March 9, 2024 - A basket full of fruit, very good citrus, smooth, very good balance between the citrus and the sweetness from start to finish.
February 3, 2024 - Clearly a step up from the regular ruby port from Dow. Outstanding QPR. Held up well over 2 weeks at 55-60F and was drunk over that two weeks.
January 24, 2024 - Deep ruby color. Med(+) aromas of raisin, prune, black cherry, violet, a bit of white chocolate. Sweet, med, chalky tannins, high alcohol, med acidity, med finish. Balanced and well made if not complex. Not supposed to age but wouldn’t be surprised if this does.
November 26, 2023 - Paired excellently with St. S. blue cheese. Let the others age for a while.
November 21, 2023 - A real bargain. Impressive complexity at this price point. Dark berry, plum, spices, soot/smoke. Proper amount of sweetness.
November 15, 2023 - Such an amazing value, I agree with the drunken cyclist and alll the other believers!!
June 25, 2023 - Tasted June 25 based according to notes and also pretty sure I tasted this wine on Cathay flight back to HK.
June 25 wine as a deep ruby in glass. Med+ nose of blackberry, cooked black plum, caramel & licorice, leather. Savory.
Palate was off dry, med+ acidity, high, ripe & round tannins, med alc, med body, med+ flavor intensity med+ finish.
Very, very good wine. Can drink now or age further.
June 10, 2023 - Over three days.
The intriguing bouquet offers purple fruits and flowers, unsweetened chocolate, herbs, graphite, coal, ores, and smoke.
Compact and precise, featuring piercing energy, particularly riding mineral ore veins. Medium plus acid and stalwart tannins provide roundness at the middle and back. Graceful, long-lingering finish.
It showed best on the second day. Drink or hold.
January 20, 2023 - Complex, young with aging potential but savory, enjoyable, fun to dissect palate teasers, AND priced to please (may have to destock local P*blix). Obrigado.
January 15, 2023 - My third port, after a basic Kopke Ruby and a 2002 Warre's LBV. Wanted to try a younger LBV before my first vintage port. And I'm glad I did!
This was definitely my favorite of my first 3- less complex than the Warre's for sure, but I didn't love the oxidative tones in that too much, and this was realllllly lovely for $30, especially considering that I don't generally have a sweet tooth.
Lots of beautiful fruit on the nose, dense and ripe but quite "precise", a fairly pure expression of blueberry/blackberry liqueur, plus touches of black licorice and even something a little "cool", not quite menthol but a little piney and earthy, very faint. Pretty much the same on the palate, sweet and warming, and also balanced and elegant. We enjoyed it over the course of several days, and it didn't change too much. Felt a lot like enjoying a spirit in that way. I'm not chomping at the bit to buy more young LBV's yet, but I'll try a couple more for sure.