1995 Quinta do Crasto Vintage Port

[Glenn E.]

This is from a magnum purchased from Vinfolio.com for $50. Can't hardly beat that! I decanted it at 11:00 am for sampling all afternoon and then serious drinking after a company meeting at the end of the day. Several people in the office had expressed an interest in Port at various times, so I thought I'd bring a bottle for everyone to try. (Our company meetings come with beer, so bringing in a bottle of Port won't even raise an eyebrow.)

1995 Quinta do Crasto Vintage Port

This is a deep, dark purple in the glass. Highlights are small a bright red. But this is one of the darkest, purplest Ports that I think I've ever decanted.

The nose is mellow and fruity, consisting mostly of purple fruits but some red raspberry-like highlights. I don't have the best glass available at the moment, so it's tough to get a good impression of the nose.

It's a little bit hot in the mouth, but not horribly so. The dregs glass hasn't completely settled, but I'm able to get decent sips out of it. There seems to be a good fruit medly going on with an edge that I think comes from just a bit too much extraction. Hopefully that will either fade or integrate as time passes. I note some blackberry and possibly blueberry.

The finish has a good amount of apple flavor, followed by grape skin.

More as the afternoon passes...

[Glenn E.]

+3.5 hours

The heat has subsided and the fruits are rounder and more expressive. I can't tell for certain whether or not it has reached its peak, but it is significantly nicer now than it was shortly after decanting.

[Glenn E.]

D+5 hours

There are plenty of tannins left in this, and it does still seem a bit over-extracted to me, but it is also starting to develop some finer nuances. With just the right swish there's a feeling of chocolate in the mouth. With a different swish, I get the impression of mint (probably eucalyptus).

There is still a little harshness to the flavor and the finish, and that's where I'm getting the impression that it is over-extracted. It just feels like a little too much effort was put into getting this rich, dark purple color and tannins. The fact that the finish has changed from grape skin to grape stem adds to this impression for me. Skin is normal and adds to the apple-like flavor. Stem is more astringent and, at least to me, is a flaw (though a minor one).

I forgot to mention at D+3.5 hours that a very strange flavor had developed - broiled salmon. It has disappeared now, but to me was readily identifiable at 3.5 hours. It was strange, as you might imagine.

I don't think this is done developing yet, but won't get a chance to review it again for a few hours.

At present it is a solid, good quality Port. A steal for $50/magnum, and probably reasonably priced (for the US) at $50/bottle.

[Glenn E.]

D+30 hours

Oh my, this has evolved very nicely. Apparently it needs a good, long decant because at dinner tonight it had completely lost the harshness that was making it seem over extracted. The tannins were present but fully integrated, the alcohol was no longer really apparent, and the fruits were... well, fruity. The only negative that I noted was that it didn't seem all that complex or nuanced.

I wish I'd been able to check on it a few times between +5 and +30 hours, because I don't really know when it peaked. But at +30 hours it sure seemed like it was still at its peak and going strong.

I'm glad I have another magnum... this will be great to serve at a larger party some time.

[Glenn E.]

D+52 hours

At this point I think it's fading, but it doesn't seem to be in any rush. Really all I can say is that it seems to have gone a bit flat... but the fruits are still very nice, the tannins provide good structure, and the alcohol is still well integrated. Even the finish is pleasant, though at this point its pretty short.

If I had more space in my wine fridge, I'd get a couple more of these. It really is a steal at $50 for a magnum.

My guess is that it needs 12-20 hours of decant time to reach its peak. It clearly wasn't yet there at 5 hours, and I think it was already past the peak by 30 hours.

[Andy Velebil]

Glenn,
Here is my TN from when I tasted it in 2007 at the Quinta, from a 750ml bottle.

18,000 bottles produced. Still very dark in color with some spices and a faint hint of some age creeping in. Some prunes and heat on the nose that leads into lots of big chocolate on the palate, reminds me of a Hersheys chocolate bar. This has very good structure and tannins the are the intro to the long finish. 92-93 points.
10/03/07

[Glenn E.]

Thanks Andy!

I'm still swigging away at the remains of the magnum... the glass tonight was at D+4 days and there's one more glass for tomorrow night. Other than still seeming a bit flat it's cruising right along. I can totally understand your "Hershey's chocolate" impression, too.

[Bob Parsons Alberta]

Tasted this `95 last night at a party for DeVines staff. Very dark color, raspberry on nose. Thought drinks well, blueberry and coffee. Nice but really did not pay too much attention!