I argued with Ah So, who aged better me or Mr. Cork? Cork dropped in defeat drowned Portside. Cellar stored for 30+ years. My first Madeirized OFF vintage Port. Were it not for the foul medicinal odor, it would be tolerable as a too old Sherry, Madeira, perhaps I will discover a desiccated creature upon emptying?
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Really improving and opening up since it was initially double-decanted about 5 hours in advance, there was a delicious confection of liquorice, cherry and blackberry fruit, laced with minerality, pleasing acidity and firm drying tannins which melted away to render a figgy finish. Certainly complex and satisfying with a first rate finish. 92 pts
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Sammamish Port Club - Holiday Tasting (Sammamish, Washington): Purple-amber in color. Clear with some very fine sediment. Dusty red fruit on the nose with light red currant and cocoa powder. Medium-bodied with cranberry, boysenberry, and hints of cassis. Medium sweetness. This is a subtle wine with a medium finish. More elegant style.
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Just a few drops. Tasted separately during a whole week. Fading a little. Excessively mature. Still good in both but clearly decaying. Out-of-power Port. Possibly this bottle was at its limit, I guess.
Solo unas gotas. Catado por separado durante toda una semana. Un poco de desvanecimiento. Excesivamente maduro. Todavía bueno en ambos pero claramente en descomposición. Oporto sin energía. Posiblemente esta botella estaba en su límite, supongo.
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Very spicy almost like chilli on opening. Settled down after 3 hours. Very dark brown with only a red tint. Nose of sweet red fruits and leather. Blackberries, redcurrants, some menthol and eucalyptus on the palate. Warm, strong and very long. A good port. Stunning of course that something this old can still be so delicious.
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Guys Port Weekend - Las Vegas; 1/20/2023-1/21/2023 (Las Vegas, Nevada): Aromas of red currants and cassis with some floral and herbal notes underneath. The palate is very well-balanced with rich dark fruits, boysenberry, and cassis. The tannins are also well-balanced. There is a great long finish.
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A wonderful bottle despite the usual crumbly cork. Sweet fruit, Christmas pudding, gentle spice, everything in place, very long finish, warm but without excessive heat. Excellent value, just under £50 on the table.
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Cork disintegrated upon extraction- even using a Durand. Gobs of chunky sediment in the bottle. Medium deep ruby/garnet in colour fading gracefully to the rim. Wonderful nose of dark fruitcake, rum raisin and warm spices. Super smooth, rich and thick on the palate, still some drying tannins, a spirited alcohol. Sweet and dark dried fruits, treacle, slight smoke, some woody notes and spice. Finishes sweet and long, but with still a bit of tea-like tannins to cleanse the palate. Lovely!
Day 2: raisins and dark fruitcake still on the nose with some spice and subtle woodsmoke as well. More balanced on the palate. The sweetness is nicely balanced by the acid and alcohol. The palate is a lovely blend of fruitcake, treacle and raisin, as well as some woody notes. The finish is long and sweet but with a tongue tingling acidic bite at the end. Not at all tired or fading. Perfectly mellow and integrated at thia point. Very, very lovely indeed!
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It's been two years since the last bottle was opened...similar to last tasting but think it has softened the last two years. Eucalyptus, pleasantly sweet and lush in the mouth. As it sounds with others the cork disintegrated while opening and I strained it through a coffee filter. This is soooo good right now not sure how much better this will get with age. Have one more bottle but not sure if I'll be waiting two years to open.
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A bottle I bought only about a year ago. The capsule smelled very smoky and tarry. The bottom of the cork crumbled despite of using a Durand. Less sediment than expected. Medium garnet core, medium brown towards the edges.
Immediately after opening, the wine only showed some red cherry and restrained blueberry, blackberry and plum fruit, with a raisiny and alcoholic character.
After decanting for five hours in the morning, I poured the first glass after dinner in the evening: Integrated red fruit, some black fruit, plum, light chocolate, light coffee, and spices. Average concentration and complexity, but good balance, and very smoothly textured, with well-integrated alcohol and good length. Drinking very well.
On day two, the wine seemed more mature than on day one in that the fruit was a little less fresh and the flavours less precise, and the alcohol was lightly warming, but other than that the wine was still balanced, with a smooth texture, and seemed even more integrated and harmonious than on the first evening.
On day three, the wine was tobacco- and spice-driven and seemed more "Tawny-Porty", still with underlying fruit but less harmonious, and with less energy and only average length.
And on day four the fruit re-emerged, to my surprise, and the wine's profile was similar to day two except that the wine still had pronounced tobacco notes and was even spicier (more chili-like) than on day three.
More about elegance than about power. Drink now.
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Had a real hard time removing the cork although stored in a cellar it's entire lifetime. Was very concerned it had gone too far but the last bit of cork holding on at the bottom was still in tact and what a relief when we decanted and poured. Colour was lighter than expected, but flavour profile was still complex. For my bottle, glad I didn't wait any longer ;)
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Had a small glass on opening that promised great things prob 94-95. decanted for ca. 5 hours and sadly a tiny streak of cork had developed. was still drinkable but tainted.
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A few hours after decant. Warm nose of marzipan, menthol, smoke, viloets; delicious, gentle, brown sugar, blueberries - it goes beyond descriptors somehow .. rolls across the tongue like silk .. something very delicate, understated and beautiful about this wine - this seems not about power, yet belies its alcoholic strength. I think I’d find it hard to find something that’s better, but I’m open to a challenge!
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Last bit of cork crumbled despite delicate work with the Durand - seems a consistent theme with this wine. But underneath it's a lovely mature port with a lot going on, spice, violets, a hint of peat, just a bit too much spirity heat on the finish. But awesome value at less than £50 on the table for a nearly 40 year old port.
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Spectacular and fine, this manages to retain bright, sweet fruits, while showing more raisined and spirity qualities I associate with other houses. Open and attractive, the complexity is well layered and the finish just sublime. It's quite difficult to put down (which has its downsides...).
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Attempted to open with a Durand but the last bit of the cork fell away. Double decanted to remove sediment (and remnant cork) but returned to its bottle to enjoy over a couple of days.
Brilliant ruby colour. Nose of witch hazel, iodine, old leather, cloves and cinnamon
Palate is simply delicious. Sweet cherry, plum red currant and cola. Yum.
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A good bottle on opening, after a delicate operation with the Durand. Even better after a few hours in the decanter. Still a hint of salty peat and heat on the finish but in between some gorgeous warm spice, plums and Christmas pudding.
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The cork crumbled while removing so I filtered it trough a screen. Nothing really showing when I first decanted other than some initial heat. But what a difference after four hours of decanting...lush, full bodied, fig and still just a touch of heat. It was enjoyed by everyone and one of the more enjoyable vintage ports I've opened over the years. Still have one more bottle...
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Light cherry core, fully translucent, a touch of development at rim. Wonderful nose: rich patina of mascereno cherries and sweet figs. Palate much the same: rich fig, cherry, very long finish. Underrated producer in an underrated year. In the box seat of maturity now at 37 years old, albeit with plenty of life ahead (10yrs?). I have Graham and Taylor of same year and would be drinking Warre before them.
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From Magnum. (Enough sediment to fertilise a decent sized garden!!) 2.5yrs from my last note and showing at its best although it took 3 days in my (sealed) decanter to get there!! Focussed concentration of wild berries (esp strawberry) earth and desert spices. Quite vinous, not over-sweet and with decent acidity. In perfect balance. In this format should be good for another 2-3yrs.
