2000 Ramos Pinto

[Alex Bridgeman]

Cork removed at 11.00 on 16-Mar-2020 and decanted at 07.00 on 17-Mar-2020 from a small amount of very fine sediment. Very dark red in colour, no purple tone but no bricking yet; opaque with a small rim. Raspberry and cassis on the nose, wonderfully fruity but with an impressive regalness to the structure. On the palate this is rather punchy, assertive acidity and gripping tannins with an underlying burnt coffee bitterness almost hidden by the sweet blackcurrant. Air on the palate highlights the wonderful blackcurrant fruit and the acidity. The aftertaste is dominated by the tremendous levels of acidity before the bitter, peppery highly extracted blackcurrant skin finish that lasts for minutes. Big, extracted and youthful but still with a great balance. A wine to drink now if you like youthful Ports, but one which will happily cellar for another 20-30 years. 91/100. Drunk 17-Mar-20. Decanted 9 hours.