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1989 Quinta do Vesuvio
Posted: 00:54 Mon 22 Feb 2010
by DRT
Tasted as part of a Vesuvio Vertical from 1989 to 2008 at
The New Cavendish Club, London on 23rd February 2010.
*Please note that the 2008 Cask Sample was donated to this tasting by the Symington family before the final blend was complete so this may not accurately represent what the Vesuvio 2008 will be, should it be approved and declared later in 2010.
Re: 1989 Quinta do Vesuvio
Posted: 16:42 Tue 02 Mar 2010
by JacobH
Lightest of the Vesuvios with a bit of caramel / brown colouring on the edge. Quite watery initially on the mouth, followed by a bit of roundness and fruit. Very end of the aftertaste had a bit of tumeric or other spice. Tasted like it was aging fairly quickly. Perfectly drinkable, unspectacular Port.
Re: 1989 Quinta do Vesuvio
Posted: 20:28 Tue 02 Mar 2010
by Chris Doty
Quite light indeed -- would have believed you if you told me it was still red wine. Fairly soft on the nose, and a bit dull in the mouth. Grippy though -- in a way that turned out to be uncommon among the other vesuvios. Something more characteristic to me of 1983 Northern Rhone -- for some strange reason I get the sensation of a BMW turning tightly as it races up some mountain in Central Europe. However, this is a characteristic of the tannin structure, not the fruit, which in this case is quite tart and muted. A bit short on the finish as well. Not 'bad' by any means, but lacking in fruit/flavor/deliciousness.
83 pts
Re: 1989 Quinta do Vesuvio
Posted: 00:39 Wed 03 Mar 2010
by DRT
Some red fruits on the nose. Nice, mature and elegant port - very concentrated but lacking fruit on the palate. Not as baked as I expected. Nice stuff for drinking now.
Re: 1989 Quinta do Vesuvio
Posted: 23:04 Wed 03 Mar 2010
by Christopher
This was my favourite of the first three ports, I normally think of this wine as a great example of Douro bake, the 89 and I believe the 90 were stored in the Douro before temperate control, this bottle really did not show Douro bake at all which was a big surprise. A very enjoyable bottle but towards the end of the tasting it really dropped off, recommend a limited decant for maximum enjoyment. Nice current drinking
Re: 1989 Quinta do Vesuvio
Posted: 12:42 Mon 05 Apr 2010
by jdaw1
Vesuvio was bought by the Symingtons in February 1989, so most of the growing and all of the vinification happened under their care.
V89: A lovely red, but compared to the others, so much more and translucent and red (rather than black). Sweet, some heat, a little tired but lovely quafffable raspberry. Light but long. Mature. Some 2½k cases made in ’89, volumes subsequently varying from ¾k to 4k. Apparently not sold at bottling time because the labels weren’t ready.
Re: 1989 Quinta do Vesuvio
Posted: 16:46 Tue 06 Apr 2010
by Roy Hersh
I still have a few of these purchased early on, what do you believe to be the drinkability of these moving forward, in terms of longevity or lack thereof?
Re: 1989 Quinta do Vesuvio
Posted: 18:02 Tue 06 Apr 2010
by jdaw1
DRT wrote:! mature ! Nice stuff for drinking now.
Christopher wrote:Nice current drinking
jdaw1 wrote:Mature.
No great urgency, but other than a tasting reserve, you should seek opportunities to consume.
Re: 1989 Quinta do Vesuvio
Posted: 13:19 Mon 26 Apr 2010
by Alex Bridgeman
Roy Hersh wrote:I still have a few of these purchased early on, what do you believe to be the drinkability of these moving forward, in terms of longevity or lack thereof?
While ready now and drinking very nicely, I believe that the Douro bake is integrating itself into the flavour profile of the wine and is becoming less noticeable as a flaw and simply one of the flavour influences of this wine. How long this integration will continue, I don't know, but I plan to open the next one of mine in a couple of years (but then I am running out of the 1989).