TN: Barbeito VB Reserva Lote 2

[Eric Ifune]

The second release. The label is playful. VB stands for Verdelho and Boal but in small print, the VB on the label stands for Vinhos Barbeito.
A blend of 610 liters of 2001 Verdelho from cask 12d and 540 liters of 2003 Boal from cask 46a. The first blend in 2007 was a 50/50 blend.
500 ml bottle with a driven cork.
Clear, bright amber-gold with greenish rim. Very rich aromas of spice, toffee, grapefruit. A hint of VA. More Boal than Verdelho. This carries on the palate as well. Richer and sweeter than I remember the first blend. Definitely leaning more to Boal than Verdelho. I can see why the decreased amount of Boal. It must be a very powerful wine on it's own. Nice long, acidic finish.
Good, satisfying stuff.

[Roy Hersh]

Interesting and it would probably be a lot of fun trying both versions side by side. The first bottling was certainly more on the Verdelho side and rather dry and citrus/grapefruit laden in a 500 ml. for $25

What size bottle is the new one in? I assume the new one is $35 IIRC? Interesting that even though the % of the new blend is considerably weighted towards the Verdelho that the Bual overshadows it. Thanks for your impressions Eric!

[Eric Ifune]

500ml, same as the first release; and about $35 so a bit more expensive.
I also remember the first leaning more towards Verdelho; unfortunately I drank all mine! So, no side by side comparisons.
This second release definitely goes toward Boal. I guess the Boal is becoming more concentrated, relatively. I'd love to see it after a dozen or more years of extra cask time as a true Vintage. Maybe you can ask Ricardo if you hear from him.

[Eric Ifune]

Just got through looking at the Barbeito websight and saw the technical sheet for the VB. It says the Boal was aged in the "A" warehouse which has higher temperatures. As a result, it had more evaporation than the Verdeho which was aged in the cooler "B" canteiro. Makes sense based on my note. I'm actually proud of myself!

[Gary Banker]

I've had four bottles of the new VB so far. Right away, I noticed the increased sweetness versus the first lot. The finish seems shorter to me. Still a very nice drink. I'll buy more.