After trying a few new wines recently I returned to my trusty favourite. This bottle was in good condition and with a solid cork. Deep red in colour, paling slightly at the rim. The nose was sweet, slightly antiseptic and carried tobacco and ripe figs. The initial impact into the mouth was a sightly watery wine but bringing strong flavours of liquorice and fennel. The wine thickened in the mouth and developed refined cherry-juice tones supported by tannins that are fully integrated into a balanced structure. The aftertaste is warm and with a cedar-wood start that changes into a long and pleasant tobacco and cut-grass flavour that lasts a long time.
This is a lovely and elegant wine that I turn to frequently, finding it both reliable and refined. It is consistently at the top quartile of the wines that I drink but it is not an outstanding wine. I suspect that this wine will hold for a decade but is unlikely to improve significantly so I will rate it an 8-8 on Tom's scale or 89/100. Tasted after 9 hours in the decanter, on 11 November 2006.
Alex
1983 Berry Brothers
- Alex Bridgeman
- Graham’s 1948
- Posts: 14880
- Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Berkshire, UK
1983 Berry Brothers
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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- Quinta do Vesuvio 1994
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- Alex Bridgeman
- Graham’s 1948
- Posts: 14880
- Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Berkshire, UK
-
- Quinta do Vesuvio 1994
- Posts: 3028
- Joined: 22:16 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Los Angeles, Ca USA
- Contact: