1940 Casa do Douro Colheita

[Eric Menchen]

(Bottled 2004.) My first whiff caught a slight bit of bottle must, along with aromas of sugar, brown sugar, caramel, treacle, and mahogany closet or attic. The flavors also feature sugar, cooked sugar and prunes. The sweetness is medium, as is the finish. Needs more acidity. 91 points.

The last time I had this was in 2017, and I scored that at a whopping 98+ points. There was a little mustiness then, and a lot of the same sugar flavors. But then I wrote, "It has very refreshing acidity ... I love this--the acidity is great." So (1) bottle variation, or (2) has seven more years in bottle not done this any favors? I suppose (3) I could also be a more critical on my need for acidity now, but I suspect #1 or #2 more. Possibly it is a combination of all of these.