1997 Croft Roeda

[jdaw1]

Port from General Election years, in The Crusting Pipe, on the occasion of the May 2010 general election.

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• Planning and arrangements;
• Placemats;
• 1970 Warre;
• 1935 Taylor;
• 1983 Dow;
• 1997 Croft Roeda.

[angeleyes]

Very young, dark, classic herbal nose. Grippy, fruity and extremely moreish; this ought to show better at the next election!

[jdaw1]

Very young, dark, classic herbal nose. Grippy, fruity and extremely moreish; this ought to show better at the next election!

Do you really think that an extra six months will make a substantial difference to this wine? I’m surprised: my expectation was that it needs at least four years before being drunk.

[angeleyes]

Very young, dark, classic herbal nose. Grippy, fruity and extremely moreish; this ought to show better at the next election!

Do you really think that an extra six months will make a substantial difference to this wine? I’m surprised: my expectation was that it needs at least four years before being drunk.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Dark red, very young, opaque centre and deeply coloured rim. Loud blackcurrants all over the nose. Big, sweet and fruity in the mouth; so full of fruit that the peppery tannins are almost hidden. Sweet, deep blackcurrants on the aftertaste; long and lingering but not big in flavour. Soft and approachable, drinking very nicely now. 89/100.

[Chris Doty]

Looked SO young. I guessed an 05, and was surprised to learn it was a 97. Nose reminded me of a Ringland Auzzie fruitbomb. Not bad, just not sure I would have guessed Port had I not known. Rich and full on the mid palate, but the attack and finish are both casper-esque. Will obviously improve, but there have been a bunch of young wines I have preferred to this (00, 03, 05, 07 Vesuvio, 03 Niepoort to name some). 87