On it's 25th birthday, decided to check in on this one. Still an abnormally dark ruby for a 1998 VP. Youthful dark fruits have not yet started their transition into secondary flavors. Some medium tannins still holding on. Could use a little more in the acidity and complexity departments, but still very enjoyable. A medium finish full of fresh berries and a touch of spirit. 1998 was a tough year and this is one of the better examples from it. There's no rush to drink these, as the fruit is still so young, it just lacks a bit in the complexity department. At 25 yrs old, I'll call this one a medium+ ager. Fun to drink now and perhaps over the next 10-15 yrs. But when that youthful fruit starts fading the complexity will most likely also drop off even more. At that point it will just depend on what profile you like your VP's to have. 89 Points
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Third bottle out of three drunk. Very heady, spicy and sweet nose, on licorice and icing sugar, hints of caramelised raisins and bay leaf. Good structure in the mouth, spicy and rich without being biting on the alcohol, tannins are excellent, silky but drying, with again icing sugar very prominent. Some dried fruits, on prunes and apricots, and endless spices. Really fabulous, better than previous bottles. Should last at least two decades.
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Preferred this bottle compared to last July's. Deep, but the nose was fresher with red cherries and a background hint of icing sugar. Palate rich but well integrated. No heat. Very good drinking now.
Very dark color. Beautiful nose of black cherries, chocolate, and old wood. Big fruity entry and then the acid comes up and support an extremely long citrus finish. Really delicious and hard not to take another sip. The texture is very suave. I do see peeks of substantial, but fine tannins. This is still quite young and powerful. It's easy to drink if you like that powerful style (I do), but I expect that this has many years ahead of it. This is in a good place right now. 93 points
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Don’t have much to add to last note only to say that the aromatics are wonderful, cardamom and mint, and the fruit is dark and still very fresh. Really nice!
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Quinta do Vesuvio Tasting (Sammamish, Washington): Boysenberry and some blueberry on the nose, underscored by some subtle hints of vanilla extract and light green pepper. Notes of cola and freshly crushed blueberry on the luscious palate. Very long finish. Decanted 6 hours.
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As others have intimated, this wine is drinking well but may have more to give. Very dark with no browning. Almost glossy. Not the most complex nose--mostly blackberry and menthol. Medium-full-bodied. Tannins are a bit four-square. This and the relative lack of complexity exclude it from the top table but it should go many years and provide a lot of pleasure.
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drank on St Jean Baptiste 2020! deep and delicious color with brownish rim- Yummmmmy OMG nice rich flavor brown sugar dry fruit just wow- merci Boubou I am sure you had me buy this Port! rest in peace daddy I love you 🥰
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Deep red colour with just a touch of fading at the rim. Figs on the nose, malty sweet notes, spice, cinnamon and floral lavender notes. HIghly aromatic on the palate, minty, cedar with north African spices. Touch of chocolate. On great form. Showing really well and developing nicely. Good to drink now.
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Garnet fade at the rim; masculine nose, quite dense fruit still, impressive for the age. Some medicinal complexity. A bit heady; very smooth, quite intensely sweet. Has married well. Pretty hedonistic. Really punches you in the face! Needs an appropriate cheese to rein it in
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Didn't decant and drank over 4 or 5 days. Mintier than I remember at first but it evolved and held very well over the span of days. Still a good bottle.
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UWS (@ JB): Beautiful bouquet with elegant blueberries and blackberries. Same on the palate, beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness. Soft tannin and a good length.
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Deep garnet in color with a purple hue. Nose of Bing cherries and hint of mint. Tastes of dark cherries, dark chocolate, and menthol. Fresh and vibrant. Young with several years of positive evolution. Drink over the next 10+ years.
