1996 Quinta do Crasto Vintage Port

[Philip Harvey]

Purchased last month during Sainsbury's 25% offer and bottled under their own "Taste the Difference" label.


On decanting – A very dark inky purple. Nose not giving much away but some sweet plums and liquorice.

12 hrs later – Slightly darker and a very intense purple now. The wine looks very ‘beefy’ in the glass with lovely fat long legs. To taste, a rich smooth mouth feel with dark sweet plummy fruits and a hint of bitter chocolate. Thers's some nice cheek puckering acidity and toasty tannins on the finish.

Overall, this is a very decent package and it's clear why Sainsbury’s chose to bottle this under their own label. It’s not too woody, there’s no spirit protruding, the fruit is chunky without being clumsy, the flavours are rich and warm, it's sweet of course but not too sweet, there’s plenty of grip and a decent finish as well as a slightly ‘rustic’ character that gives it some lift and interest. In fact, something for everyone.

At the regular price of £20 per bottle, I doubt anyone will be disappointed but at the offer price of £15, I think it’s a steal. And a sixpack put away in the cellar for another five or ten years could yield a pleasant surprise.

I know plenty of us in the UK took advantage of Sainsbury's offer in November – has anyone else opened one of these yet? I wish I'd bought more.