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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.

Notably a step darker than anything that has come before. Strikingly immature on the nose and challenging to drink, too. Dense and complex but obviously far too young to be enjoyed now.

Wow. Massive and untamed wine. Difficult to drink now, but showing great promise for the future. It was a bit hard for me to gauge the structure, and I'm worried it might be a bit all over the place, but clearly all the required elements are there.

90 pts with considerable upside.

Black cherries and a little unintegrated spirit on the nose. Big, thick and tannic with hugs fruits, spices and very long in the finish. This is great stuff and I can't imagine it would ever be possible to have too much of it.

V00: opaque, with a red edge. Smaller nose than the V99, but the taste has a strong tannic backbone that reminded me of a Taylor 1900. Very soft and elegant, but with a long fruit flavour.