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Axel proposed a “Small 1966 Horizontal” to be held on Tuesday 22^nd April 2014 at The Bung Hole, and we obeyed.

Links:

• Review of the event as a whole;
• 1966 Souza colheita bottled 1992;
• 1966 Constantino;
• 1966 Croft;
• 1966 Delaforce;
• 1966 Dow;
• 1966 Fonseca;
• 1966 Gould Campbell;
• 1966 Graham;
• 1966 Niepoort;
• 1966 Quinta do Noval;
• 1966 Offley;
• 1966 Quarles Harris;
• 1966 Rebello Valente;
• 1966 Sandeman;
• 1966 Taylor;
• 1966 Warre;
• 1966 Niepoort colheita bottled 1985;
• Niepoort Crusted;
• Placemats (and parameters by which made);
• Planning and arrangements.

25% opacity orange brown. Nose not great, a bit meaty. Quite a spiritous entry, some sweet/sugar, sharpness mid palate before a gentle long slightly caramel aftertaste.

+1hr: this had softened more, less sharpness.

T66. Glorious red, 50% opaque. Nose of red cherry. Palate had Taylor grit. Huge. Heat. Great structure, and red fruit.

After food still excellent, but less so.

Deep red, 40% opaque and very fine in appearance. Slight mintiness on the nose and lots of sawdust. Lovely in texture, another of the thick high glycerin ports from this vintage. Surprisingly woody on the palate, with a powerful pine dust although some fruit comes through late on the palate. Heat dominates the aftertaste; this fades slowly but eventually allows a brief fragrance to come through before a long herbaceous finish that is not very enjoyable. This is dry and bitter on the palate and is not a good bottle. 82/100. Decanted 4 hours.

Like finely polished wood, with a light pinkness. Really quiet on the nose, velvety plums in a warm parlour. Rather unexciting in the mouth; dry, slightly wooden, spiced but dull somehow.