Simon Field | Dark uncompromising hue, more Zurburán than Velázquez. Nose of plum, fig, and dark chocolate, Black Forest gateau, if you like; soot, Indian rubber, and distant bonfires; then, with air, violets, jasmine, and even roses. Given time, it will open up for you. The characteristics of the palate mirror those of the nose, yet maybe magnifying the sweetness a touch. The texture is pashmina- soft and satisfying, the outlook fundamentally savory, and yet there is a dearth of concentration that may have helped to underwrite the interface. A little diffuse, in other words, perfectly pleasant, but without much more to give. | 88

Andrew Jefford | Very dense and dark black, with an opaque heart, but the red is infused with garnet up on the rim. Deep and purposeful nonetheless. Very savory aromas (this plus the color notes suggest heat in the vintage conditions), but it acquits itself very well, with a sense of authority and command; meat jus as much as fruits, and some dried herb (lavender and rue) and root spice for further complexity. A total contrast to the disarming primary fruits of the 1982s (and indeed the 1980s), but very good in its own style (Haut-Brion-like). Deep, dense, seriously knit and tight on the palate, withaton of raisined fruit and some acidity, probably lingering on after a stuck maturation in the heat. There are some lingering tannins and mushroomy complexities, even a little of the allusive repertoire the aromas suggested. But when all’s said and done, it isn’t a great success: too sweet, too hot, a bit too exhausted. But well done to the producer for creating serious Vintage Port nonetheless, which can’t be said of its two peers in our tasting. | 90

Richard Mayson | Deep, nearly opaque at the center, still remarkably youthful in color; thin, browning rim; lovely nose, a touch dusty, with ripe plum and berry fruit; rich and full of life, broad, ripe fruit supported by firm, tight-knit spicy tannins, a little leaner on the finish but overall very good, with real integrity and a long future ahead. | 93