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Tasted as part of a Vesuvio Vertical from 1989 to 2008 at The New Cavendish Club, London on 23rd February 2010.

• Organisation thread
• Review of the evening
• Quinta do Vesuvio 1989
• Quinta do Vesuvio 1990
• Quinta do Vesuvio 1991
• Quinta do Vesuvio 1992
• Quinta do Vesuvio 1994
• Quinta do Vesuvio 1995
• Quinta do Vesuvio 1996
• Quinta do Vesuvio 1997
• Quinta do Vesuvio 1998
• Quinta do Vesuvio 1999
• Quinta do Vesuvio 2000
• Quinta do Vesuvio 2001
• Quinta do Vesuvio 2003
• Quinta do Vesuvio 2004
• Quinta do Vesuvio 2005
• Quinta do Vesuvio 2006 (Magnum)
• Quinta do Vesuvio 2007
• Quinta do Vesuvio 2007 Capela
• Quinta do Vesuvio 2008 (Work-in-progress Cask Sample*)

*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.

Same colour as the 89, except slightly rosy around the edge. Touch rounder and sweeter than the 89 on the nose. An intense icing-sugar sweetness even more pronounced on the palate. Underpinned by the same wateriness as the '89 and a bit more fruit.

Again -- quite light in color.

Started off a bit flat on the attack, but quickly proved to be much richer and sweeter to me than the 89. A touch mono-dimensional for sure, but that singular flavor profile is a bit of soft perfumed red fruits, which is tough to be angry with. Prefer this to the 89, but still not blown away at this point.

85 pts

A little flat on the nose. Thinner and softer than the 89 with some bitter notes and a hot finish.

V90: An edge darker than the 1989, but lighter than all the others. Much more bake than the older sibling, lighter. More ethereal in the Madeira sense, and lighter than the ’89. Thinner, less structure, more head. I found less fruit than the ’89: that opinion not being unanimous.