WINE ADVOCATE - 97 POINTS The 2017 Vintage Port is a field blend, mostly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão and Sousão, aged for 18 months in old wood vats. It comes in with 99 grams of residual sugar. This was bottled in May 2019, about a month before tasting, but I made sure at least some of it had a lot of air. Aromatic, wonderfully fragrant and laced with eucalyptus, this then shows typical Noval focus and power. A couple of hours in a glass simply increased the power. More intense than the very fine 2016, it grips the palate and shows rather significant astringency. As wonderfully aromatic as this is, there the 2016 might have the edge.
Too closed and muscular once past the aromatics, this rather dry Port needs some time. It is harder to read than the 2016 was, but this should overtake it in time. Have some patience with this one.
Remember that with tawnies, they are best drunk a little cool. Most producers recommend 58 degrees to 62 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, the end-date drinking windows are just placeholders. I don't pay much attention to them and neither should you. Old Tawnies don't die easily, barring cork failures, and as they sit longer and longer in barrel, they become more and more resistant. End-date drinking windows are just advisories that mean "a very long time." They aren't really meant to be aged, though. They are ready on release.
Too closed and muscular once past the aromatics, this rather dry Port needs some time. It is harder to read than the 2016 was, but this should overtake it in time. Have some patience with this one.
Remember that with tawnies, they are best drunk a little cool. Most producers recommend 58 degrees to 62 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, the end-date drinking windows are just placeholders. I don't pay much attention to them and neither should you. Old Tawnies don't die easily, barring cork failures, and as they sit longer and longer in barrel, they become more and more resistant. End-date drinking windows are just advisories that mean "a very long time." They aren't really meant to be aged, though. They are ready on release.
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