NV Ramos Pinto 20 Year Old Tawny Port

[Glenn E.]

Served at the 2nd meeting of the Sammamish Port club.

Ramos Pinto "RP20" 20-yr old Tawny Port
bottled 2013

Color: 2nd darkest of the 6, what I'd call dark tawny but without the overt brown notes of the Churchill.

Nose: Heavy. Some alcohol. Dark, very ripe apricot bordering on dried apricot.

Palate: A distinct step up compared to the first 3 (of 6) tasted. Round, full, and rich with some faint cinnamon or other sweet spice. Very nice. After tasting the RP20, the first 3 feel "off" somewhat - this is what a 20-yr old should taste like; those others now just seem like imposters. (Not really, but that's the impression that dances through your mind.)

Score: 93 points, and that might be stingy. The Ramos Pinto Quinta do Bom Retiro 20-yr old was my favorite 20 for several years, right up until they revised their packaging to the new "RP20" style bottle. I was certain that they'd also somehow changed the blend slightly at that time, though Jorge Rosas assured me they had not. Nevertheless, I couldn't shake the impression. The RP20 just didn't taste the same as the old, fancier label, Ramos Pinto Quinta do Bom Retiro 20. That said, this bottle took me back to the old days. This bottle tasted back to the old blend. RP20 will be coming back into my "daily drinker" rotation!

[John M.]

Back in November 2013 we did a 20 Year Tasting and the Ramos Pinto was easily the WOTN but against a whole different crowd (Niepoort, Ferreira, Noval, Sandeman & Taylor). Just a wonderful 20 Year tawny.