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At the generous instigation of Alex B.: “Please, no-one bring anything except where I have asked for help. This is supposed to be a cellar reduction party so I am happy to supply various bottles for us to share. A handful of people know some of what will be brought, but I'll serve all bottles blind.”

So we went to a Helen-less Bung Hole to meet Amy — who had just left for the day. (No problem: we met her two days later.)

Links:

• Review of the event as a whole;
• 1985 Graham (1);
• 1963 Offley magnum (2);
• 1985 Fonseca (3);
• 1985 Taylor (4);
• 1972 Offley (5);
• 1970 Graham magnum (6);
• 1985 Churchill (7);
• 1995 Quinta do Noval (11);
• Cockburn Fine Old Ruby believed to have been bottled in the 1940s (12);
• Placemats (and parameters by which made);
• Planning and arrangements.

T85. Red, hint of pink, 60% opaque. Good plum fruit, and a hint of roughness. Lots of that fruit. Solid Port, still showing a mite young.

Deep red and mature. Red strawberry nose sprinkled gently with library dust. Hinting at being a bit closed and would benefit from more time in the decanter. Very fresh and balanced entry with a touch of charcoal dryness from the tannins. The tannins become more aggressive but this has a great level of fruit to balance the tannin. Hot finish with powerful dry tannins and a very long length. In need of much more time. Served blind. 93/100. 26-Aug-14. 12 hour decant

AHB wrote:would benefit from more time in the decanter.

Decanted 8am. (This is a fact being recorded, not a disagreement.)