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In my cellar since release (originally purchased for $24 at Morrell’s in NYC in January 1987) . Decanted at 6pm and tasted from about 8pm through the next 2 days. Translucent medium garnet. Nose is a bit medicinal at first then Kirsch, red florals, cherry and chocolate. Medium bodied and a bit syrupy in the mid-palate. Long lifted finish. Excellent with my wife’s Cherry Chocolate Molten Cake. Easy to drink but this bottle seemed to lack that little bit extra of depth and complexity to take it to the next level as I felt the previous bottle I had did.
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Still relatively youthful, ruby color. Nose of ripe cherry, bakery spices, some tobacco. Feels very youthful, almot like ruby port still.Lovely to drink, medium complexity.
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This was very good, very fresh, very young, still I restain from rating it, as the sediment was all over the place thanks to the Coravin. But certainly the best wine of the lunch. #PallMall67#Coravin
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Dark red with hints of brown. Intense spirity nose, dried fig, brown sugar, dried apricot and oaky spice. Delicious dried fruit and spice flavours, the heat continues. Long delicious finish.
I love the heat that Warre seems to bring.
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Excellent. Showing good power after 35 years. Thick dried dates, figs, and cherries with a sweet toffee base and hints of baking spices. Tannins still assert a presence. Tastes mature but definitely not too old for drinking now.
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The cork broke in two, half fell down into the bottle. Decanted for c.6 hours, but had some sips before serving. A bit of a pale red colour. Lovely nose of quince, very soft red fruit, some wood. On the palate very jammy and not a lot of alcohol, quite smooth really. The tannins are nearly all gone. This wine is slightly past its peak I think, but still very very enjoyable. Drink up! Had it with a selection of cheeses. Despite its mature age, this port went very well with a particularly stinky Stilton.
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To be honestly I was quite disappointed. I drank this from a half bottle and I found the flavors to be too sweet and unbalanced. I've tasted ice wines, sauterns, and tokaji and have had many that were sweet yet balanced but this was not the case. This was my first time drinking a aged vintage port so i can only hope this bottle was just over the hill.
This is the first true vintage port I have tried, so it is not easy to give it a score. However, I can describe it. We decanted half of the port and let it breathe for an hour. When first tried, on its own, it was light and raisiny, though not too sweet. An hour later, with a variety of blue cheeses, it had become delicious, with complex tastes including caramel, black pepper and liquorice, all lingering on the palate. It was superb with Stilton and oatcakes; so good it made one groan aloud. We decanted the remainder 2 days later, at which point it had not evolved further, nor had it deteriorated in any way. I can thoroughly recommend this wine.
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Vintage ports - 83 vs 85 (P81): Slightly off balance and dominated by alcohol. Has some blackberry fruit and manure but overall it is very "raw" and not pleasing.
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Another of my magnums decanted the previous evening. Wonderful vibrant wild strawberry fruit with hints of spice, not over sweet. Much as per earlier notes but the larger format has clearly extended the drinking window of this excellent port. For drinking by the end of decade (bottles drink up).
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The first of my magnums and remarkably like my recent 75cl notes. Only a slightly more grippy feel suggests a few extra years (say to end of decade) than in the smaller format. Excellent if not outstanding.
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My last 75cl although I have four magnums still in my cellar. Much as my last comprehensive note; wild strawberry the most obvious characteristic, molasses and a longish not over-sweet finish. Medium to full bodied. Moreish. At the end of its plateau in this format - drink up, will break into my magnums later on....
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Beautifully aged port. Decanted for hours. Mild heat, intense flavors cherry, blueberry jam, raisins, coffee and chocolate. Velvet tannins. Nice thick and jammy on the second day. Utterly Enjoyable.
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Not the purest or most elegant port. Lots of complexity and breadth though. Notes of cherry cough syrup, lard, violets, and tobacco. Mouth filling. Hot and bitter on the finish. Approaching medicinal in character. Strongly reminds me of cherry cough syrup. Perhaps my least favorite vintage port of the 30 or so I've tried. But there's no questioning this port's concentration and power.
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Decanted for 14 hours before consumption. Admittedly, it was a surprise to find this bottle so rewarding. I don't remember the purchase, but the old price tag read Trader Joe's 16.99. Obviously a different century. Round and ripe with fig, dark plums, and noticeable tobacco leaf, it is yeoman-like in its translation making up for its lack of complexity with a general sense of reliability and friendliness.
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Cork nearly disintegrated with extraction. Decanted 3 hours (helped open the initially reticent fruit). Darkly colored with red, some violet and brown. Dark fruit, dried leaves, tar, licorice and peppery etoh on nose. Fresh fruit on palate, but with noticeable heat; leans away from wine towards spirit. Magically matched fig stuffed with chocolate truffle as the heat disappeared into the chocolate and the fruit mingled with the fig. Also, matched well with creamy blue cheese and pear that followed. Nice to see the $14.99 sticker from when I bought this.
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Drinking extremely well right now but could get even better... Still youthful in color, fruitfulness and freshness. Certainly a little on the heavier side, but the balance is exquisite and impressive length. No hurry to drink this wine
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Stood upright for a day then Opened three hours early and decanted- dense sediment. Perfect maturity with dark opaque purple color and nice finish with cherry/chocolate/dark fruit. Wouldn't hold too long this is good to go. My price was $50 a great PQR
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Christmas Day 2015 (Loz's): Decanted and then left to stand for an hour or so. Quite muted with dark berry fruit and nuts. Nothing too special. But then the next day it was superb with floral notes, berries, plums, figs, walnuts and sweet spice. Simply fantastic.
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BYO Dinner on 18 Dec 2015. Mid garnet in colour with an intense nose of red fruits, plums, tobacco and brandy. On the palate I tasted plums, kirsch and chocolate with the intensity of the fruit balanced by minerality and acidity. I really liked the clean subtle power and the balance. Drinking beautifully now.
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Two recent bottles. Middle aged violet colour. The nose shows cherry, plum, spice, walnut and floral notes, while the palate is soft and quite sweet with hints of chocolate. Not powerful but very enjoyable. Won't get much better but surely has another 5+ years. ****
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Perfect balance. Not massive but reflects its beautiful vintage. Clean, opulent, rich and needing 10 years. After 8 echezeaux it was the perfect transition. Super wine.
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A private tasting (Restaurant Merkelbach, Amsterdam, NL): Mature but lively appearance. Floral Cognac notes on the nose, deep, subtle, layered, earth; really powerful and hot palate, kirsch and chocolate, seductive and fresh, powerful minerality, but really impressive for its sheer power and energy, balancing acidity.
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As per my 11/13 note. Still holding up well in a vinous lighter fashion - have one bottle to go and six magnums to follow on. Will be interesting to contrast the formats. Drink up while still showing well.
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Color is a light red On the nose I pick up red fruits aroma such as cherry, strawberry and some plum and I think a hint of tobacco. My palate was rewarded with a ton of red fruit along with a syrupy coating. The somewhat sweetness evolved to dry just before swallowing. Tannins were so soft. I enjoyed the finish but wished it would be much longer. All in all I could not get over the freshness of this 31 plus year old port. A real joy to drink.
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Nose is rich with tobacco and dark fruit and a wiff of brandy. The palate is more evolved than last time -- dark, dark, rich with great balance of sweet and dry. Extremely satisfying port.
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Removing the foil reveals a tiny amount of wine seeping out of the top of the cork. The cork is soaked through, is easily pushed down by an ah-so and crumbles around a corkscrew. No good signs yet.
The wine is a rose-pink colour, with a brown tint. The nose is pretty dodgy: raisins and cranberry vodka with a hint of organic solvent. The palate is soft, with very smooth tannins and no conspicuous acid, alcohol, or sugar (all of those factors are present, but none stick out). Rich, fruity flavours of raisins, milk chocolate, strawberry and raspberry jam. It's not complex, but it's sweet and juicy and fuity and incredibly moreish.