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In reality it was, but really I just hadn't had this in a long time and wanted to see how it was aging so it gave me a good excuse. Decanted 6 hours. Still a dark ruby that is now starting to lighten. The nose initially had some spirit mixed in with the red plums. An early sip after decanting also showed a lot of protruding spirit. That spirit blew off on both by the time I started drinking this, a good reason why decanting VP, especially younger VP's, is advised. The palate is now at the juncture where it is still showing some young red plums but also starting to show some secondary characteristics of leather, violets, and pronounced menthol on the back of the palate and on the somewhat short finish. The biggest weakness of this is that short finish and a somewhat simplicity on the body. I've seen a wild range of scores on this over the years, including some fairly high ones. While this is a very nice VP I don't see this being a "great" Vesuvio. At 18 years old now it's showing far more advanced than the 1997 and the 2000. IMO this will make a very nice mid-term drinker while you wait for other vintages of Vesuvio to get closer to maturity. I'd guess this will show its best over the next 10 years, as I don't see it getting much better than it is now. 88 Points
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Delightful. A leafy, subtly minty freshness flatters the generous fruit and keeps any hint of cough syrup reigned in. A little bit of heat on the end palate, but it diminishes with air. The wine is harmonious with the level of sweetness and remaining tannin, and begs to take another sip. As a modest vintage, it's in a good place right now.
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Decanted for two hours. Extremely hot up front and a bit thinner than I like. Combination of fig, asphalt, sweet corn, and light brown sugar, but nothing stood out predominantly. Color was great, and the finish was a medium long. Very good bargain for the price. This port should probably be kept in the cellar until 2010 to see how it develops.
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9/10/2023 - cofidis2 Likes this wine: 89 Points
On it's 25th birthday, decided to check in on this one. Still an abnormally dark ruby for a 1998 VP. Youthful dark fruits have not yet started their transition into secondary flavors. Some medium tannins still holding on. Could use a little more in the acidity and complexity departments, but still very enjoyable. A medium finish full of fresh berries and a touch of spirit. 1998 was a tough year and this is one of the better examples from it. There's no rush to drink these, as the fruit is still so young, it just lacks a bit in the complexity department. At 25 yrs old, I'll call this one a medium+ ager. Fun to drink now and perhaps over the next 10-15 yrs. But when that youthful fruit starts fading the complexity will most likely also drop off even more. At that point it will just depend on what profile you like your VP's to have.
89 Points
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12/23/2021 - hahostolze Likes this wine: 91 Points
Third bottle out of three drunk. Very heady, spicy and sweet nose, on licorice and icing sugar, hints of caramelised raisins and bay leaf. Good structure in the mouth, spicy and rich without being biting on the alcohol, tannins are excellent, silky but drying, with again icing sugar very prominent. Some dried fruits, on prunes and apricots, and endless spices. Really fabulous, better than previous bottles. Should last at least two decades.
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8/22/2021 - rwpalmer wrote: 93 Points
Preferred this bottle compared to last July's. Deep, but the nose was fresher with red cherries and a background hint of icing sugar. Palate rich but well integrated. No heat. Very good drinking now.
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1/16/2021 - PortFanatic wrote: 93 Points
Very dark color. Beautiful nose of black cherries, chocolate, and old wood. Big fruity entry and then the acid comes up and support an extremely long citrus finish. Really delicious and hard not to take another sip. The texture is very suave. I do see peeks of substantial, but fine tannins. This is still quite young and powerful. It's easy to drink if you like that powerful style (I do), but I expect that this has many years ahead of it. This is in a good place right now. 93 points
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12/24/2020 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
Don’t have much to add to last note only to say that the aromatics are wonderful, cardamom and mint, and the fruit is dark and still very fresh. Really nice!
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10/17/2020 - theportguy wrote: 92 Points
Quinta do Vesuvio Tasting (Sammamish, Washington): Boysenberry and some blueberry on the nose, underscored by some subtle hints of vanilla extract and light green pepper. Notes of cola and freshly crushed blueberry on the luscious palate. Very long finish. Decanted 6 hours.
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7/18/2020 - rwpalmer wrote: 91 Points
As others have intimated, this wine is drinking well but may have more to give. Very dark with no browning. Almost glossy. Not the most complex nose--mostly blackberry and menthol. Medium-full-bodied. Tannins are a bit four-square. This and the relative lack of complexity exclude it from the top table but it should go many years and provide a lot of pleasure.
