Osborne Tawny 10 Year Old

Osborne Tawny 10 Year Old

Clear red colour with a hint of brown and old fruits on the nose. This had a lovely sweet taste from the fruits with a good woody bite.

Ramos Pinto Vinho Quinado

Ramos Pinto Vinho Quinado

I had wanted to try this having seen the empty bottles on display at the Ramos Pinto caves in Vila Nova de Gaia so I was pleased to see a bottle on sale. Judging by the deposit it had thrown it had been in the shop for quite a while so probably it wasn't in the condition that Ramos Pinto intended.

It's appearance was a deep but slightly cloudy red. There wasn't a lot on the nose. Drinking it reminded me of other medicated fortified wines like dubonnet and red martini. It was drinkable but not distinctly port like to my taste and there was a whole litre of the stuff to get through.

Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas Vintage 1984

Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas Vintage 1984

There was a rich ruby colour with just a hint of oxidation. The nose was rich with plummy fruit scents. This port was impressive delivering a huge and rich fruity mouthful. After 26 years in the bottle it combined a soft edge with fresh berry flavours and had no harshness at all.

When you chance across a bottle like this it quite restores your faith in what vintage can deliver. It was right at its peak and therefore thoroughly enjoyable.

Dow's Tawny 10 Year Old

Dow's Tawny 10 Year Old

The clear reddish brown colour was matched with old dried fruit and wood on the nose. The overall impression was of a competent mixture combining sweetness from the fruit with oak contributions. There was a bit of a harsh bite and not much depth.