AJ | Dark, opaque black red still: no glints of light through the blinds yet. Smoky, beefy and earnest, while the fruits tiptoe and teeter between the fresh (plum and blackberry) and the dried (raisin and fig). It retains an agreeable inkiness, though perhaps not quite optimal breadth of allusion. Very satisfying and generously constituted vintage port, just arriving at its middle years. You see this not so much by colour and texture (which remain youthful) as by the spectrum of fruit, which is very ripe and as the nose suggested, poised between the fresh and the dried. The tannins are prolific but relatively soft and affable and there is an undertow of acidity. Chocolate and bitter-chocolate bring complexity to this fine vintage port (and it's an outstanding `07, by the way). Drink Dates: 2025 - 2040. 94
SF | A magnificent illustration of a young vintage port, young at a mere 18 years of age, strutting precociously and defying us not to enjoy it immedialteyt. Chocolate and fig, black cherry and bitter chocolate, cloves and licorice , a saucerful of disclosed secrets, a symphony of incredible potential. The firm acidity, which marked the year, helps to add perspective to the ensemble, to justify the call for patience and to ennoble the excitement of anticipation, Drink Dates: 2025 - 2050. 94
RM | Still deep at the centre but turning on the rim; lovely fragrance of slightly singed berry fruit, flowers and spice, opening up beautifully after 18 years; not a big wine but elegant, reflecting the vintage, ripe plummy flavours backed by firm, spicy tannins with give piquancy to the finish. Ready to drink now and over the medium term. Drink Dates: 2025 - 2045. 92