1985 Taylor

[jdaw1]

A small tasting, with Glenn E. and his family, at Au Relais des Buttes-Chaumont, 86 rue Compans, Paris 19ème.

Links:

• 1970 Kopke S. Luiz;
• 1985 Churchill;
• 1985 Taylor;
• 2007 Quevedo;
• Placemats;
• Some planning;
• Review of the evening as a whole.

[jdaw1]

Most of the bottle drunk the previous day with my proto-brother-in-law-squared with string food, so no note taken. Two sample bottles saved for the Elliots.

The previous day pleasant enough, though lightly sullied by a vegetable note. On day two this had become much stronger and more unpleasant. Not a good bottle, I think and hope.

[Glenn E.]

1985 Taylor Vintage Port
decanted 24+ hours prior

Color: no note due to poor lighting.
Nose: something mildly vegetal but not overpowering. Some alcohol. Strawberries with stem and leaf crown attached.
Palate: sweet entry, then... corn cobs? Then it turns tart, then almost bitter. Still has very good tannins and good acidity, but has clearly been open too long. Still drinkable, though, and also seems like it needs more time. As JDAW put it, it needs 10 years more and 1 day less.
Finish: tart/bitter to start, then fades rapidly. Some faint mint. Fairly shallow and short.

Score: not rated. From my brief exposure I don't think it was a bad bottle; it just wasn't happy with 24+ hours of decant time.

[jdaw1]

Same vegetable note later found in Vesuvio 1992.