1983 Covelos

[Will W.]

The 1983 Quinta de Covelos vintage port was produced by Jose Carlos de Morais C. Cruz & Co. Lda – a maker of inexpensive still wines in Canelas, a hamlet situated several kilometres to the east of Peso de Regua. The firm was set up in 1979 and, as far as can be determined, it has only ever bottled the one vintage port. ‘Tis a good thing, because the contents of this bottle, consumed on 02 June 2020, offered all the drinking pleasure of a liquified packet of Fisherman’s Friend extra strong throat lozenges.

The bottle was well corked; and, upon decanting, pleasing notes of crème brulee filled the air. After four hours in the decanter, the wine had the appearance of reddish tea, more redolent of Ferreira’s twenty-year-old Duque de Braganca tawny than a vintage port. Fair enough. The first signs of serious trouble came at the nose: the crème brulee had been replaced by citrus and spice notes, cut with the barest hint of caramel, which were together suggestive of a nineteenth century elixir of the sort sold by hucksters from the back of covered wagons on the American frontier. The sensations on the mouth complemented perfectly the nose, the aguardiente – for there was certainly no fruit in evidence – being coupled only with a hint of low-grade honey, the production cost of which likely exceeded that of the spirits. I was reminded of a 1999 Castelinho, consumed last year, which Her Ladyship had characterised correctly as suitable only for consumption at the front during the grimmest phase of the battle for Stalingrad.

In fairness to the producer, this may have been a duff bottle. Here, I note an altogether more favourable review of this wine published late last year by our port brethren in northern Europe (https://www.vintageport.se/house/QuintaCovelos.php). Alas, I shall leave it to a more adventurous soul than myself to break this oenological impasse.

-Not Rated