According to the esteemed J.D.A. Wiseman in his totemic Port Vintages: The Chronicle of Vintage Ports, from the Beginning, this Berry Brothers & Rudd bottling could be acquired from that wine merchant in May 1974 for the princely price of GBP 3 per bottle – about GBP 47 today, according to the Bank of England. The same vintage will now set one back well in excess of GBP 130 per bottle if purchased retail in the United Kingdom. Clearly, securing 1970 Rebello Valente vintage port in 1974 would have made a good investment if one was not too fussy about the quality of this somewhat pedestrian wine.
The 1970 Rebello Valente which informs this tasting note was consumed on 09 November 2019. In the glass, the port evinced an unusual combination of chestnut infused with cherry and pink hues. The rim was clear. Whilst a touch cloudy, the unusual appearance of the wine was not hard on the eye. However, the nose came as something of a disappointment after seven hours in the decanter – which was clearly too long - being as it was rather faint; with some effort, one could discern hints of wood, smoke, cherry, nutmeg and ginger. The said cherry hit the palate on entry, giving way to marzipan midway through. The overall effect was pleasing to the mouth, albeit not indicative of any great complexity. Likewise, the medium-length finish posed no challenge to the senses; it was nonetheless warming and agreeable. The wine's considerable sweetness and sharp acidity complemented one another well although, taken together, the nose and the mouth pointed to a vintage port which has passed its peak. Those with bottles in the cellar might afford thought to drinking them in the near term.
-88 points