Stood the bottle up early in the day. Around 5 p.m. we tonged the bottle. This was a bit of an effort as the odd bottle shape makes it hard to get a good contact grasp with the tongs. Here's a picture from Sean for explanation:
Up to the wax, the bottle is too wide for the tongs. Above the bottom edge of the wax, the quick taper makes the tongs slide up. I had scraped the wax off, and perhaps if I had left it on I could have avoided the sliding (with what loss in heat transfer?) Anyway, on the third try, I twisted the tongs and this made better contact, and a few ice cubes caused the tell-tale crack. As we thought would be the case, the crack was actually in the middle of the cork, not below it, but I managed to take the top off with the cork intact. The cork was in much better shape than I expected. Poured into a decanter for consumption some time between 7 and 8. I took a sip at this time and it seemed pleasant with no off aromas or harsh alcohols.
Color definitely showed signs of aging. It wasn't pure tawny, but more so than the 1996 Quevedo Colheita I opened the previous week. Aroma also indicated some tawny character. In the mouth there was still some faint fruit, perhaps dried strawberry, and plenty of the sugary flavors I associate with tawny. It was quite nice, but not overly layered or complex, with a decent finish. I would definitely drink these up, as I don't think they are going to get better.
89 points.
