ThePortForum.com

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.

Decanted 27 hours in advance at 1500 on Wednesday. Looks and smells very fine. Surprisingly long cork which came out neatly in one go.

40% opacity, brown-red, cloudy. Muted nose. Lacking some structure. Sweetness and some heat but no backbone. Watery finish. Not the best bottle it must be said. VA affected? I have to hope the remaining 11 from the case are better than this

Brick red, slightly cloudy, 60% opaque. Reluctant nose revealing only a little fruit. Some redcurrants and rather light at first before a big mid-palate with a touch of dry tannins. Medium in weight and texture. The aftertaste is of warm cream and raspberries in both texture and flavour with the raspberries going on to dominate the finish. 89/100.

D85. Red, 50% opaque. Palate almost ready, though, unusually, aniseed showing.