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6/24/2020 - BBoulais Likes this wine: 91 Points
drank on St Jean Baptiste 2020! deep and delicious color with brownish rim- Yummmmmy OMG nice rich flavor brown sugar dry fruit just wow- merci Boubou I am sure you had me buy this Port! rest in peace daddy I love you 🥰
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6/3/2020 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
Deep red colour with just a touch of fading at the rim.
Figs on the nose, malty sweet notes, spice, cinnamon and floral lavender notes.
HIghly aromatic on the palate, minty, cedar with north African spices. Touch of chocolate.
On great form. Showing really well and developing nicely. Good to drink now.
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6/2/2020 - vespasian wrote:
Garnet fade at the rim; masculine nose, quite dense fruit still, impressive for the age. Some medicinal complexity. A bit heady; very smooth, quite intensely sweet. Has married well. Pretty hedonistic. Really punches you in the face! Needs an appropriate cheese to rein it in
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8/7/2018 - DollarMenunaire wrote:
Didn't decant and drank over 4 or 5 days. Mintier than I remember at first but it evolved and held very well over the span of days. Still a good bottle.
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2/15/2018 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
UWS (@ JB): Beautiful bouquet with elegant blueberries and blackberries. Same on the palate, beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness. Soft tannin and a good length.
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1/16/2017 - efeldhake@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep garnet in color with a purple hue. Nose of Bing cherries and hint of mint. Tastes of dark cherries, dark chocolate, and menthol. Fresh and vibrant. Young with several years of positive evolution. Drink over the next 10+ years.
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1/4/2017 - cofidis2 Likes this wine: 88 Points
It was a cold and soon to be rainy night....
In reality it was, but really I just hadn't had this in a long time and wanted to see how it was aging so it gave me a good excuse. Decanted 6 hours. Still a dark ruby that is now starting to lighten. The nose initially had some spirit mixed in with the red plums. An early sip after decanting also showed a lot of protruding spirit. That spirit blew off on both by the time I started drinking this, a good reason why decanting VP, especially younger VP's, is advised. The palate is now at the juncture where it is still showing some young red plums but also starting to show some secondary characteristics of leather, violets, and pronounced menthol on the back of the palate and on the somewhat short finish. The biggest weakness of this is that short finish and a somewhat simplicity on the body. I've seen a wild range of scores on this over the years, including some fairly high ones. While this is a very nice VP I don't see this being a "great" Vesuvio. At 18 years old now it's showing far more advanced than the 1997 and the 2000. IMO this will make a very nice mid-term drinker while you wait for other vintages of Vesuvio to get closer to maturity. I'd guess this will show its best over the next 10 years, as I don't see it getting much better than it is now.
88 Points
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12/24/2016 - PortFanatic wrote: 93 Points
Not something to put down 30 years. Enjoy it for the fruit now and over the next 10 years. Better the next day. Excellent!
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4/25/2016 - DollarMenunaire wrote:
Still drinking very well with no sign of decline. Eminently fresh and drinkable. Layered and vigorous.
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7/23/2013 - DollarMenunaire wrote: 92 Points
Delightful. A leafy, subtly minty freshness flatters the generous fruit and keeps any hint of cough syrup reigned in. A little bit of heat on the end palate, but it diminishes with air. The wine is harmonious with the level of sweetness and remaining tannin, and begs to take another sip. As a modest vintage, it's in a good place right now.
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8/22/2010 - ACS Driffield wrote:
(from memory): very good; quite closed and tannic initially, opened out after a couple of hours; should last a lot longer.
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2/6/2008 - jamscreator wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for two hours. Extremely hot up front and a bit thinner than I like. Combination of fig, asphalt, sweet corn, and light brown sugar, but nothing stood out predominantly. Color was great, and the finish was a medium long. Very good bargain for the price. This port should probably be kept in the cellar until 2010 to see how it develops.
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