Purchased as a cellar defender at auction, this colheita, bottled in 1987, did not disappoint at the price. Decanted for three hours, in light of the long repose in the bottle – or, truth be told, because your correspondent and his associates were busy swilling Portuguese still wines - the appearance was certainly pleasant, evincing as it did chestnut hues with a hint of green on the rim. The nose was rather earthy, if a touch light, offering in addition notes of orange peel along with a touch of caramel and sea salt. On the mouth, the wine was agreeable, with brown sugar and walnut notes in evidence upon entry, coupled at the mid-palate with a touch of zest, the latter foreshadowing the heat which became evident – albeit not to an unpleasant degree – at the finish. The latter was of medium length, confirming at once the pleasant balance of the wine, despite decades in the bottle, along with the fact that the tannins were not integrated fully. Unsurprisingly given the bottling year, the "zippy acidity" which characterises Romaneira's barrel-aged ports - to put it as the doyen of American port drinkers, Roy Hersh, has done in the past - was not in evidence. Still, this bottle made for genial, albeit not raucous, after-dinner companionship. At the same time, one could not help but ponder what this colheita might taste like were one to find an exemplar of the same year which had spent more time in the barrel as opposed to the bottle.
88 points
1970 Quinta da Romaneira Colheita
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