Wine Reviews

A bird of a different feather, this sports a range of date, mulled plum and persimmon fruit flavors that are curvaceous in feel, allied to a racy green tea and hazelnut spine. Picks up singed white sesame, walnut husk, alder smoke and sandalwood along the way. Reveals terrific tension between the viscous and nervy sides from start to finish.

It opens with a praline, pine pitch, and fig bouquet with hints of honeycomb and orange zest. On the palate, this wine is full bodied with medium acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced and smooth. The flavor profile is walnut and honey blend with notes of orange and pecans. We also detected hints of vanilla. The finish is dry, and its flavors are nicely extended.

The aromas here show a half a century old elixir of a port with dried fruits such as sultanas and figs with toffee, caramel and old wood. Burnt orange, too. Yet it’s subtle and not overpowering or lifted. Full-bodied, very sweet with so much salted caramel and dried fruits on the palate and there’s a fruity undertone to it. I like how it’s not volatile or rancio and very clean. Drink now.

The NV 50 Year Old Tawny Port is a field blend bottled with a bar-top cork in 2022 and with 158 grams of residual sugar. Mature, with dark chocolate nuances, this is rich, deep and sensationally delicious. The concentration is exceptional too. Then, there’s the long, long finish, filled with fruit and sugar. It is irresistible, in addition to being nuanced and complex. It’s young enough so that it is never just a curiosity. The fruit is certainly not cracking.