For The Love Of Port

Decanted for 7 hours, and took another hour to come into balance and show well. Slightly mushroomed cork, but impeccable shape otherwise. Opened and tasted 5/26/13

The color was a good shade darker than the bottle opened for the '83 horizontal tasting. The nose was noticeably richer than my note for that bottle as well. The nose includes a noted spirity-ness, as well as rich dart berry, a noted sweetness, and a mild touch of va, which is gentle to the point of adding complexity rather than annoyance. The palate is again spirity and somewhat out of balance, but has very pleasing balance in all other aspects. There is delicious raspberry, Christmas spices, medium sweetness, and good complexity with hints of other fruits, a bit of wet pine and certain freshness. Resembles the horizontal tasting bottle in most ways, but again, just richer and in better shape.

90 pts.

IMO, this is fully mature right now and I see no reason to wait much longer. I think in another 5 or so years this will really start to show some excessive spirit as it loses what fruit is has left.

Incredible the difference two years make. Compared to 1985, it is hard to believe the same winemaker vinified both. Obviously the growing conditions do matter.