1998 Quinta do Passadouro
Posted: 19:54 Fri 05 Nov 2021
My first TN on here. I'll be keeping it brief, as I don't have the literary inclinations of a Mr Will W., nor do I know any retired sergeants that live in nearby shacks.
T+0h: this has the look of a 20 year old tawny. Not a great sign for a 23 year old VP, but oh well. I didn't really detect any signs of seepage or cork failures in general, but something clearly happened.
Dark amber colour, with a pale orangy-pinkish rim.
A touch of VA on the nose. I'm quite tolerant of it, from a life (albeit a short one) of drinking barrel-aged stuff, but I also have a low detection threshold. This VA does not rise to the level of being obtrusive, but it is there, and it is noticeable. Other than that, the nose is quite muted. Alcohol, a slight hint of strawberries, but that's about it. There's also something on this nose that is bothering me, but I can't quite put my finger on it. We'll see how it develops.
The first sip brings even worse tidings. The VA asserts itself here as well, even more so than on the nose. It pricks the tongue. Flavours that one would associate with barrel aged wines: dried nuts, hints of wood (cedar?). No real fruit noticeable thus far. This does not bode well. I don't have much hope for this bottle, but let's see how this evolves.
I'll edit this post as I do repeated tastings over the next day or so.
T+8h: the VA is mostly gone, but this wine is not in good shape. It smells and tastes tired. No fruit to speak of, really. I'll give it another few hours, but I'm ready to note this one down as a failure.
T+16h: no changes. This one was a dud. Jdaw, you win again.
T+0h: this has the look of a 20 year old tawny. Not a great sign for a 23 year old VP, but oh well. I didn't really detect any signs of seepage or cork failures in general, but something clearly happened.
Dark amber colour, with a pale orangy-pinkish rim.
A touch of VA on the nose. I'm quite tolerant of it, from a life (albeit a short one) of drinking barrel-aged stuff, but I also have a low detection threshold. This VA does not rise to the level of being obtrusive, but it is there, and it is noticeable. Other than that, the nose is quite muted. Alcohol, a slight hint of strawberries, but that's about it. There's also something on this nose that is bothering me, but I can't quite put my finger on it. We'll see how it develops.
The first sip brings even worse tidings. The VA asserts itself here as well, even more so than on the nose. It pricks the tongue. Flavours that one would associate with barrel aged wines: dried nuts, hints of wood (cedar?). No real fruit noticeable thus far. This does not bode well. I don't have much hope for this bottle, but let's see how this evolves.
I'll edit this post as I do repeated tastings over the next day or so.
T+8h: the VA is mostly gone, but this wine is not in good shape. It smells and tastes tired. No fruit to speak of, really. I'll give it another few hours, but I'm ready to note this one down as a failure.
T+16h: no changes. This one was a dud. Jdaw, you win again.