TN: 1997 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port

[Al B.]

Decant: 2 hours - Slightly paler in colour than the '96, with significant paling on the rim. Floral perfumes mixed in with youthful blueberry on the nose, livened up by a surprising streak of spearmint. Sweet initially, with so much youthful fruit and strong tannins. So very young and one to leave for at least 5-10 years before a revisit. This develops lovely complexity as it is held in the mouth with so many layers of flavour and nuance. The aftertaste is restrained, subdued and a little shorter than the '95 and '96. If this wine has shutdown, then it is on the aftertaste that this shows. It will be a lot of fun in many years to come to debate whether this is better than the '94 or not. 90 points