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Slightly murky medium/deep purple, with broad clear rim. On the nose a strong alcoholic burn, followed by a not-entirely-pleasant aroma reminiscent of...I don't know what: something vegetal, or mouldy: stale strawberry alcho-pop? Maybe I'm being too harsh: others at the table found it drinkable, even enjoyable. So I'm going to put this down as flawed, perhaps slightly corked, otherwise I would have to give it such a low score that it would seem perverse for a well matured bottle from a quality producer.
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Much better than my previous bottle a year ago. Light to medium garnet color, mid weight on the palate as well. Fully mature it seems to me with nice complexity. Red fruits, chocolate, cigar box and licorice come through. Very smooth and elegant.
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A lighter version than some of my favorite ports, but still a wonderfully good bottle. Nose is rich and balanced with no sense of over-alcohol. The palate is dark and rich and with great balance of the fruit, the sweet, the dry, the heft. Since earlier bottles had been a bit lightweight, it took this long (30 years) for this wine to really come smelling and tasting like a winner.
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I agree with previous reviewers that this port is on the light side with regard to both color and taste. But even though it does not hit you over the head, there is still enough fruit to make for a very enjoyable end to a meal. I doubt this wine will improve from here, though I find it hard to predict when ports will actually go downhill.
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yet another corked bottle of this port. Third in a row. Fine when opened and decanted overnight. Left glass out and fine. When drank after lunch clearly corked.
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Tasting note from day two after decanting. Everything about this wine is vintage port "lite" - but still fine enough. The colour is a vibrant but relatively pale translucent red; the nose has hints of wild strawberries and caress of wood. The flavour is of cooked red summer fruits, molasses flavoured sweetness (but not weight) balanced by an almost lean acidity in a medium bodied envelope. Good if not exceptional length. The whole works together (just) but suggests a wine reaching the end of its plateau. Drink up over the next three years.
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Colour beginning to dull, pale at rim. Spirit and spice on nose. Sweetness fading, but still syrupy in the mouth. Almost medicinal bitterness, bit like cherry cough mixture. Lingers well, developing a figgy spiceness on the aftertaste.
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The Wine Society Dining Club 255th Dinner (Drapers' Hall, London): Relatively light, medium sweet, youthful and lively, elegant, mature red fruit, an hint of nuttiness, well-integrated alcohol, adequate tannic grip; very attractive, gentle, drinking well, with time in hand.
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Not as fruit forward as the '94 (not surprisingly) nor the '77 Warre's that I've opened this winter. This comes across as both leaner and drier, with less fruit, showing some walnut and notes of burnt embers, with touches of dusty strawberry fruit. Good integration of spirit, though. This also is in-line with other '83 vintage ports such as the Fonseca, and, as a result, '83 is not my favorite of vintages. Good, not great. UPDATE: followed this bottle over the course of five nights. Lots of cedar on the palate that overwhelms the dusty strawberry fruit. Not a great Warre's.
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May be a hint of TCA in this, but it could be paranoia from memories of the first two. I may jsut detect a hint of taint in this third bottle, but it's hard to tell as I've not yet had a good bottle of this stuff!
It's drinkable, with some decent deep berry flavours, and a hint of alcohol, but a little thin. Not as complex as I'd expect but a. it's just opened 30 minutes ago , and b. there may be a hint of cork suppressing its best qualities!
Opened on Christmas Day but not approached till Boxing day. Started quite spiritous with very sweet fruit, but opened up and became balanced and pleasant. I had an apple with it which is for me the best port tester, and it stood up well to that. Good but not great.
Rather disappointing bottle for me, I had hoped for more. It is not bad, but has been better in the past. Color shows little age deep dark ruby, but the nose is flat and a bit odd, like a balsamic vinegared strawberry. Palate is one dimensional. And a bit one dimensional, not too complex with a sour cherry flavor. A little vegetal ness on the aftertaste. I think this was an off bottle.
Great vintage port hitting a nice stride of maturity. Simultaneous ripe fruit combined with nice chestnut maturity alla tawny port. Lots of walnut skin and lacquered wood complexity. Awesome Vintage Port for ~$70.
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Disintegrated cork. Dacanted and filtered. Started tasting after 3 hours and for a few hours after that. Dull fruit and and a stale, oxidized profile. Disappointed to see this turn out to be a dud.
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Brick red rim, dark core; this is far more youthful & spritely than previous couple of bottle. Tremendous burst of power-packed red fruits, peppery; very sweet, full, chocolatey, bags of dark fruit. At one stage a hint of figs, but this remains in its prime. Supple, plush savoury finish; lingering. 24 hours on holding up perfectly. Stunning
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Sample at LCBO. Tons of licorice, tar, mushroom. Some crushed flowers interwoven. Tons of sediment. Beautiful ripe raspberry in the mouth with creamy strawberry undertones. Enthralling, lush and velvety. Superb!
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Decanted for four hours prior to serving. Pruney, anise nose, started with some heat and v.a., which dissipated with the decant. Full bodied with medium acidity. Palate is better than the nose with mouth coating black and red berry fruit that is slightly jammy but still balanced by nice acidity. Long finish. Yummy with years to go.
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Textbook mature port - all those warm spices and round long finish. Perfect now but don't think this can improve further. No hurry though - at least 5 years?
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After seven days of air, the '83 Warre's was darker, smoother, and deeper, as the sharper fruits subsided and the gorgeous dried cherry and nutty tones came to the fore. Paul S's note of a year ago describes its character well. Absolutely must decant 24 hours in advance. This has many good years ahead of it. 91 points but would have scored 1-2 pts higher if it had offered more pleasure in the first couple days; also have a sense this particular bottle wasn't the best that the Warre's 83 has to offer.
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Barbera Larigi di Elio Altare Dinner with Sylvia Altare (Justerini & Brooks, London): The Port GAme at J&B to finish our dinner. Guessed it 1992 Quinta do Vesuvio... Very nice port showing. Round, drinking very well, no harshness and with lots of fruit. Medium (for port) on the palate and very digestible at the moment. Dense and lush. Long dented which helped.
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Oooh.. aged port!..Lovely. Lots of spicy character with spices ranging from anise, clove, cinnamon, peppercorns all boiled into a stew with a splash of good cognac. Not as rich as some ports I have tasted but much more quaffable. Big upfront but fades away quite nicely and might I ssay elegantly towards the end. Spicy red fruits.
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Surprise 30th Birthday Party (Amber Park, Singapore): Cork crumbled, so we had to filter it. I thought this was a smashing port. Not the most complex, but more than enough to capture the imagination, and all wrapped in a superbly balanced package. Probably at its prime at the moment. Fresh, lively nose had a lovely, deep spiciness to it with peppery pricks layered over lots of lush fruit - plums, prunes, dark cherries - and a savoury depth of dried figs, a whiff of cigar and some dark chocolate. Some alcohol whiffs swirled around, but not quite enough to distract from the loveliness of the nose. Palate had nice concentration without ever being rich and viscous like, say, the Grahams of the same year. This had more cut and shape though, showing really fresh tones, with lovely flavours honey dates, sultanas, dried figs, all with a nice gentle sweetness and a dash of mocha. Finish was a long gentle unwinding, with lingers of dried prunes, plums. I just got this lovely sense of balance, poise and seamlessly layered integration all the way from the attack to the finish. I really liked this very much. Not quite rich enough for the sweet chocloate cake, but lovely with the Shropshire Blue Cheese we had.
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Brick red; peppery & initial spirity, the latter dissapating in due course, red & black cherried; soft, attractively so, the tell-tale figgy note but not as overt as two most recent bottles; this has vigour on a firm finish. Extended length. Bags of life.
