1999 Quinta de Roriz Vintage Port

[Glenn E.]

One of 4 bottles purchased from WineLibrary.com. Like the 4 I purchased last year from WTSO.com, these are in pristine condition. TN taken immediately after decanting - if anything of note changes with time I'll come back and post a reply. My last bottle of this was best on the second day, so hopefully there will be enough left for another note tomorrow night!

1999 Quinta de Roriz Vintage Port

Color: Very deep red with purple overtones. Opaque near the center of the glass. Thin ribbon of clear at the rim.
Nose: Dark minerality, some alcohol, and some dark sweet cherries. (Bing cherries, perhaps?)
Palate: Prominent black cherry. Round and sweet, with good tannins and good acidity. Medium body.
Finish: Starts out nice and tart, then provides a flush of warmth. Grape stem arrives early but isn't too strong. Black cherry carries over here too. Good length.

Score: 91 points. Still a bit too young and brash, but significantly more complex than my last bottle. It seems to have the structure and fruit to improve a couple of points over the next decade or so, too. Already excellent, but still has a lot of potential.

[John M.]

Excellent! I got some too but am saving for my son when he comes of age (born 1999). Thanks for the TN and the info.

I've been in this store, worth a stop if you're in the vicinity.

[Glenn E.]

At +32 hours the nose has taken on a slightly brighter tone, perhaps due to the addition of some mild red raspberry. The alcohol also seems slightly more prominent.

The palate is similar to before, but I would no longer call the cherry flavor black cherry and there seems to be another reddish fruit in the mix. There's also now a bit of a bite that removes the roundness from day 1. Still good tannins, good acidity, and medium sweet with a medium body weight.

The finish has taken on a cherry cough syrup note that when combined with the bite is mildly unpleasant. The grape stem still arrives early but is now stronger and lasts through the end.

Very unlike my first bottle, which was decidedly better on the second day. I have enough left for another tasting tomorrow night, so perhaps it still needs more time. If I were scoring it now I'd probably drop it a few points into the 87-88 range - very good, but not what I'd call excellent.

[Glenn E.]

It did indeed perk back up on day 3, and then I left it in the decanter for the rest of the week. I just finished the last glass and it was still strong and vibrant - this is definitely a Port that needs a good, long decant... either that or pop-n-pour. I would not recommend a "standard" decant because to me it seems to go downhill shortly after opening and doesn't recover for a couple of days. But then it holds steady for a week or so and is great that whole time! I'd probably give it 90 today, just for reference.