1983 Real Vinicola (Royal Oporto) VP

[DRT]

When I purchased 9 bottles of this a few months ago some people here asked "why?". I don't think I had a satisfactory answer other than "at £13 per bottle, how bad can they be?"

This evening we will discover the answer to that second question. The pungent smell of stewed fruit that I detected whilst decanting doesn't fill me with enthusiasm for what is to come later...

[DRT]

D+1hr
Colour is consistent with a port of this age. Sweet red fruits on the nose - perhaps over-ripe strawberry. Medium weight, very sweet entry. Flabby, with lots of minty heat in the finish, which is thin but quite long. Strange stuff.

[jdaw1]

☺? ☹? ☹☹?

[DRT]

☺? ☹? ☹☹?

☹☹☹☹

[jdaw1]

¿ ☹☹☹☹ < £13 ?

¿ ☹☹☹☹ < £10 ?

¿ ☹☹☹☹ ≈ £? ?

[DRT]

¿ ☹☹☹☹ < £13 ?

Ruby red, with a brown touch. Smelly. Very sweet and artificial. Some raisiny fruit. Finish as very bad, the consensus was that this tasted like vomit. We all identified this as the Real Vinicola. Avoid like SARS.

This 1983 fits the profile of the house very well. £13 x 9 is a lot of money to spend on vomit.

[jdaw1]

Links:

[DRT]

The bad news for those who attend blind tastings with me is that I have eight bottles left

[jdaw1]

Spaghetti Bolognese?

[DRT]

Very likely.

I will try this again tomorrow. I'm not hopeful.

[DRT]

D+24hrs

Pungent, stewed nose. Fuller in the mouth and a better texture than yesterday. Very sweet candy flavours. Has lost the heat in the finish and is now more drinkable than it was, but in no way pleasant. I am about to eat a Chinese meal. Perhaps it will taste better after that.

[jdaw1]

Just to help you feel that progress is being made, print this post and cross off the bottles as you finish them: ⑨ ⑧ ⑦ ⑥ ⑤ ④ ③ ② ①

[Glenn E.]

I am about to eat a Chinese meal. Perhaps it will taste better after that.

Close, but not quite. I believe the Asian cuisine you're looking for is Korean. Specifically, kimchi. There's nothing quite like rotting cabbage to make a bad Port taste better!

[jdaw1]

The bad news for those who attend blind tastings with me is that I have eight bottles left

Please bring a ‘backup’ bottle as well.

[AHB]

The bad news for those who attend blind tastings with me is that I have eight bottles left

Please bring a ‘backup’ bottle as well.

Please ensure the backup bottle is not another bottle of RV83

[DRT]

The bad news for those who attend blind tastings with me is that I have eight bottles left

Please bring a ‘backup’ bottle as well.

Please ensure the backup bottle is not another bottle of RV83

Don't you just hate it when a loophole closes in front of your eyes