Inky dark purple with prune, ripe sweet plum, and rose petal at the edges.
Palate--First impression is you have a mouth full of VELVET! It is so thick and supple with lovely port intensity of sweet berry pie, aith prune notes. It is well made, balanced, delicious.
Port is a wonderful "fortified" dessert wine meaning the fermentation is stopped before all the sugar is turned to alcohol (hence the sweetness). Fermentation is stopped by adding a high alcohol liquor (usually brandy) which kills the yeast leaving the residual sugars to dance on your palate and also makes the wine higher in alcohol than normal read wine.
Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port is not to be confused with "Vintage Port." These have two vastly different processes and two vastly different wines with two vastly different price points! Vintage ports need to age for YEARS to be fully enjoyed; some can improve for 40, 50 years or more whereas LBV is as good as it is going to get when it is released.
Vintage port can run from $50 on release to the hundreds for an aged one. Is it worth the difference? YES!
For the modest of income LBV is a great way to experience the wonders of Port wine without going broke.
Drink by itself; serve it with dark chocolate for a heavenly experience or strawberries, and whipped cream. Raise a glass!
Great review!
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