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Monday 27^th July 2015, at The Boot & Flogger, Bring a bottle to share.

Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 2012 Quinta Nova Reserva (†/NO);
• 2011 Duorum (¶, from NO);
• 2010 Duorum LBV (§, from NO);
• 1948 Mackenzie (THRA);
• 1977 Fonseca (JDAW);
• 1966 Taylor (MPM);
• 1978 Quinta do Noval (AHB);
• 1955 Taylor (IDJ);
• 1970 Croft (CPR);
• Food order;
• The placemats (and the parameters by which made);
• Planning and arrangements.

N78. For some reason I wrote nothing (was I channelling the absent DRT?), so this from memory. Red centre, pink edge, 30% opaque. Very smooth, with red cherry fruit. Lovely port, though a mite lighter than ideal. Most guesses, including mine, were of a good but not top-rank ’60: slightly over-mature lovely port, delicious even if slightly lighter than ideal. Though the guesses were deeply wrong, they were, in a different sense, quite fair.

25% opacity, red brown orange. Lovely sweet nose with a hint of citrus. Smooth sweetness, great balance. Quite mature. Guessed F63. Indeed the guesses made although all wrong, were high praise for this N78.

Red ochre colour, mature and only 15% opaque. Dusty cherries on the nose, sweet and candied. Modest entry of strawberry jam with a nice floral twist; good body. Lovely mid-maturity with lots of sweet fruit and the floral elements continuing on the mid-palate; surprisingly there are still some gentle tannins to be found. All the elements combine to give a surprisingly youthful palate. The floral rose-hip fruit carries through the aftertaste with a burst of heat on the early finish. The finish lasts well, ending with a nice burst of strawberry jam. 91/100.