San Leonardo 10-20-30-40 Question

[John M.]

On Friday my friends and I will be tasting the set of San Leonardo TWAIOA...10-20-30-40 plus a Sandeman 40.

1. What would you suggest as far as opening in advance for the best result?

2. The Sandeman looks like it may be a several years old. Is there a chance I may need to decant this to get any sediment?

3. What would you suggest as the ideal temperature of the wines?

I know many of us got the San Leonardos in the FTLOP buying op, but I don't recall anyone having tasted them as a set. If you have, I'd like to know your impressions. Considering the TNs I've seen to far, I am really excited for Friday---only regret is we don't have a 60.

I also have a Delaforce basic tawny (a gift)---I may just toss it it for contrast and to round out the array bottom to top.

Cheers and thanks for your help.

[Eric Menchen]

I know many of us got the San Leonardos in the FTLOP buying op, but I don't recall anyone having tasted them as a set. If you have, I'd like to know your impressions. Considering the TNs I've seen to far, I am really excited for Friday---only regret is we don't have a 60.

I tasted them at a dinner with Miguel on the PHT1 last year, but didn't take notes at the time. I can say you are in for a treat. And separately I should have some notes posted for a few of them. The 40 was my favorite tasted blind in a lineup of 16-20 different 40+ year olds.

How old is the Sandeman? I wouldn't expect a lot of sediment for "several years old." Of course it probably wouldn't hurt to decant it either.

I don't like my tawnies very cold, and drink many just from the cellar at around 54 F and let them warm. But it is easier to let something warm in the glass, with hands to help as necessary, than to chill a pour after the fact.

[John M.]

I do not know how old the Sandeman is---will look tonight but I recall not seeing a date on label

[Glenn E.]

I know many of us got the San Leonardos in the FTLOP buying op, but I don't recall anyone having tasted them as a set. If you have, I'd like to know your impressions. Considering the TNs I've seen to far, I am really excited for Friday---only regret is we don't have a 60.

We tasted them during lunch at the Quinta with Miguel on the 2014 PHT. Plus the white, plus the 50, plus the 60, plus the 100. Yes, it was epic.

I'm way behind getting TNs into the TNDB, so I'm pretty sure that my impressions from that tasting aren't available. They were in the newsletter, though, so I might have done a cut & paste to get them into the TNDB also. Not that they were all that descriptive in their original form... I was pretty overwhelmed by it all by the end of lunch. As I recall my TN for the "60" said "Vic said leave room" and my TN for the "100" said "he was right." Of course I gave them both 100 points, so I didn't actually leave room.

At any rate, you're in for a treat!

To answer your questions:

1. If the bottles are fresh (2-3 years old is fine), open them all about an hour before the tasting. Just give them a little air and they'll be fine. Pop-n-pour would also work.

2. You probably won't need to decant unless it's 10+ years in bottle, but you may want to give it more than just an hour to breathe. A couple of hours is advisable if the bottle is more than 4-5 years old.

3. Room temp... in the 1700s. Around 65 degrees is perfect to me. Others might suggest slightly cooler, but I find that most tawnies are at their most expressive as close to room temp (but on th e cool side of room temp) as you can get.

[John M.]

1700 degrees!!!...We going to need a Kiln.

Thank you Eric & Glenn for all the tips.