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Dark red center, red rim, with some signs of age (but quite young given the age). Classic Warre nose, sweet blackberries, redcurrants, excellent nose. Sweet, smooth, aged red fruit, violets, some acidity and tannin in middle, lighter red berries, slight vegetal tones - but not distracting, great length and balance. Drinking excellently now, classic Warre port, wouldn't keep much longer (3-5 years).
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Wonderfully blended seamless port. Mature notes of dried spice, apricot, baked cherries and seared honey. Agree with those who had trouble removing the cork. Also found a double foil around the neck. Two different colors. hmmm.
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Dark red center, some age on rim (but surprisingly little given the age), good legs. Slightly vegetal nose, then sweet red fruit, a combination of strawberries and raspberries, very typical Warre nose, reasonable maturity. Sweetness followed by a little vegetal taste, then strawberries, blackberries and plums, mature (rancio) taste, good length with mature fruit, dusty tannins on finish. Very good mature port. The vegetal tones are a little distracting but blend in over time, would last a few more years although the tannins and acidity are already fairly low.
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Excellent, classic aged Port, almost tawny in character, challenging to remove the moist cork, really enjoyable with the fabulous cheese plate we had - Dark red, slight ambering at the rim, notes of raisins, plums, nut, well structured and balanced, a touch of heat, but silky smooth on the finish with great length, a real treat! (92 Points).
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nothing special -- long finish, but dominated by alcoholic heat. also used some for cooking 'port ice cream' -- need to re-work the chemistry on that...
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Opened and decanted approx 3 hours before serving. Nice garnet to ruby coloring but no bricking on the rim. A nose of cherries and chocolate gave way to flavors of the same plus vanilla, blackberry and raspberry. No earthy flavors noted. Fully mature and drinking.
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Decanted about 1 hour ahead of tasting, this was exceptionally good. Remarkably young in appearance and colour, I wouldn't have guessed it was now 25 years old. Rich and smooth, with chocolate, plums and cherry overtones, the wine was very moreish and four of us had no trouble drinking the whole bottle. Accompanied a range of cheeses - great with the blue.
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Decanted about 4 hours before serving. A nice deep ruby coloring accompanied by flavors of cherry, chocolate, fig, tobacco with just a bit of sweetness. No raisiny or prune flavors with this one. Yun!!
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Scubarex brought this to a poker game last weekend. We drank it with some cigars before I took all his money on Texas Hold 'em. This bottle had been opened for a week. Still holding up well. Restrained and smooth. No hard edges but also lacking a little in concentration. Notes of blackberry, creme de cassis and anise. 89-90 points.
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Really quite a lovely port. We just had the 83 Gould Campbell and this was even better. Lot's of cigar tones and long finish. Impressive for a Warre's.
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Figgy nose, has presence; powerful yet elegant, not overly sweet; tremendous length & finish. As good as previous bottles. 18Well coloured, rubied out to rim, heavy legs; figgy, smooth, spirit then comes through; attenuated finish. 16
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4/21/2024 - xyc wrote:
I argued with Ah So, who aged better me or Mr. Cork? Cork dropped in defeat drowned Portside.
Cellar stored for 30+ years. My first Madeirized OFF vintage Port. Were it not for the foul medicinal odor, it would be tolerable as a too old Sherry, Madeira, perhaps I will discover a desiccated creature upon emptying?
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3/18/2024 - Ralph_ wrote: flawed
corked
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1/19/2024 - platpeeps Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really improving and opening up since it was initially double-decanted about 5 hours in advance, there was a delicious confection of liquorice, cherry and blackberry fruit, laced with minerality, pleasing acidity and firm drying tannins which melted away to render a figgy finish. Certainly complex and satisfying with a first rate finish. 92 pts
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12/30/2023 - johneagle wrote: flawed
Slightly corked
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12/16/2023 - theportguy wrote: 90 Points
Sammamish Port Club - Holiday Tasting (Sammamish, Washington): Purple-amber in color. Clear with some very fine sediment. Dusty red fruit on the nose with light red currant and cocoa powder. Medium-bodied with cranberry, boysenberry, and hints of cassis. Medium sweetness. This is a subtle wine with a medium finish. More elegant style.
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11/30/2023 - Harley1199 wrote:
Just a few drops. Tasted separately during a whole week. Fading a little. Excessively mature. Still good in both but clearly decaying. Out-of-power Port. Possibly this bottle was at its limit, I guess.
Solo unas gotas. Catado por separado durante toda una semana. Un poco de desvanecimiento. Excesivamente maduro. Todavía bueno en ambos pero claramente en descomposición. Oporto sin energía. Posiblemente esta botella estaba en su límite, supongo.
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10/29/2023 - bmagic wrote: 92 Points
Very spicy almost like chilli on opening. Settled down after 3 hours. Very dark brown with only a red tint. Nose of sweet red fruits and leather. Blackberries, redcurrants, some menthol and eucalyptus on the palate. Warm, strong and very long. A good port. Stunning of course that something this old can still be so delicious.
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1/21/2023 - theportguy wrote: 93 Points
Guys Port Weekend - Las Vegas; 1/20/2023-1/21/2023 (Las Vegas, Nevada): Aromas of red currants and cassis with some floral and herbal notes underneath. The palate is very well-balanced with rich dark fruits, boysenberry, and cassis. The tannins are also well-balanced. There is a great long finish.
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1/13/2023 - empire80 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A wonderful bottle despite the usual crumbly cork. Sweet fruit, Christmas pudding, gentle spice, everything in place, very long finish, warm but without excessive heat. Excellent value, just under £50 on the table.
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12/26/2022 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cork disintegrated upon extraction- even using a Durand. Gobs of chunky sediment in the bottle. Medium deep ruby/garnet in colour fading gracefully to the rim. Wonderful nose of dark fruitcake, rum raisin and warm spices. Super smooth, rich and thick on the palate, still some drying tannins, a spirited alcohol. Sweet and dark dried fruits, treacle, slight smoke, some woody notes and spice. Finishes sweet and long, but with still a bit of tea-like tannins to cleanse the palate. Lovely!
Day 2: raisins and dark fruitcake still on the nose with some spice and subtle woodsmoke as well. More balanced on the palate. The sweetness is nicely balanced by the acid and alcohol. The palate is a lovely blend of fruitcake, treacle and raisin, as well as some woody notes. The finish is long and sweet but with a tongue tingling acidic bite at the end. Not at all tired or fading. Perfectly mellow and integrated at thia point. Very, very lovely indeed!
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5/17/2022 - daosailor Likes this wine: 94 Points
It's been two years since the last bottle was opened...similar to last tasting but think it has softened the last two years. Eucalyptus, pleasantly sweet and lush in the mouth. As it sounds with others the cork disintegrated while opening and I strained it through a coffee filter.
This is soooo good right now not sure how much better this will get with age. Have one more bottle but not sure if I'll be waiting two years to open.
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1/19/2022 - PSPatrick wrote: 91 Points
A bottle I bought only about a year ago. The capsule smelled very smoky and tarry. The bottom of the cork crumbled despite of using a Durand. Less sediment than expected. Medium garnet core, medium brown towards the edges.
Immediately after opening, the wine only showed some red cherry and restrained blueberry, blackberry and plum fruit, with a raisiny and alcoholic character.
After decanting for five hours in the morning, I poured the first glass after dinner in the evening: Integrated red fruit, some black fruit, plum, light chocolate, light coffee, and spices. Average concentration and complexity, but good balance, and very smoothly textured, with well-integrated alcohol and good length. Drinking very well.
On day two, the wine seemed more mature than on day one in that the fruit was a little less fresh and the flavours less precise, and the alcohol was lightly warming, but other than that the wine was still balanced, with a smooth texture, and seemed even more integrated and harmonious than on the first evening.
