August 15, 2019 - Quite the round and in a way "safe" port. Light and silky, balance of fruit and spirit-ness. Maybe a touch too easy going and even straight from the start was super welcoming almost instantly jumping to life. Very good port just lacked a bit of excitement. 90
July 27, 2017 - Domaine Stéphane Ogier: Fine Wine Dinner (Berry Bros & Rudd, London): A pretty and solid port, "light" in a way welcoming and full of charm. Silky in a way for a port and definitely has an easygoing side a touch savory, good red fruited core too. Will not disappoint. solid 90
January 29, 2017 - Bright red colour, browning, yellow rim
Fresh red fruit, cloves, touch of tobacco
Very sweet fresh red fruit, spicy, some woody notes
Tobacco on the finish, hint of walnuts, mellow finish
Initially found this a bit disappointing, doesn't have the sheer oxidative power of some old tawnies but the fruit is gorgeous. Almost more like an old vintage than a tawny. Great stuff.
August 15, 2015 - Ruby red, rather than tawny. Fresh red berry fruit, fruit forward, easy drinking but lacks complexity. Very pleasant.
December 26, 2014 - A 2002 bottling which had thrown sufficient sediment to make it necessary to decant.
A slightly reddish browning tan colour. Attractive, but not particularly enthralling nose. Rich, nutty fruitcake with some dark plums, chocolate and a hint of gingery spice. A touch of high-toned furniture polish too.
Lovely attractive, intriguing palate. Immediately you get savoury notes, with some sweetness behind. Rich, silky-creamy texture. Rich fruit cake-plum pudding fruit characters. Chocolate coated plums on the finish. Very balanced. Exceptional length.
October 30, 2014 - nose - sloes, polish, fruit
sweet but not too
lots of fruit ,oranges etc.
some nuts
oddly lacks length
I kept on waiting for the finish to kick in but it didn't
off bottle?
March 30, 2014 - Notes very sketchy after a long and enjoyable tasting of wines from Portugal. This was served cellar cool because we'd drunk everything above ground! Dark coffee colour, nose is nutty and raisiny, some heat on nose. Palate lovely sweet raisiny fruit. From memory, very nice....
March 8, 2014 - WSET Level 3 Course - Berry Brothers & Rudd; 1/25/2014-3/22/2014 (Berry Brothers & Rudd - Basingstoke): Appearance: clear, medium tawny with an orange rim; clear legs.
Nose: clean, medium(+) intensity, fully developed, red fruits, dried fruits, nuts, alcohol, toffee, caramel, glacé cherry.
Palate: Sweet, medium(-) acidity, low tannins, full body(viscosity), pronounced intensity flavours, long finish, high level of alcohol for a fortified wine (21.0%), sweet red fruit, dried fruit, nuts, marzipan, Xmas cake.
Overall: Good balanced – bit alcoholic; long finish; intense; complex.
Conclusion: VERY GOOD; drink now – not suitable for ageing; PREMIUM priced (£26.95)
January 17, 2014 - WSET Level 3; 1/13/2014-1/17/2014 (WSET School, London): Pronounced nose of coffee, orange oils, orange skin, nut.
Supple in the mouth with notes of toast, caramel, chocolate, cherry, honey, toffee.
Outstanding.
November 25, 2013 - Skeels BBQ - value wine night: Same as previous notes. From a new bottle, hence the loss of a point. This seems to taste best from the fridge but having been open for a few days already (becomes better balanced with less noticable alcohol and acidity)