Handling Young VP

psmith · Post by **psmith** » Fri May 12, 2006 3:29 pm

I thought a question would give me a fine excuse to join these forums.

I recently picked up a few bottles of 2000 Noval Nacional for an exceptional price. I'm confident with the provenance but, never having had Nacional, my curiosity has gotten the better of me and I plan on opening one in the next week or two with a friend.

I rarely open or buy Vintage Port but have seen recs. of long (12-24 hour) decanting times for such young wines....any advice, given that the probability of the wine being opened is near certainty?

Thanks

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Fri May 12, 2006 3:37 pm

Phillip,

I just sent you a private message here on the FTLOP site, to welcome you as I did not know if/when you would be posting. Glad you "jumped on in the water" so early on.

Great question and many folks here are probably drooling at the thought of having enough bottles of the 2000 Nacional, to open one at this point. It is a super wine that I have had about six or seven times now. It is an absolutely huge wine and there is no magic number for decanting time with this particular bottling. I would taste it as soon as it goes in decanter, but just a sip or two to see what it is like right from the bottle. Amazingly, lots of folks don't decant Port except for the sediment and let it open in the glass. Here on the FORUM there is always a wide diversity of opinions about decanting.

I'd suggest checking in on the 2000 Nacional after 8 hours in decanter and then again at 10 and 12 hours. You'll probably have sipped just 2-3 ounces by this point. I would start to drink it at 12 hours and reserve half the bottle for a second day's experience to get the most out of it. If you are not one to rush, then take 3 days with this Port.

Again, welcome aboard and have a fantastic experience with that bottle!

Best regards,

psmith · Post by **psmith** » Fri May 12, 2006 3:41 pm

Thanks Roy.

I've enjoyed your posts on several other boards and look forward to reading and participating here as well.

Tom Archer · Post by **Tom Archer** » Fri May 12, 2006 4:05 pm

From personal experience, I really don't go with the practice of drinking VP young - particularly with a wine that has been dressed for the long haul - like Nacional.

I'd be patient, and give those bottles a few more years before broaching the fisrt one -

- but that's only what I'd do -

- Each to his own!!

Tom

Al B. · Post by **Al B.** » Tue May 16, 2006 12:11 am

But most important of all, be sure to post here what you think of the wine.

Roy is right, I would love to have a case of Nacional from a good vintage and to be in the position of being able to open a bottle to see what it tastes like.

Unfortunately, I've never been in the right place at the right time and so the next best thing is to live through someone else's postings.

So please let us know here what the wine is like.

Puts my next bottle into perspective - a 1996 Malvedos!

Alex

psmith · Post by **psmith** » Tue May 16, 2006 9:32 am

Will do.