On day three, the wine was tobacco- and spice-driven and seemed more "Tawny-Porty", still with underlying fruit but less harmonious, and with less energy and only average length.
And on day four the fruit re-emerged, to my surprise, and the wine's profile was similar to day two except that the wine still had pronounced tobacco notes and was even spicier (more chili-like) than on day three.
More about elegance than about power. Drink now.
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1/7/2022 - VinoGreco Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had a real hard time removing the cork although stored in a cellar it's entire lifetime. Was very concerned it had gone too far but the last bit of cork holding on at the bottom was still in tact and what a relief when we decanted and poured. Colour was lighter than expected, but flavour profile was still complex.
For my bottle, glad I didn't wait any longer ;)
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12/30/2021 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
1963-1983 Vintage Ports (Tasted Blind) (Virtual Tasting): Nose: 91-92; Palate: 91
My #2, Group's #6 (100 pts). Tasted blind.
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12/30/2021 - ClausP wrote: flawed
Had a small glass on opening that promised great things prob 94-95.
decanted for ca. 5 hours and sadly a tiny streak of cork had developed.
was still drinkable but tainted.
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12/7/2021 - m4rk Likes this wine:
A few hours after decant. Warm nose of marzipan, menthol, smoke, viloets; delicious, gentle, brown sugar, blueberries - it goes beyond descriptors somehow .. rolls across the tongue like silk .. something very delicate, understated and beautiful about this wine - this seems not about power, yet belies its alcoholic strength. I think I’d find it hard to find something that’s better, but I’m open to a challenge!
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10/24/2021 - VinnieVeritas wrote: 92 Points
Still going strong.
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8/21/2021 - empire80 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Last bit of cork crumbled despite delicate work with the Durand - seems a consistent theme with this wine. But underneath it's a lovely mature port with a lot going on, spice, violets, a hint of peat, just a bit too much spirity heat on the finish. But awesome value at less than £50 on the table for a nearly 40 year old port.
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2/25/2021 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
1977-1990 Vintage Ports (Blind Tasting) (Zoom): Nose: 90 Palate: 91
My #3, Group's #6 (181 pts). Tasted blind.
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1/1/2021 - depechemoroder Likes this wine: 93 Points
Spectacular and fine, this manages to retain bright, sweet fruits, while showing more raisined and spirity qualities I associate with other houses. Open and attractive, the complexity is well layered and the finish just sublime. It's quite difficult to put down (which has its downsides...).
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12/26/2020 - Radders12345 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Attempted to open with a Durand but the last bit of the cork fell away. Double decanted to remove sediment (and remnant cork) but returned to its bottle to enjoy over a couple of days.
Brilliant ruby colour. Nose of witch hazel, iodine, old leather, cloves and cinnamon
Palate is simply delicious. Sweet cherry, plum red currant and cola. Yum.
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11/8/2020 - empire80 Likes this wine: 91 Points
A good bottle, but not reaching the heights of the last. Better on the second night, but declining slightly by the third.
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10/31/2020 - empire80 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A good bottle on opening, after a delicate operation with the Durand. Even better after a few hours in the decanter. Still a hint of salty peat and heat on the finish but in between some gorgeous warm spice, plums and Christmas pudding.
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6/29/2020 - daosailor Likes this wine: 94 Points
The cork crumbled while removing so I filtered it trough a screen. Nothing really showing when I first decanted other than some initial heat. But what a difference after four hours of decanting...lush, full bodied, fig and still just a touch of heat. It was enjoyed by everyone and one of the more enjoyable vintage ports I've opened over the years. Still have one more bottle...
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6/11/2020 - empire80 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A mixed reaction on opening, but improved in the glass and decanter. Quite peaty on the nose and palate, some cherry fruit, a slightly fiery finish.
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5/24/2020 - Fletch0007 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light cherry core, fully translucent, a touch of development at rim. Wonderful nose: rich patina of mascereno cherries and sweet figs. Palate much the same: rich fig, cherry, very long finish. Underrated producer in an underrated year. In the box seat of maturity now at 37 years old, albeit with plenty of life ahead (10yrs?). I have Graham and Taylor of same year and would be drinking Warre before them.
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4/28/2020 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 93 Points
Magnum. My last and identical to my March note.
Drink up over the next couple of years or so - ASAP in bottle format!!
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3/28/2020 - redders Likes this wine: 91 Points
A really good bottle. Not always the case. Figgy but light style fully mature but balanced and elegant. Lovely port.
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3/22/2020 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 93 Points
From Magnum. (Enough sediment to fertilise a decent sized garden!!)
2.5yrs from my last note and showing at its best although it took 3 days in my (sealed) decanter to get there!! Focussed concentration of wild berries (esp strawberry) earth and desert spices. Quite vinous, not over-sweet and with decent acidity. In perfect balance.
In this format should be good for another 2-3yrs.
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12/24/2019 - oldwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
In my cellar since release (originally purchased for $24 at Morrell’s in NYC in January 1987) . Decanted at 6pm and tasted from about 8pm through the next 2 days. Translucent medium garnet. Nose is a bit medicinal at first then Kirsch, red florals, cherry and chocolate. Medium bodied and a bit syrupy in the mid-palate. Long lifted finish. Excellent with my wife’s Cherry Chocolate Molten Cake. Easy to drink but this bottle seemed to lack that little bit extra of depth and complexity to take it to the next level as I felt the previous bottle I had did.
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10/5/2019 - bonnerecolte wrote: 88 Points
Bottle was in good shape, and cork extracted fine. However, this was disappointing. Thoroughly bland, but no faults.
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7/20/2019 - Collector1855 wrote: 93 Points
Still relatively youthful, ruby color. Nose of ripe cherry, bakery spices, some tobacco. Feels very youthful, almot like ruby port still.Lovely to drink, medium complexity.
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4/10/2019 - beatles wrote:
This was very good, very fresh, very young, still I restain from rating it, as the sediment was all over the place thanks to the Coravin. But certainly the best wine of the lunch.
#PallMall67#Coravin
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2/13/2019 - David J Cooper wrote: 93 Points
Dark red with hints of brown. Intense spirity nose, dried fig, brown sugar, dried apricot and oaky spice. Delicious dried fruit and spice flavours, the heat continues. Long delicious finish.
I love the heat that Warre seems to bring.
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1/2/2019 - VinnieVeritas Likes this wine: 94 Points
Stunning after 24 hour decant. Youthful in colour, rich fruit, balanced and lingering, lovely finish.
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12/9/2018 - rwpalmer wrote: flawed
Corked, acetone, undrinkable.
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10/29/2018 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent. Showing good power after 35 years. Thick dried dates, figs, and cherries with a sweet toffee base and hints of baking spices. Tannins still assert a presence. Tastes mature but definitely not too old for drinking now.
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10/27/2018 - SLB83 Likes this wine: 92 Points
The cork broke in two, half fell down into the bottle. Decanted for c.6 hours, but had some sips before serving.
A bit of a pale red colour. Lovely nose of quince, very soft red fruit, some wood.
On the palate very jammy and not a lot of alcohol, quite smooth really. The tannins are nearly all gone. This wine is slightly past its peak I think, but still very very enjoyable. Drink up!
Had it with a selection of cheeses. Despite its mature age, this port went very well with a particularly stinky Stilton.
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10/18/2018 - tcarter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light bodies but exceptional flavors. Everything I wanted it to be. Great stuff—sad I don’t have more.
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4/21/2018 - sung251 Does not like this wine:
To be honestly I was quite disappointed. I drank this from a half bottle and I found the flavors to be too sweet and unbalanced. I've tasted ice wines, sauterns, and tokaji and have had many that were sweet yet balanced but this was not the case. This was my first time drinking a aged vintage port so i can only hope this bottle was just over the hill.
