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It is just over two years since I last opened one of these, and the most recent tasting note is..

..mine from June '07..!

Decanted at lunchtime, 4th July. Bit pale, but no browning; not a lot of sediment.

First sip - feeble and spirity, unimpressive.

I previously noted that this was a very late bloomer, so I intend to take my time with this bottle, and keep the decanter in the cellar for the duration.

D + 11hrs

Weak on both palate and nose, in the glass it still looks pale, with a broad clear meniscus. Rather hot finish. No real pleasure from drinking at this stage.

See how it evolves..

..more anon

Tom

D + 34 hrs, decanter kept at 18C

Colour now much darker, clear element of meniscus now halved. Still a very mute nose, even makes me think of cold water!

Vastly better on the palate now, although from a very low base. Respectable, but not stellar; not overly flavoursome, with some burn on the finish.

24hrs ago this wine would have been an embarassment at a dinner party. Now it would be acceptable to the inexpert and a moderate disappointment to the afficionado.

I recall observing to Dirk Niepoort once that one of his offerings was 'different' (- which it certainly was). Fearing that he might mis-interpret my observation as a negative, I clarified my comment to stress that it was a genuine opinion, and not a euphemism; to which he replied "just don't say it's interesting".

Well, sorry, Taylor Fladgate, but your '83 is a very interesting wine. For anyone with the impatience to pop and pour, it is likely to be a big disappointment; but for geeky students of post-decanting VP evolution, this is a very interesting wine indeed..

More anon..

Tom

Tom,

I shall read your notes with interest. This is a port which I avoid, due to the poor reputation that it has when compared to the normal expectations of Taylor. I suspect that one of the reasons that you note from 2007 was the last one is that the cognoscenti do not generally buy and drink this particular vintage from Taylor.

Alex

D + 58

At last a hint of fruit on the nose, but only a hint, clear edge to the wine now reduced further in width.

Much more integration on the palate now with the burn all but gone. A decent wine is slowly emerging.

Half of the decanter left to drink

- yet more anon!

Tom

D + 83hrs

A quick glass after surfacing at 3am..

Better integration and nose now, some fire seems to have returned..

zzz...

D + 100hrs

Wow! the wine has found itself - fine fruity nose, full integration with good depth and body, good lasting finish..

..this is exactly what happened two years ago - this wine takes four days to come round!

How does one score a wine that is crap for two days, passable for a couple of days and great thereafter?

I have a lingering suspicion that decanted ports sometimes separate into layers, with hot spirity wine tending to come off first.

This is probably a good wine to test the theory.

Next time I must decant - and then leave alone, for four days..

Tom

I've had this wine a number of times and every time I've been disappointed. Although, I must say that my decant times were in the 6 - 10 hour range and apparently it needs far longer to really come into its own. I never even dreamed of decanting it for 70+ hrs.! Lesson learned....who knew a 100 hr. decant was the key to this wine????

Marc

Might it be the problem with almost all of he classic 80s? The 80 was never overwhelming, the 85 was always disapointing to me, especially in direct relation to other big houses and now the 83?

Axel