1986 Graham's Quinta dos Malvedos Vintage Port

[Tom Archer]

Friends who had shared my experiment with Dow '75 invited me to dinner, whence the subject bottle was produced and decanted.

Provenance

Little known - received as a gift about two years ago, since when it had stood upright in a larder. Overall condition was a little too clean and fresh for my liking - warm dry storage??

Concerns over it's recent storage were allayed however. The cork proved tight and moist, and there was no evidence of spoilage.

First impressions

The lighting was not conducive to a proper examination, but the wine was relatively opaque for it's age. A light bouquet with only a touch of spirit.

Second impressions

The wine was light, sweet, fruity and easy on the palate - the three of us emptied the decanter with indecent speed!

We felt that that this was a wine that was fully aged and ripe for drinking.

Comparisons with the Dow '75 were inevitable, and while the two could hardly have differed more, it was hard to decide which we preferred.

If the Dow was the aging maestro, the Malvedos was the competant session artist - good without pretension.

Buy to drink now.