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12/29/2017 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Nose: B++ Palate: A-
My #6, Group's #6 (86 pts). Tasted blind.
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12/26/2017 - Orcadian wrote: 92 Points
This is the first true vintage port I have tried, so it is not easy to give it a score. However, I can describe it. We decanted half of the port and let it breathe for an hour. When first tried, on its own, it was light and raisiny, though not too sweet. An hour later, with a variety of blue cheeses, it had become delicious, with complex tastes including caramel, black pepper and liquorice, all lingering on the palate. It was superb with Stilton and oatcakes; so good it made one groan aloud. We decanted the remainder 2 days later, at which point it had not evolved further, nor had it deteriorated in any way. I can thoroughly recommend this wine.
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11/23/2017 - canan wrote: 90 Points
Vintage ports - 83 vs 85 (P81): Slightly off balance and dominated by alcohol. Has some blackberry fruit and manure but overall it is very "raw" and not pleasing.
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10/22/2017 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another of my magnums decanted the previous evening. Wonderful vibrant wild strawberry fruit with hints of spice, not over sweet. Much as per earlier notes but the larger format has clearly extended the drinking window of this excellent port.
For drinking by the end of decade (bottles drink up).
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3/23/2017 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 91 Points
The first of my magnums and remarkably like my recent 75cl notes. Only a slightly more grippy feel suggests a few extra years (say to end of decade) than in the smaller format.
Excellent if not outstanding.
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3/1/2017 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 91 Points
My last 75cl although I have four magnums still in my cellar.
Much as my last comprehensive note; wild strawberry the most obvious characteristic, molasses and a longish not over-sweet finish. Medium to full bodied. Moreish.
At the end of its plateau in this format - drink up, will break into my magnums later on....
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2/28/2017 - danckie Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautifully aged port. Decanted for hours. Mild heat, intense flavors cherry, blueberry jam, raisins, coffee and chocolate. Velvet tannins. Nice thick and jammy on the second day. Utterly Enjoyable.
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2/10/2017 - wewillremain Likes this wine: 93 Points
Perfect condition with wonderful fruit expression. Smooth and supple.
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12/12/2016 - rmalloy wrote: 86 Points
Not the purest or most elegant port. Lots of complexity and breadth though. Notes of cherry cough syrup, lard, violets, and tobacco. Mouth filling. Hot and bitter on the finish. Approaching medicinal in character. Strongly reminds me of cherry cough syrup. Perhaps my least favorite vintage port of the 30 or so I've tried. But there's no questioning this port's concentration and power.
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11/27/2016 - jeagle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 14 hours before consumption. Admittedly, it was a surprise to find this bottle so rewarding. I don't remember the purchase, but the old price tag read Trader Joe's 16.99. Obviously a different century. Round and ripe with fig, dark plums, and noticeable tobacco leaf, it is yeoman-like in its translation making up for its lack of complexity with a general sense of reliability and friendliness.
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9/18/2016 - thomaskeil wrote: 92 Points
Cork nearly disintegrated with extraction. Decanted 3 hours (helped open the initially reticent fruit). Darkly colored with red, some violet and brown. Dark fruit, dried leaves, tar, licorice and peppery etoh on nose. Fresh fruit on palate, but with noticeable heat; leans away from wine towards spirit. Magically matched fig stuffed with chocolate truffle as the heat disappeared into the chocolate and the fruit mingled with the fig. Also, matched well with creamy blue cheese and pear that followed. Nice to see the $14.99 sticker from when I bought this.
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3/22/2016 - vagrantone Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking extremely well right now but could get even better...
Still youthful in color, fruitfulness and freshness. Certainly a little on the heavier side, but the balance is exquisite and impressive length. No hurry to drink this wine
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3/3/2016 - canan wrote: 92 Points
Vintage port 1983 (Portvinsklubben 1981): Sweet dark plums. A little floral and coffee and marzipan. Good acidity but a little bit plain and ordinary.
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2/14/2016 - Tylerk wrote: 93 Points
Stood upright for a day then Opened three hours early and decanted- dense sediment. Perfect maturity with dark opaque purple color and nice finish with cherry/chocolate/dark fruit. Wouldn't hold too long this is good to go. My price was $50 a great PQR
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12/25/2015 - chatters wrote:
Christmas Day 2015 (Loz's): Decanted and then left to stand for an hour or so. Quite muted with dark berry fruit and nuts. Nothing too special. But then the next day it was superb with floral notes, berries, plums, figs, walnuts and sweet spice. Simply fantastic.
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12/22/2015 - redders Likes this wine: 92 Points
At last a good bottle after three corked ones. In a perfect spot, lightish colour , luscious nose and figgy christmas pud on palate. Lovely
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12/22/2015 - Adrian Wood Likes this wine: 94 Points
BYO Dinner on 18 Dec 2015. Mid garnet in colour with an intense nose of red fruits, plums, tobacco and brandy. On the palate I tasted plums, kirsch and chocolate with the intensity of the fruit balanced by minerality and acidity. I really liked the clean subtle power and the balance. Drinking beautifully now.
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6/8/2015 - MAOC wrote:
Two recent bottles. Middle aged violet colour. The nose shows cherry, plum, spice, walnut and floral notes, while the palate is soft and quite sweet with hints of chocolate. Not powerful but very enjoyable. Won't get much better but surely has another 5+ years. ****
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4/3/2015 - kevin h wrote: flawed
Corked
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3/25/2015 - john_s Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfect balance. Not massive but reflects its beautiful vintage. Clean, opulent, rich and needing 10 years. After 8 echezeaux it was the perfect transition. Super wine.
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3/11/2015 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 94 Points
A private tasting (Restaurant Merkelbach, Amsterdam, NL): Mature but lively appearance. Floral Cognac notes on the nose, deep, subtle, layered, earth; really powerful and hot palate, kirsch and chocolate, seductive and fresh, powerful minerality, but really impressive for its sheer power and energy, balancing acidity.
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2/13/2015 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 91 Points
As per my 11/13 note. Still holding up well in a vinous lighter fashion - have one bottle to go and six magnums to follow on. Will be interesting to contrast the formats.
Drink up while still showing well.
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2/2/2015 - merlot78 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Color is a light red
On the nose I pick up red fruits aroma such as cherry, strawberry and some plum and I think a hint of tobacco.
My palate was rewarded with a ton of red fruit along with a syrupy coating. The somewhat sweetness evolved to dry just before swallowing. Tannins were so soft.
I enjoyed the finish but wished it would be much longer.
All in all I could not get over the freshness of this 31 plus year old port. A real joy to drink.
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12/19/2014 - JWG wrote: 95 Points
Nose is rich with tobacco and dark fruit and a wiff of brandy. The palate is more evolved than last time -- dark, dark, rich with great balance of sweet and dry. Extremely satisfying port.
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1/1/2014 - Drinking Trees wrote: 93 Points
Removing the foil reveals a tiny amount of wine seeping out of the top of the cork. The cork is soaked through, is easily pushed down by an ah-so and crumbles around a corkscrew. No good signs yet.
The wine is a rose-pink colour, with a brown tint. The nose is pretty dodgy: raisins and cranberry vodka with a hint of organic solvent. The palate is soft, with very smooth tannins and no conspicuous acid, alcohol, or sugar (all of those factors are present, but none stick out). Rich, fruity flavours of raisins, milk chocolate, strawberry and raspberry jam. It's not complex, but it's sweet and juicy and fuity and incredibly moreish.
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12/31/2013 - Duncan wrote: flawed
Slightly murky medium/deep purple, with broad clear rim. On the nose a strong alcoholic burn, followed by a not-entirely-pleasant aroma reminiscent of...I don't know what: something vegetal, or mouldy: stale strawberry alcho-pop? Maybe I'm being too harsh: others at the table found it drinkable, even enjoyable. So I'm going to put this down as flawed, perhaps slightly corked, otherwise I would have to give it such a low score that it would seem perverse for a well matured bottle from a quality producer.
