1983 Berry Brothers
Posted: 20:10 Tue 27 Nov 2007
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
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