1985 Rozés Vintage Port
Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 6:47 pm
1985 Rozés Vintage Port (20.5%)
Last Friday evening I opened a bottle of this vintage port that I have had since the late 80s. This was a vintage port that my friends and I were drinking back in the day because it was both inexpensive (about C$25) and very approachable, with plenty of fruit and ripe tannins. We thought at the time that this would be an early drinker. Nevertheless I had two bottles marked for cellaring. One evening after dinner with friends we needed an extra dessert wine and this port fit the bill because of it's drinkability. I planned on replacing it but by the time I got around to the store it was sold out. So I only had this single bottle for almost thirty years.
Recalling how forward it was when it was young I was half expecting this to be very light, without grip, and perhaps a bit spirity. I suspected that it probably didn't need a long decant. After much prevaricating, seated and drinking our second wine of the evening, I decided that it was a vintage port and it should be allowed a decent decant, so I opened it at about 7:30pm, thereby giving it a 3-hour start. I was surprised to find a second, blue plastic capsule under the outer capsule and the cork was dark and soaked right through to the top.
The port was remarkable for it's elegance and balance, surpringly dry, with soft fruit and ripe tannins. Despite the marginally higher alcohol of 20.5% it was not spirity in the least. Beyond drinkability it was on the slurpable side. For a 32 year-old port that started out on the lighter side it was quite the result. I was pleased.
What comes to mind is what we often say about wines, about it being balanced. This port was very nicely balanced when it was young and I expect it was that that helped carry this wine over the years.
Cheers .................. Mahmoud.
Last Friday evening I opened a bottle of this vintage port that I have had since the late 80s. This was a vintage port that my friends and I were drinking back in the day because it was both inexpensive (about C$25) and very approachable, with plenty of fruit and ripe tannins. We thought at the time that this would be an early drinker. Nevertheless I had two bottles marked for cellaring. One evening after dinner with friends we needed an extra dessert wine and this port fit the bill because of it's drinkability. I planned on replacing it but by the time I got around to the store it was sold out. So I only had this single bottle for almost thirty years.
Recalling how forward it was when it was young I was half expecting this to be very light, without grip, and perhaps a bit spirity. I suspected that it probably didn't need a long decant. After much prevaricating, seated and drinking our second wine of the evening, I decided that it was a vintage port and it should be allowed a decent decant, so I opened it at about 7:30pm, thereby giving it a 3-hour start. I was surprised to find a second, blue plastic capsule under the outer capsule and the cork was dark and soaked right through to the top.
- Dinner-10Nov2017.jpg (1.02 MiB) Viewed 152 times
What comes to mind is what we often say about wines, about it being balanced. This port was very nicely balanced when it was young and I expect it was that that helped carry this wine over the years.
Cheers .................. Mahmoud.