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12/31/2013 - oldwines Likes this wine: 94 Points
Much better than my previous bottle a year ago. Light to medium garnet color, mid weight on the palate as well. Fully mature it seems to me with nice complexity. Red fruits, chocolate, cigar box and licorice come through. Very smooth and elegant.
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12/2/2013 - JWG wrote: 93 Points
A lighter version than some of my favorite ports, but still a wonderfully good bottle. Nose is rich and balanced with no sense of over-alcohol. The palate is dark and rich and with great balance of the fruit, the sweet, the dry, the heft. Since earlier bottles had been a bit lightweight, it took this long (30 years) for this wine to really come smelling and tasting like a winner.
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11/28/2013 - adanacsim Likes this wine: 92 Points
I agree with previous reviewers that this port is on the light side with regard to both color and taste. But even though it does not hit you over the head, there is still enough fruit to make for a very enjoyable end to a meal. I doubt this wine will improve from here, though I find it hard to predict when ports will actually go downhill.
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11/26/2013 - redders wrote: flawed
yet another corked bottle of this port. Third in a row. Fine when opened and decanted overnight. Left glass out and fine. When drank after lunch clearly corked.
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11/12/2013 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasting note from day two after decanting.
Everything about this wine is vintage port "lite" - but still fine enough.
The colour is a vibrant but relatively pale translucent red; the nose has hints of wild strawberries and caress of wood. The flavour is of cooked red summer fruits, molasses flavoured sweetness (but not weight) balanced by an almost lean acidity in a medium bodied envelope. Good if not exceptional length.
The whole works together (just) but suggests a wine reaching the end of its plateau. Drink up over the next three years.
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8/29/2013 - rupertg wrote: 90 Points
Colour beginning to dull, pale at rim. Spirit and spice on nose. Sweetness fading, but still syrupy in the mouth. Almost medicinal bitterness, bit like cherry cough mixture. Lingers well, developing a figgy spiceness on the aftertaste.
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6/28/2013 - Lord of the Bottles Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice mature port, still some youthful fruit with medium body and a long finish.
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6/25/2013 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 91 Points
The Wine Society Dining Club 255th Dinner (Drapers' Hall, London): Relatively light, medium sweet, youthful and lively, elegant, mature red fruit, an hint of nuttiness, well-integrated alcohol, adequate tannic grip; very attractive, gentle, drinking well, with time in hand.
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4/15/2013 - Didman wrote: 94 Points
This was just a delicious bottle. One of the better vintage Ports we have tried in quite a while.
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3/25/2013 - NickBurwood wrote: flawed
Drinkable but with the merest but persistent hint of corkiness that makes it unfair to assess. From a magnum.
PS Still ok (warts and all) on Easter Day (31/3) and enjoyed by daughter at family dinner with a selection of fine English cheeses.
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3/16/2013 - Pknut wrote:
Not as fruit forward as the '94 (not surprisingly) nor the '77 Warre's that I've opened this winter. This comes across as both leaner and drier, with less fruit, showing some walnut and notes of burnt embers, with touches of dusty strawberry fruit. Good integration of spirit, though. This also is in-line with other '83 vintage ports such as the Fonseca, and, as a result, '83 is not my favorite of vintages. Good, not great.
UPDATE: followed this bottle over the course of five nights. Lots of cedar on the palate that overwhelms the dusty strawberry fruit. Not a great Warre's.
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2/23/2013 - KCBrian wrote: flawed
This bottle was flawed. Had a taste of wet cardboard. Still drank about 1/3 of the bottle in the hope it was go away.
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2/17/2013 - rupertg wrote: 90 Points
Pale garnet, pink rim. Figs and spice on the nose, very smooth. Glowing spirity finish with a hint of cherry. Lingers well.
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1/5/2013 - richardhod wrote: 89 Points
May be a hint of TCA in this, but it could be paranoia from memories of the first two. I may jsut detect a hint of taint in this third bottle, but it's hard to tell as I've not yet had a good bottle of this stuff!
It's drinkable, with some decent deep berry flavours, and a hint of alcohol, but a little thin. Not as complex as I'd expect but a. it's just opened 30 minutes ago , and b. there may be a hint of cork suppressing its best qualities!
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12/27/2012 - johneagle wrote: 88 Points
Opened on Christmas Day but not approached till Boxing day. Started quite spiritous with very sweet fruit, but opened up and became balanced and pleasant. I had an apple with it which is for me the best port tester, and it stood up well to that. Good but not great.
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12/25/2012 - richardhod wrote: flawed
Corked. Again. That's 2/2 so far on this vintage of Warre's
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12/24/2012 - oldwines wrote: 89 Points
Rather disappointing bottle for me, I had hoped for more. It is not bad, but has been better in the past. Color shows little age deep dark ruby, but the nose is flat and a bit odd, like a balsamic vinegared strawberry. Palate is one dimensional. And a bit one dimensional, not too complex with a sour cherry flavor. A little vegetal ness on the aftertaste. I think this was an off bottle.
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12/17/2012 - Wine Canuck Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great vintage port hitting a nice stride of maturity. Simultaneous ripe fruit combined with nice chestnut maturity alla tawny port. Lots of walnut skin and lacquered wood complexity. Awesome Vintage Port for ~$70.
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12/15/2012 - no leashes wrote:
Anise, a hint of licorice, and almost a tawny-like character, but thoroughly enjoyable and drinking nicely.
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11/22/2012 - gmbdds wrote: flawed
Disintegrated cork. Dacanted and filtered. Started tasting after 3 hours and for a few hours after that. Dull fruit and and a stale, oxidized profile. Disappointed to see this turn out to be a dud.
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7/7/2012 - richardhod wrote: flawed
Corked. Badly! Such a pity as I can detect great promise and strength underneath the terrible TCA. I tried the clingfilm trick but it didn't work.
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6/5/2012 - RayOB Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank at Garden Party
Wonderful nose of dried figs, chocolate, plumbs, raisins and spice. Smooth light taste with a medium length
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2/26/2012 - chbeaumont Likes this wine: 95 Points
Brick red rim, dark core; this is far more youthful & spritely than previous couple of bottle. Tremendous burst of power-packed red fruits, peppery; very sweet, full, chocolatey, bags of dark fruit. At one stage a hint of figs, but this remains in its prime. Supple, plush savoury finish; lingering. 24 hours on holding up perfectly. Stunning
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2/4/2012 - lumpyelbow wrote: 94 Points
Sample at LCBO. Tons of licorice, tar, mushroom. Some crushed flowers interwoven. Tons of sediment. Beautiful ripe raspberry in the mouth with creamy strawberry undertones. Enthralling, lush and velvety. Superb!
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1/24/2012 - Double-A Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pale, medium-garnet colour. Rounding nose of cherry, chocolate and sweet nut. Warming, balanced, sweet palate with supple tannins.
4/5
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1/21/2012 - zscheiner Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for four hours prior to serving. Pruney, anise nose, started with some heat and v.a., which dissipated with the decant. Full bodied with medium acidity. Palate is better than the nose with mouth coating black and red berry fruit that is slightly jammy but still balanced by nice acidity. Long finish. Yummy with years to go.
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8/7/2011 - empire80 wrote: 93 Points
Textbook mature port - all those warm spices and round long finish. Perfect now but don't think this can improve further. No hurry though - at least 5 years?
