1985 Ramos Pinto

Tasting notes for individual Ports, with an index sorted by vintage and alphabetically.
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Tasting notes for individual Ports, with an index sorted by vintage and alphabetically.
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Will W.
Taylor’s LBV
Posts: 183
Joined: 14:33 Thu 11 Aug 2016

1985 Ramos Pinto

Post by Will W. »

Whilst I remain largely unfamiliar with the cultural peculiarities of theportforum.com gatherings, the meeting convened through our computers on 07 April 2020 was positively Dionysian: there was the celebration of wine and, in keeping with the Dionysia, a great deal of comedic theatre. The oddly-named “virtual” tasting – given that all participants were manifestly drinking, a number of us with Bacchanalian fervour – constituted for me the liturgical highlight to date of this ongoing period of virus-induced, State-mandated, social isolation: aside from the most agreeable company, the port which I had selected proved to be rather nice.

As it was poured from the decanter to the glass, the wine had the hue of a pinot noir. However, the concentration in the drinking vessel was quite purple and entirely opaque. The nose belied the age of the port, evincing as it did a certain youth: plums, raspberries and cherry blossoms were clearly in evidence, as was a certain earthiness which complemented rather than overpowered the more complex notes. At the palate, the wine was similarly delightful: honey, cocoa, camomile and a tart rhubarb were discernible on the fore-palate; these gave way to pears as well as a lingering astringency at the mid-point; soft tannins made their appearance only at the back. As for the finish, it took a moment to find its feet before offering as it did a gentle warmth of notable length.

Ramos Pinto vintage ports from the 1980s and indeed other decades can be relied upon to deliver consistent quality in an understated manner and this bottle proved to be no exception to this rule. It was relatively dry, in keeping with the Ramos Pinto style, though perfectly balanced; it goes down nicely at the moment after a five-hour decant. Looking ahead, the 1985 Ramos Pinto vintage port should peak within the next decade and might be expected to drink wonderfully thereafter for another decennium.

-91 points
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