Golden tawny color from core to rim. A few of us thought this was a Madeira. While I’ve had 1815 and 1830 Ferreira Vintage Ports, this was uniquely and utterly different from either of those. The unusual mix of mahogany and teak, grapefruit, saline, cinnamon stick, and toasted almonds played well into the Madeira realm, or at least a white-grape sensibility. Advanced wood-aged nuances, considerably sweet torched sugar, nectarine, and a medium level of concentration bolstered by lively acidity had me convinced this could be a Malmsey. Clearly, I was wrong! This Port was atypical however, and far more like an aged White Port than a VP, especially on the uber-long finish. I’d love to know when it was bottled, whereas all we knew was that it was bottled in Oporto. | 89