SF | Near obsidian at the core; murky, in any case. The nose is anonymous, liminal maybe, unsure of itself certainly. Tar and roses? More tar than roses, on reflection. Primary exuberance is entitled to release its grip after a decade or so, but it must take us somewhere. Where? The palate starts to unfurl the question; a stone-fruit elegance, plums and myrtle, wrapped in slate, licorice and umami. The authenticity of the enigma is underwritten by the purity of the constituent elements and their perfect balance. All one needs now is a little more time; five years, say. 91
AJ | Still a solid dark black-red, and barely off opaque. Purposeful and slow-developing. Bottle one: badly corked. Bottle two: the same hue, with warm, sweet plum and damson fruits. Intense on the palate, with a sense of command and control; ample, mouthfilling, with the fruits more than balanced and in tune with the fortification. Exciting and sturdy. As a drinker, I still wouldn't call this as a member of the Tawny branch, but that doesn't matter much—it's good Port, with good raw materials, and lots to reward the drinker in chunky, aged-LBV style. 2024–28. 90
RM | Deep, blackish center, deep for a Colheita, just browning on the rim; rich and quite dense on the nose, not impenetrable but not showing much in the way of secondary character as yet; ripe, spicy-creamy fruit, rich, full-flavored, and supple, with pronounced tannins rising in the mouth and lingering on to the finish. A lovely wine, only just taking shape as a Colheita. 87