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Neil C. arranged, at the Boot and Flogger, a horizontal of 1997s, the first since a 1997 Maturity Evaluation on 16th June 2014.

Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 1997 Burmester;
• 1997 Quinta do Noval;
• 1997 Quinta do Noval Silval;
• 1997 Taylor;
• 1997 Fonseca;
• 1997 Croft Quinta da Roêda;
• 1997 Dow;
• 1997 Graham;
• 1997 Gould Campbell;
• 1997 Warre;
• 1997 Vesuvio;
• 1997 Smith Woodhouse;
• 1997 Quarles Harris;
• 1997 Martinez;
• 1997 Sandeman Vau;
• 1997 Ramos Pinto;
• 1997 Val da Figueira;
• 1997 Vale Dona Maria;
• Planning and arrangements;
• Food order;
• Placemats (and in list of placemats).

Double decanted 25 hours. An elegant brick-red colour with a wide rim. Restrained on the nose needing some hard work in the glass to get a little fruit to show. There is no-where near as much on the nose from the Vesuvio as there is from the other Symington Family Estate wines in this flight. Delicious blackcurrant on the palate with ripe tannins hiding in the fruit giving a fabulous mouthfeel. Great tannins in the smooth black cherry finish of great length. I wonder if the nose on the wine will develop with a little more bottle age? 91/100.

Muted nose. More open on the palate. Plenty of acidity, orange peel and redcurrant. Spicy. Still tannic. I like this, v good.

Brooding nose. Pretty wine.

50% opacity, deep red. Open red fruit on the nose. Full, some heat and exposed alcohol. Bit angular, unintegrated.