On opening last night: slightly pale for age (looked like an 80 or 83) but consistent with no bricking at the rim and a slight translucency that I've seen before in Vesuvio.
Nose of mint, green tea and maybe herbal, vegetal nuances. Once again, I think I've detected this before with Vesuvio (but I bet I could not spot one in a blind lineup
) On tasting a similar herbal feel that matched the nose. Quite sweet and well balanced but short. Very quaffable but no blockbuster.After just 20 minutes a dramatic darkening to an opaque purple colour that could have been a 2000.
After one hour tannins more pronounced and much drier. A longer aftertaste with increasing tannic backbone and the sweetness more cloying. Now less quaffable but maybe a blockbuster.....note remember never to foget the passage of an hour or two ona bottle of opened port!
On the whole not bad for GBP20. Never experienced such a sudden change in appaerance and flavour within an hour of opening.
Will evaluate the second half today.