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Decanted very clean. A delightful clear mid-garnet, a really good-looking wine.

+ 1 hr

Pale rim. Very faint nose. A little mint and red fruit.

Front palate of Werthers Original, then some tinned strawberries, a bit of heat after.

Pleasant, mildly spicy and peppery (also hint of red bell pepper), but fairly short finish.

Not very exciting at this point. Will leave until tomorrow to see if anything emerges.

+ 18 hrs

Much improved. Nose more lightweight-port-like, a touch more garrigue and white pepper.

Classical mature port rose-hip front palate. A bit of plum and molasses towards the spicy finish, all rather longer and more congruent than yesterday evening. This is really quite decent now, a very pleasant minor port.

It's sufficiently good I wouldn't be able to identify it as an 'off' vintage blind, I'd probably have it down as a 1980 from a Portuguese house. On this showing it's ready to go but will drink well until its fortieth birthday.

I've only had one other '84 that I recall, and that in about 2005, but this is rather better than my recollection of that one.