TN: 2008 Bredell's Vintage Port

[Al B.]

Decant: None - South Africa. Barrel sample of the Touriga Nacional (80%) / Touriga Francesca (20%) blend. Not the final blend, but these two varieties have been blended together to give them some time to knit before being added to the final blend that also includes the Tinta Barocca. Black in colour but with a delightfully floral and elegantly perfumed nose. Very sweet blueberries in the mouth but with huge tannins that storm through the fruit and never really let go. Huge acidic streak. The aftertaste is very much a chocolate-style aftertaste, dominated by the tannins, but the alcohol certainly leaves the cheeks tingling. A very good illustration of the skills required to be a master port blender, to be able to merge together the floral nose and punishing tannins of this wine with the fruit flavours of the Barocca. NR points