At 9pm, the colour is full glorious red, 70% opaque. Fabulous mature port colour. Full and rich, almost Graham’s-level sweetness, and still that plum fruit. Heat late-palate. The sugar is beautifully embedded in the fruit. There is a very slight acridity in the mid-palate. Another winner from the lucky case of Taylor 1980.
The sommelier, Charity Anais, reports as follows:
AHB: eat your heart out.Clear, free of sediment (post-filtration). Flaw: slight madeirised aroma. Colour garnet, with a watery meniscus, medium brick-red rim variation; medium concentration. On the nose medium intensity, bright and expressive, reminiscent of spice-cake and Christmas, fresh and toasted hazelnuts, fresh marcona almonds, dried-bing cherries, a hint of sultana-raisin and bright-ripe fig. Opens into toasted nutmeg and burnt saffron with a pot-pourri base. Palate: medium sweet, medium+ viscosity, medium+ acid. Flavour profile opens with ripe black plums, and dried bing cherries. Though the nose is fascinating, I digress, the palate leaves a bit to be desired. It is quiet, slightly burnt on the mid-palate with a bitter walnut finish.
Charity will be in New York from 1st May until 1st June, maybe even longer.