1996 Quinta do Vesuvio

[jdaw1]

On the Wednesday before the 2012 Olympics we were guests of His Excellency Dr João de Vallera, the Portuguese Ambassador to the Court of St James, at his official residence, wherein we had two bottles of Port from each summer-Olympic year, 1948 to 2008.

Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 1948 Martinez;
• 1952 Niepoort Colheita;
• 1956 Niepoort Experimental;
• 1960 Croft;
• 1964 Graham Malvedos;
• 1968 Fonseca Guimaraens;
• 1972 Offley Boa Vista;
• 1976 Taylor Quinta de Vargellas;
• 1980 Dow;
• 1984 Warre Quinta da Cavadinha;
• 1988 Quinta de la Rosa;
• 1992 Burmester;
• 1996 Quinta do Vesuvio;
• 2000 Delaforce;
• 2004 Cockburn Quinta dos Canais;
• 2008 Quevedo Quevedo Quinta Vale D’Agodinho;
• Placemats (and parameters);
• Planning and arrangements.

[RAYC]

great structure, powerful, long, tasty, very very nice.

Dense but restrained fruit - possibly slightly closed, but this has all the right ingredients and hopefully will get better over the medium term. Still enjoyable now - will buy **** (92+)

[jdaw1]

V96 (mine): dark red, 80% opaque. Taste medium weight, some heat. Red cherry, and a touch of plum. Very long, very very long, even though mid-weight.