A Mystery Wine No Longer.

[Joe Dachille]

I was at the local gourmet market this week and was sifting through their ample wine area. Since my first stop is usually the port/madeira/dessert wine area, I found this very interesting, and rather affordable, half-bottle of dessert wine almost immediately. The label was very distinctive and the 1987 vintage caught my eye rght away.

I did not know if this was a port, but my inquiry on the Port Forum quickly informed me that this is a fortified red dessert wine. Hence, my comments are posted in this forum.

Although the merchant indicated that they had some difficulty with the cork on the bottle they sampled, I saw no indications that the bottling was very old. The rear of bottle had a surgeon general's label and the condition of the cork (excellent) confirmed my belief that the bottling was recent and that the wine is more likly to be stored in cask (not that I know either way for sure).

Upon popping the cork, the aroma was the classic sweetness you would expect and more complex than a ruby port.

SURPRISE! The color was more tawny-like than the last three 10 year tawnys I have consumed. Again, this was an indication to me of cask-aging. It could easily be mistaken for a Madeira by its color.

There was sufficient front palate sweetness, slight mid-palate sweetness, but no finish, and no Madeira acidity. The flavor was a more grapey, though "raisened" would be more accurate.

This wine would pair best with nuts/nut-based desserts.

At $11 for half-bottle, it was a good value, and would be a excellent substitute for a passito.

Not at I am an expert on scoring, but I would give it an 88, but recommend it based on the value. I will try to snag at least one of the two remaining bottles.

Joe D'Achille
Melbourne, Florida

[Rob C.]

Link to the producer's website