. (This Wine Spectator article has more information on Falernian wine.)
The ports we encountered in our winter storm were worthy to be deemed Opimian.
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