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4/16/2011 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points
After seven days of air, the '83 Warre's was darker, smoother, and deeper, as the sharper fruits subsided and the gorgeous dried cherry and nutty tones came to the fore. Paul S's note of a year ago describes its character well. Absolutely must decant 24 hours in advance. This has many good years ahead of it. 91 points but would have scored 1-2 pts higher if it had offered more pleasure in the first couple days; also have a sense this particular bottle wasn't the best that the Warre's 83 has to offer.
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4/7/2011 - austincarty wrote: 91 Points
Cork extracted intact. Not ullaged. Great nose of spirit and fruit. Spirit dominating nose on palate. Seems to be just past its zenith
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11/4/2010 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Barbera Larigi di Elio Altare Dinner with Sylvia Altare (Justerini & Brooks, London): The Port GAme at J&B to finish our dinner. Guessed it 1992 Quinta do Vesuvio...
Very nice port showing. Round, drinking very well, no harshness and with lots of fruit. Medium (for port) on the palate and very digestible at the moment. Dense and lush. Long dented which helped.
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4/16/2010 - Alex H wrote: 86 Points
Oooh.. aged port!..Lovely. Lots of spicy character with spices ranging from anise, clove, cinnamon, peppercorns all boiled into a stew with a splash of good cognac. Not as rich as some ports I have tasted but much more quaffable. Big upfront but fades away quite nicely and might I ssay elegantly towards the end. Spicy red fruits.
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4/15/2010 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
Surprise 30th Birthday Party (Amber Park, Singapore): Cork crumbled, so we had to filter it. I thought this was a smashing port. Not the most complex, but more than enough to capture the imagination, and all wrapped in a superbly balanced package. Probably at its prime at the moment. Fresh, lively nose had a lovely, deep spiciness to it with peppery pricks layered over lots of lush fruit - plums, prunes, dark cherries - and a savoury depth of dried figs, a whiff of cigar and some dark chocolate. Some alcohol whiffs swirled around, but not quite enough to distract from the loveliness of the nose. Palate had nice concentration without ever being rich and viscous like, say, the Grahams of the same year. This had more cut and shape though, showing really fresh tones, with lovely flavours honey dates, sultanas, dried figs, all with a nice gentle sweetness and a dash of mocha. Finish was a long gentle unwinding, with lingers of dried prunes, plums. I just got this lovely sense of balance, poise and seamlessly layered integration all the way from the attack to the finish. I really liked this very much. Not quite rich enough for the sweet chocloate cake, but lovely with the Shropshire Blue Cheese we had.
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2/13/2010 - chbeaumont wrote: 94 Points
Brick red; peppery & initial spirity, the latter dissapating in due course, red & black cherried; soft, attractively so, the tell-tale figgy note but not as overt as two most recent bottles; this has vigour on a firm finish. Extended length. Bags of life.
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7/11/2009 - pdadams66 wrote: 92 Points
Dark red center, red rim, with some signs of age (but quite young given the age).
Classic Warre nose, sweet blackberries, redcurrants, excellent nose.
Sweet, smooth, aged red fruit, violets, some acidity and tannin in middle, lighter red berries, slight vegetal tones - but not distracting, great length and balance.
Drinking excellently now, classic Warre port, wouldn't keep much longer (3-5 years).
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3/25/2009 - cma82 wrote:
Very young tasting. Dark cherry, chocolate, with noticable acidity.
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1/21/2009 - BigGer wrote: 94 Points
Wonderfully blended seamless port. Mature notes of dried spice, apricot, baked cherries and seared honey. Agree with those who had trouble removing the cork. Also found a double foil around the neck. Two different colors. hmmm.
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1/18/2009 - pdadams66 wrote: 91 Points
Dark red center, some age on rim (but surprisingly little given the age), good legs.
Slightly vegetal nose, then sweet red fruit, a combination of strawberries and raspberries, very typical Warre nose, reasonable maturity.
Sweetness followed by a little vegetal taste, then strawberries, blackberries and plums, mature (rancio) taste, good length with mature fruit, dusty tannins on finish.
Very good mature port. The vegetal tones are a little distracting but blend in over time, would last a few more years although the tannins and acidity are already fairly low.
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12/31/2008 - Tarrant wrote: 92 Points
Excellent, classic aged Port, almost tawny in character, challenging to remove the moist cork, really enjoyable with the fabulous cheese plate we had - Dark red, slight ambering at the rim, notes of raisins, plums, nut, well structured and balanced, a touch of heat, but silky smooth on the finish with great length, a real treat! (92 Points).
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12/19/2008 - ews3 wrote: 88 Points
nothing special -- long finish, but dominated by alcoholic heat. also used some for cooking 'port ice cream' -- need to re-work the chemistry on that...
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12/2/2008 - vinolovers wrote: 92 Points
Opened and decanted approx 3 hours before serving. Nice garnet to ruby coloring but no bricking on the rim. A nose of cherries and chocolate gave way to flavors of the same plus vanilla, blackberry and raspberry. No earthy flavors noted. Fully mature and drinking.
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3/18/2008 - Keith Cooper wrote: 90 Points
Decanted about 1 hour ahead of tasting, this was exceptionally good. Remarkably young in appearance and colour, I wouldn't have guessed it was now 25 years old. Rich and smooth, with chocolate, plums and cherry overtones, the wine was very moreish and four of us had no trouble drinking the whole bottle. Accompanied a range of cheeses - great with the blue.
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3/5/2008 - iradub wrote: 90 Points
Opened and decanted about 2 hours before, seemed to be the right amount of time. Really good but not overwhelming.
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1/5/2008 - redders wrote: flawed
second bottle in a row corked. Not as bad as last one but definitely tainted. A very good port underneath.
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1/1/2008 - igmacfarlane wrote:
Drunk on Christmas Day. Bright, clear colour. Full, raisiny sweetness, with leather and chocolate notes and a heady perfume.
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12/25/2007 - vinolovers wrote: 92 Points
Decanted about 4 hours before serving. A nice deep ruby coloring accompanied by flavors of cherry, chocolate, fig, tobacco with just a bit of sweetness. No raisiny or prune flavors with this one. Yun!!
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12/4/2007 - redders wrote: flawed
sad, but clearly corked. Undeneath was a good figgy port, but undrinkable. Bad weekend for the dreaded TCA
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11/26/2007 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
Scubarex brought this to a poker game last weekend. We drank it with some cigars before I took all his money on Texas Hold 'em. This bottle had been opened for a week. Still holding up well. Restrained and smooth. No hard edges but also lacking a little in concentration. Notes of blackberry, creme de cassis and anise. 89-90 points.
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2/14/2007 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #021; Port wines. (By AW): Full bodied and round. Sweet currants, ripe black fruits. Very smooth.
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12/22/2006 - cofidis2 wrote: flawed
Corked.
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12/21/2006 - moutondoc wrote: 90 Points
Really quite a lovely port. We just had the 83 Gould Campbell and this was even better. Lot's of cigar tones and long finish. Impressive for a Warre's.
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10/31/2005 - chbeaumont wrote: 91 Points
Figgy nose, has presence; powerful yet elegant, not overly sweet; tremendous length & finish. As good as previous bottles. 18Well coloured, rubied out to rim, heavy legs; figgy, smooth, spirit then comes through; attenuated finish. 16
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10/29/2005 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 88 Points
A sweet, pruney nose with a chocolatey background. Very spirity on the palate, with sweet dried fruits. Very Good+, but it's not doing it for me.
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10/10/2003 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 85 Points
Very floral nose with walnuts. Good fruit on attack - very intense flavours. Spirit builds lightly but without dominating. Good.
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12/20/1997 - RogerG wrote:
(open for many months) Still quite fruity and rich. Orange peel, caramel.
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12/31/1993 - RogerG wrote:
First Night, fire in the hearth. Good stuff, quite smooth and full, no harshness.
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