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Am ‘emergency’ tasting, chez jdaw1, starting at 4:30pm Saturday 3rd January 2009. Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 1970 Fonseca;
• 1985 Fonseca;
• 1983 Dow;
• 1985 Dow;
• 1985 Noval;
• 1985 Cálem;
• 1994 Cálem;
• 1989½Â±4½ Cálem;
• Planning and arrangements, such as they were;
• Placemats.

1970 Fonseca: colour I wrote only ‟same as always”. Fairly opaque, dark red, no purple, no brown. As made by god. Nose had a cloves originally misidentified by me as menthol. Eric D’s friend Eric T said ‟moss after July rain”. AJRH differed, insisting on August rain; I suggested late June. To taste full-on sweetness, heat briefly mid-palate, then sweet sticky great length. Very long. Lovely.

1970 Fonseca: Color a nice clear ruddy hue. The nose had a good deal of floral (rose) and spicy components to it (cloves and caraway). The spice followed through on the palate with flavors of root beer/sassafrass/sarsaparilla. A very long finish with brown sugar and just a hint of smokiness. Absolutely top-notch.