Alex M wrote:Does anyone have any further thoughts on this bottling? What deductions led to it being a crusted port? I'm hoping to pick one up over the next few days.
First of all, the label said that this was a ruby port, thus eliminating the whole of the blended tawny family. Secondly, the label carried no vintage date, only a bottling date, thus implying that the wine in the bottle was a blend of vintages. Thirdly, the label referred to Vargellas, rather than Quinta de Vargellas, which implies that the base wines for this port came from a wider range than just the Quinta. Lastly, there was a fair amount of sediment in the bottle when decanted, which was interpreted to mean that the wine was of sufficient quality when bottled to have been intended to be capable of maturing in the bottle. So, while this could simply have been a ruby reserve of exceptional quality, we chose to conclude that it was actually a crusted port, bottled in 1969.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.