Beautiful pale, crystalline lemon color, just a slight spritz initially. Broad yet precise nose, flinty, slightly oily, faint citrus. Very light on the palate, almost delicate, with fading acidity, stone fruits and a citrus undertone that keeps this lively. Short. Overall a pleasingly clean and refreshing Kabinett, both chilled and as it warmed to room temperature, probably a bit short on depth and vinous structure for some palates.

Very cloudy with loads of sediment due to having travelled that day. Cranberry-violet color, medium depth. Bit of alcohol on the nose, surprisingly forward oak, touch of soy, cranberry. More rich fruit on the palate, cranberry and boysenberry, sweet but not heavy, just a touch of heat. Shortish. I'd be inclined to drink sooner, the acidity seemed to be fading. This was a pleasure to drink, not scored as it may have shown even better with more time to settle and a bit more air. 13.5% abv

Pure ruby-cerise color. Beautiful nose showing an array of bright fruits and pepper. Less depth on the palate as the heat comes through more than I like. Medium length. Not scored; a fan of the style would appreciate this even more than I do, but this still was a treat to drink. 15.6% abv

Oporto bottled, lovely brown glass bottle, fill into neck. 8 hours in open bottle, then 3 hours in decanter. Incredibly youthful ruby color in the decanter, medium depth. With time in the glass, this shed much of its fumy alcohol, revealing beautiful bright red fruit. Amazingly primary. The fruit still has the upper hand on the palate, with undertones of cinnamon and prune the only signs of maturity. Lightly lingering sweet and balanced finish. This just lacks a bit of depth, or it would rival the best Ports I have tasted.

This vintage DP just never works for me. The usual smoke and yeast are there, but vigor and freshness are lacking.

Rich yellow gold color. Nose of baking bread, flint, white raisin. Shaded more to ripe (but not oxidized) apple on the palate, with a fascinating peppery component. Fine acidity, well balanced, long saline finish. I like the complexity here.

Slightly cloudy. Citrus nose, growing broader and less taught on the palate. More citrus and striking acidity through the finish. Very young, not scored.

Very light lemon color, crystalline clarity. Primarily grassy on the nose, not giving much on the palate. This needs lots more time to soften and open up, but I sense it will be worth the wait. Not scored.

Deep yellow gold color. Lovely fruit and floral aromas are somewhat masked by an oily note. On the palate, the oiliness fades and this shows excellent balance and length. Certainly very young and likely to give more in time, although I couldn't swear this has the depth for very long aging. Not scored.

Deep, clear cherry-garnet color. I love the generosity here, the fascinating notes of clove, and the velvet mouthfeel. A vegetal side emerges quickly and limits the pleasure a bit, but overall this is quite nice and showing well in tough company. Not a producer I get to see very often.

Deep, pure cherry color. A bit muted on the nose, on the dusty mineral side. But on the palate, supremely elegant, very feminine and graceful. Just a touch of heat along with the red berry notes that glide across the palate and linger through the finish. A bit more air might have helped this, but still a great wine.

Ugh, this bottle is completely muted, dead, cooked. Sorry José.

Consumed blind alongside the original disgorgement of this same vintage. Very pale, crystalline color. More lively and fresh in profile than the original release. Superb complexity, lots of citrus and stone fruits, notably lighter on smoke, musk, and brioche notes than the original disgorgement. Given the freshness here, I don't doubt there will be a P3 release of the 1998 in another 6 or 8 years. A style I enjoy very much, though not necessarily worth its price premium over the original release.

Consumed blind alongside the P2 release of the same vintage. Notably more evolved, deeper color than the P2. This release shows a certain breadth and depth that contrast with the lively freshness of the P2, though at the same time this is clearly more simple and traditional in profile, smoky and musky. Perhaps a shade below the P2 overall, but still a nice surprise for me.

Second time tasting this wine, second time it is very near perfection, standing out even in a lineup of great Unicos. Crazy youthful color, appealing nose that draws you in, perfect balance, terrific length.

Same youthful garnet color as the other Unicos in the lineup, though shaded more toward chocolate than cherry. Comparatively a bit shy, soft, lacking structure. Still giving great pleasure because of its elegance and soft mouthfeel, but I suspect a slight problem with this bottle as it is so far below expectations. Not scored.

Probably the lightest of the Unicos today, not quite up to its previous showing, but so generous and elegant. Seemingly closer to its peak than the others, but no hurry. For its quality and price, probably the "value" vintage in this lineup.

Consumed blind alongside several old Unicos. Cloudy but deep color, a surprisingly young shade of violet. Lovely balance, still packing fruit, though its earthy, tobacoo, and barnyard notes gave it away as the ringer in this lineup. This faded relatively quickly in the glass compared to the Unicos. One of the really pleasant surprises of this weekend.

Plainly showing its lineage with the other Unicos today, just a shade more oxidative but overall a nice showing.

Mildly corked, not noticed upon opening but growing worse with air. What little could be discerned beneath the TCA seemed very promising.

Consumed blind as a ringer alongside a lineup of Unicos. Youthful garnet-cherry color virtually identical to the Unicos. Similar elegant mouthfeel, superb balance, fine fruits and silky tannins. Yet the nuances of tobacco and exotic spices, and the lack of caramelized oxidative notes, made it easy for everyone to spot this as the ringer. Great wine, its similarities and contrasts helped to highlight, at least for me, some of the qualities of the Unicos.

Second time tasting this vintage Unico, once again a superb showing. This could easily rival the 1960 one day, as it only lacks the refined beauty that will come with age. It's already showing all the qualities of the great Unicos: elegance without thinness, impeccable balance, caramel and Port reduction notes from long wood aging but without excessive oxidation, deep yet bright fruit, tobacco and methol notes, perfect tannins and acidity for pairing with a variety of great dishes. I'll drink the 1991 now with great pleasure, and will still be enjoying it in 20 years with my grandson.

Light honey color, creamy mousse. Fine complexity on the nose, with notes of orange, apple, Port reduction, and vermouth spices. Excellent acidity, terrific length. Superb bottle, to sip or drink with great food.

Pale honey, almost onion skin color. A bit shy on the nose, with orange rind and a faint volatile note that put me off a bit. Rich and mouthfilling, perhaps a touch of heat, and again seeming a bit shy. Not sure if this needs more age or just more time in the glass, wish I had more time with this one. Not scored. 13.5% abv

Quite light in color. Pretty nose, floral, vanilla. Elegant on the palate, more floral notes, fine balance, with a touch of persistent heat through the long finish. 14.5% abv

My second time tasting this wine, again an interesting experience although I think my senile palate just doesn't get this. Notes of mint, motor oil, VA, just not in my kitchen when it comes to Chardonnay. Not scored. 13.8% abv

Looking very youthful, with a deep and bright color in the glass. Plenty of dark fruits and sweet tobacco on the nose and palate, with lovely exotic spice and less lovely barnyard notes. Excellent structure, shortish. Mouton tends to disappoint me, this one was a beautiful surprise. 12.5% abv

Remarkably youthful in the glass, deep cherry color. A bit shy on the nose, but showing mineral, mint and smoky notes. This becomes completely captivating on the palate, perfectly balanced, velvety mouthfeel, very persistent red berries through a long finish. Fine structure, an excellent wine for great food. 12.5% abv