1982 Croft

[uncle tom]

A little surprising that this is the first note on this wine..

From a case bought at Dreweatts last June.

Decanted 9pm - very pale for its age, but nice fruity aroma as I decanted.

First sip - little bottle stink, light and fruity on both nose and palate. Quite pleasant, considering that this wine has not had the best of reviews over the years. Reminds me of the de la Rosa '90

More anon..

Tom

[RonnieRoots]

Looking forward to your further impressions. I only tasted this port a couple of times at tastings, and found it to be quite poor.

[uncle tom]

D + 4 and then again D + 24 - very similar.

A light but very pleasant wine, with good nose, and the classic fruity palate of the older Crofts (absent from the Cr75 and Cr77). The finish is also long and fire-free.

Aside from the lightness, this is really a very well composed wine, now fully mature. The criticism levelled by some writers seems unjustified.

For immediate gratification this is certainly better than most, but top quartile? - not quite; so a 7

Where's it going? It might hold firm for several years, but there's a risk it might start to fall apart in another decade, so I'll be cautious.

Score 7-6

Tom