1988 Taylor Vargellas

[RonnieRoots]

From a half bottle.

Decanted around 5PM. Beautiful dark red colour, with some bricking. Right after decanting a restrained nose with some strawberries and a hint of leather. To taste rather sharp, with a green and hard edge. Does show some promise though.

Much better and softer after 3 hours in the decanter, and it kept heading in the right direction over the course of the evening. Dried Douro flowers on the nose, accompanied by strawberries and a hint of mint. A touch alcoholic. Medium bodied and easy going. Red fruit, some pepper, medium sweet, and a warm finish full of licorice flavours. Not the most complex of ports, but a very nice everyday drink, if found at the right price. And at a very good age to drink now. 86 points.

This needed some time to come together but I don't think it will benefit from a very long decant. There is some left though, that I poured back into the bottle and put in the fridge to taste tomorrow.

[RonnieRoots]

The following day this is very soft, but also much simpler and somewhat boring. More in the line of a good aged ruby reserve than a vintage port. Definitely one to drink within a couple of hours after decanting.