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As it is somebody’s birthday (it must be somebody’s!), I decided to open a Nacional 1987, of which I have several in the US, not expensively acquired.

Decanted 3pm, D+0hr: quite lively, nosing having a little heat and cherries and cranberries and not much else. To taste quite tart, perhaps cranberry tartness but maybe just tartness, and a large but not huge mouthfillingness. Good duration as well. Should be good later.

Nacional 1987: now at D+3hr, less good. There’s a minty heat-like clinging to the side of the mouth, very long, which I’m not enjoying. Less fruit than earlier, and the tartness has also softened. Not by any stretch of the imagination is this big.

I suggest patience. My experience of this particular port last year was that it needed 24+ hours to reach a good drinking plateau where it showed what it will offer in 20 years time.

‟What do you think of it?”, asked a guest. ‟Not very impressed”, said I. ‟Nor me, but I’ll drink it.”

Will save half the decanter for tomorrow.

D+28hr: light, tart, hot. Functional, but not good.

There do not appear to be any Nacionals from the 80's that really make the grade - it was not a happy decade for Noval...

Tom