1963 Rebello Valente

[Alex Bridgeman]

Links:

• Review of the evening of 29th March 2012 (The Birthday Boys' Tasting) as a whole;
• Cockburn Special Reserve;
• Fonseca Terra Prima;
• Graham's Finest Reserve;
• Graham's Six Grapes;
• Noval Black;
• Port Society Finest Reserve;
• Ramos Pinto Collector's Reserve;
• Quinta de la Rosa Reserve Ruby;
• 1966 Croft;
• 1977 Fonseca;
• 1970 Graham;
• 1965 Malvedos;
• 1959 Niepoort colheita;
• 1963 Rebello Valente;
• 1955 Warre;
• Placemats;
• Planning and arrangements.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Mature red colour, darker than the Malvedos 1965 shown alongside; burnt rose colour on the rim and 30% opaque in the centre. Slightly dirty rose hips in the nose, full of sharp cranberry. Silky entry, soft rose hips followed quickly by surprising dry and green tannins. Good balance, but a quince bitterness underlies all the flavours. Sweet and fragrant on the aftertaste, followed by a long sticky finish of strawberry jelly and slightly bitter quince. 88/100.