1981 Vieira de Souza LBV

[Alex Bridgeman]

A bottle I had intended to open for its 40th anniversary last year, but COVID got in the way. Opened instead with a couple of friends as a contrast against a bottle of 2017 LBV from Poças.

Vieira de Sousa 1981 LBV, decanted 1 hour. Deep orange colour, 20% opaque. An extraordinary nose of fresh clementine and aniseed leaves - odd but quite attractive. Tinned mandarins on the palate. Very mature with some tertiary characteristics starting to show. Not drying out at all with the tinned mandarin fruit showing clearly and loudly. Nicely structured with just the right amount of acidity to balance and ghosts of tannins remaining on the palate. The tannins are more noticeable on the aftertaste before the tinned mandarin pieces take over on the long finish. An extraordinary Port, but rather nice anyway. 86/100. Drunk 09-Apr-22. Decanted 1 hour.