Bottle #1: 2007 Dow's Vintage Port
Bottle #2: 2007 Vista Alegre Vintage Port
Bottle #3: 2007 Quinta do Portal Vintage Port (Cask Sample)
2007 Vista Alegre Vintage Port
No really, this time it actually is the Vista Alegre.
Somewhat amusing since the last flight contained the Valle Longo, which is also produced by Quinta da Vista Alegre, and which I accidentally originally posted as the Vista Alegre not even knowing at the time that such a Port existed.Day 1
Color: Good, solid purple. Somewhat murky at the rim. 2/16" fade.
Nose: anise, blueberry, some mild alcohol, and blackberry. All over a medium-mellow purple core. Intriguing. Some faint black pepper.
Palate: medium full body, medium sweet. Ripe red raspberry and black raspberry. Rich flavor. Tannins are somewhat hidden behind all the fruit.
Finish: nice fruit, a sweetness like cotton candy, some fine tannins, and then a good even fade. No bite or bitterness.
Initial rating: 91-94 points.
Day 2
Color: no change other than it no longer seems murky at the rim.
Nose: blueberry pie, some mild alcohol, and something purple (boysenberry?) providing a bit of tang to an otherwise very mellow nose.
Palate: blueberry pie just like the nose, and quite prominent. Sweet and full-bodied. Decent grip, acidity tough to decipher.
Finish: very nice and smooth. Quite long, with a nice mild heat to it. Green apples near the end.
New rating: 93-95 points. I started out 93-96, then thought that was a bit too high, but then also thought that 92-95 seemed too low. So a 2-point range seemed the best compromise.
Day 3
per tradition, I did not taste on Day 3
Day 4
Color: same as day 2
Nose: blueberry pie, some medium alcohol that is more than just heat, and some red raspberries.
Palate: medium sweet with a medium full body tonight. Good grip and good acidity both finally showing well. Very faint background bitterness, which might just be a sign that it's been open for 4 days. Flavors are mostly purple ranging from boysenberry to mulberry, but with some fresh red raspberry to brighten things up.
Finish: not as smooth as before. Still long and with a pleasant warmth. The apples have vanished to be replaced by some grape stem.
Final comments: this one peaked on day 2 for me, so for once I wished I'd actually tried it on day 3. The blueberry pie aroma and taste are both quite vivid and pleasing.
Final score: 92-95. The palate, though improved over day 2 in structure, wasn't quite as pleasant in the mouth due to that faint background bitterness. The nose held strong but the finish faded, so a return to a 3-point range seemed appropriate.
Reveal: 2007 Vista Alegre Vintage Port. This is the big brother of the Valle Longo, and I was relieved to note that I did in fact score it higher. Whew!