1983 Ramos Pinto

[RonnieRoots]

Freshly brought in from the Netherlands, this bottle was the perfect victim for after dinner enjoyment with friends.

D+0
From the decanter, an opulent dark fruity smell comes up. Lovely. A sip from the glass with the dregs shows some cooked vegetables and leather on the nose. Rather restrained on the palate. Full sweet with modest fruit. Again leather, currant and a rather dry, and acidic finish. This could do with some time in the decanter.

D+5
Dry and slightly hot on the youthful nose, that shows elements of blueberry and tobacco. Light to medium bodied, fairly sweet, youthful, with red- and blackcurrant, and a round finish with figs, a touch of leather, cedar, and spices (mostly black pepper). Some drying tannins. A very nice suprise and a lovely drink that will certainly be able to age some more. But why wait? 88 points.

We left little less than half of the bottle in the fridge to enjoy after a 4-day camping trip to the desert and a beautiful stretch of beach, occupied only by us and a couple of dozen of nesting turtles. The port was still lovely. Very soft and supple. It had lost most of its complexity, but had all the characteristics of a perfect nightcap.