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From the double-horizontal, 1983 and 1985, on Saturday 13 September 2008 at the home of jfacciol in Brooklyn.

• Planning and arrangements;
• Placemats;
• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 1983 Dow;
• 1985 Dow;
• 1983 Fonseca;
• 1985 Fonseca;
• 1983 Gould Campbell;
• 1985 Gould Campbell;
• 1983 Graham’s;
• 1985 Graham’s;
• 1983 Noval Nacional;
• 1985 Noval Nacional.

Noval Nacional 1985: little sediment in the muslin, though washing the very opaque bottle produced plenty more. Decanting shortly after 11am left a tiny sample, which was red with a hint of pink. Light cherry to the nose. The taste very puckering, almost sour, which initially conceals then re-reveals the cherry. Great length. Really great length. The sourness somewhat odd though.

Noval Nacional 1985: color fairly pale. A rather odd, sweetly medicinal nose, like certain kinds of cough syrup with a hint of St. Joseph's Children's Asprin. Good length, which I didn't expect considering the rather light mouthfeel. Taste slightly acidic, with more hints of the children's asprin and a touch of mint/eucalyptus. More flavorful than the 83, however.

Nacional 1985: Great brick red. Vegetable nose (and I don’t like vegetables). DC suggested play-do. To taste lots of tannin, little fruit, no finish.

Later it was a changed port, with a very strong candy-like sweetness, though still short.

EricD wrote:Noval Nacional 1985: color fairly pale. A rather odd, sweetly medicinal nose, like certain kinds of cough syrup with a hint of St. Joseph's Children's Asprin. Good length, which I didn't expect considering the rather light mouthfeel. Taste slightly acidic, with more hints of the children's asprin and a touch of mint/eucalyptus. More flavorful than the 83, however.

This sounds to me like it's another victim of the 1985 VA 'virus'.

Quinta do Noval Nacional 1985 starts with a vegetative -- albeit not unpleasant -- nose and assumes (per DDave) a playdough undercurrent. It's fruity taste improved in the glass, but it fades so instanteously as to make it nearly impossible to catch the name of that flavor. (87, no clue).

Thanks for the TN guys,

I never had the Nacional 85 though having had the "normal" Noval numerous times. I always believed it to have the same faith than the 63 couple. The normal VP being poop, but the Nacional to keep up the spirit of the house.

Now I am a bit disappointed, especially taking into consideration the price...

Axel

Actually I have in my notes that I first had a 86.. but it kept moving up the point scales to end up with a 89 at the end of the night (palate fatigue?)

Reddish hint of purple with slight bricking on the edges clear throughout.

Nose of baked strawberries in a graham cracker crust.

The initial taste of play dough/eucalyptus was a big turn off for me.

But they definitely subsided towards the end of the night to baked plums backed by precise purple fruit.

the 10 second weird play dough finish gave way to a 20 second stewed fruit finish.

Interesting experience, but not one for the price/value