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Rebello Valente, and Quinta de la Rosa, on Thursday 21^st November 2019, at The Boot & Flogger, as arranged by Phil Wakely.

Links:

• Review of the event as a whole;
• 1927 Rebello Valente;
• 1942 Rebello Valente;
• 1945 Rebello Valente;
• 1947 Rebello Valente;
• 1955 Rebello Valente;
• 1960 Rebello Valente;
• 1960 de la Rosa, Quinta;
• 1963 Rebello Valente;
• 1963 de la Rosa, Quinta;
• 1966 Rebello Valente;
• 1970 Rebello Valente;
• 1970 de la Rosa, Quinta;
• 1972 Rebello Valente;
• 1977 Rebello Valente magnum;
• Placemats (and parameters by which made);
• Planning and arrangements.

Rs63. Red red pink, 25%. Lots of structure, very dry. Long, sweeter late. I like this. Fully mature, maybe overmature, very long.

20% opacity, mature red, orange rim. mature red fruit on the nose. Mature port, some dryness, red fruits.

Sandeman were supplied with grapes by Quinta de la Rosa in the 1963 vintage, who gave the family a pipe of wine to bottle for family use. Philip Bergqvist suggested that it was the same wine as that bottled under the Rebello Valente label by Sandeman's owners - which it might well have been with the differences accounted for by the fact that this wine was stored in the (rather warm) cellar at Quinta de la Rosa for the last 50 years.

More mature in appearance and more orange in tone than the Rebello Valente drunk alongside this wine; 40% opaque. Soft nose with the fruit a little blowsy but fragrant and gentle. Smooth, soft and wonderfully flavoured on the palate with a great acidic core. Big, rich and very flavoursome with a wonderful structure - and even hints of tannins which combines with the acidity to give a wonderful freshness to the fruit. Beautiful elegance to the aftertaste and the long, fragrant finish. A wonderful mature Port with the edges smoothed off in a delightful way. 93/100.