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On Thursday 21^st April 2016, the night before The Big Fortified Tasting, at the Boot & Flogger, we met for a double-vertical, Dow versus Graham.

Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• Placemats;
• Planning and arrangements.

80% opacity, deep deep red. Muted nose, dark fruits. Deep fruit on the palate, to a finish of big dry tannin. Alcohol also to the fore. All the ingredients are there, bit unintegrated right now perhaps. Suspect though that this will come together into a stunning port in the next 5-10 years. I will be buying.

An incredible dark red colour, 95% opaque. Masses of dust on the nose, mixed with candied black cherries. Sweet backcurrant candy on entry bringing a mass of dusty tannins on the dry blackcurrant and caramel mid-palate. A very dry palate lacking a little complexity but with an amazing power and youth still. Dry on the aftertaste with lots of black cherry and cocoa powder. A fabulous length to this youthful port. 94/100.

D80. Dark dark dark red, 80% opaque. Hint of sharpness, and mid-palate aniseed that brightens the whole palate.