NV Quinta do Noval 20 years tawny

[Rune EG]

Bottled 2016. Decanted 2.5 hrs which is needed in order to get the alcohol away. Redbrown colour. Aroma dominated by citrus, but also herbs and oak. Full body. Powerful and elegant at start of the tasting, then oak and citrus with minerals in the background. Towards the end some dryness in combination with citrus. Long aftertaste. Tiny bit indication of being slightly unclear. 90 pts.

[Andy Velebil]

What was keeping this from a better score?

[Rune EG]

This is my 2nd bottle of the 2016-bottling (purchased from differant places at differant times), and they have behaved identically. Did not post a tasting note of the first bottle (had it three months ago), as I thought it was an off-bottle. But now experiencing the same on this 2nd bottle, I decided to post a tasting note.

To answer your question: In my opinion two impressions that are working parallelly negative. Because of the long time to get the alcohol in the aroma away (2.5 hrs), there is a build-up of citrus/dryness towards the end which is bit negative. Without the alcohol at start, the port would have been consumed earlier (and subsequently had a higher score which I am used to give for earlier bottlings). I have two more bottles of the 2016-bottling.

[Andy Velebil]

This is my 2nd bottle of the 2016-bottling (purchased from differant places at differant times), and they have behaved identically. Did not post a tasting note of the first bottle (had it three months ago), as I thought it was an off-bottle. But now experiencing the same on this 2nd bottle, I decided to post a tasting note.

To answer your question: In my opinion two impressions that are working parallelly negative. Because of the long time to get the alcohol in the aroma away (2.5 hrs), there is a build-up of citrus/dryness towards the end which is bit negative. Without the alcohol at start, the port would have been consumed earlier (and subsequently had a higher score which I am used to give for earlier bottlings). I have two more bottles of the 2016-bottling.

Thanks. I wonder if the 2017 bottling will correct that.