2018 Churchill Gricha

[Alex Bridgeman]

A cask sample tasted over the course of a week to allow the wine to fully open up.

Gentle purple in colour with a wide rim. A little tanky on the nose with lots of violets and blueberry. Nicely textured, poised and unhurried on the palate. Well structured and very well balanced with plenty of ripe tannins holding the palate together. A lovely balance of poised fruit, wonderfully refined - none of the overblown lusciousness you find in some very ripe vintages, but beautifully focused and elegant. High levels of acidity promise a long life for this Port. The aftertaste highlights the perfume of the wines and slowly gives way to a very long and very fine finish dominated by the blackcurrant fruit. This is an immaculately dressed Edwardian lady, refined and so well mannered; a beautiful Port rather than a big showy Port. 89-91/100.