1985 Rabello Valente Vintage Port

[Glenn E.]

From day 2 of the 1985 horizontal, 24-25 Jan 2015, Holiday Inn Issaquah. All Ports were tasted blind. Unless otherwise noted, Ports were decanted for ~4 hours the morning of the tasting. The ones that I decanted received ~8 hours of decant overnight and were then stoppered for another ~6 hours until the tasting.

1985 Rabello Valente Vintage Port

Color: Medium dark garnet, very faintly cloudy. It doesn't seem to be suspended sediment, though it might be, but it would have to be extremely fine.

Nose: Slightly tangy, rich red & purple fruits, coriander, and some rose hips.

Palate: Red & purple fruits, but not terribly distinct. Nice and rich. Some heat, but not distracting. Decent tannins and good acidity.

Score: 87 points. A quality start to Day 2, but nothing to write home about.