1997 Warre's Vintage Port

[Lamont Huxley]

This is a vibrant looking port, dark plummy purple in color - still very young in appearance. The nose is still tightly closed only giving a general impression of dark berry fruit, and by the second day in the decanter a bit of a violety note, but it was hard to get a lot out of - it definitely needs some more time in bottle to blossom. On the palate it's a whole different story - it is overflowing with ripe, juicy black cherry fruit that gushes over the tongue, backed by big mouthwatering acidity and a wave of pepper and spices. The tannins are boldly structured, but still overpowered by the lushness of the fruit at this point. The finish is long and persistent. Having recently sampled the bookends of this Warre's vintage, the 94 and 00 respectively, I can say that the 97 is definitely of a different breed. Whereas the 94 and 00 both showcase a more dried fruit profile, prune, raisin, etc., and a soft and silky texture, the 97 is ripe, juicy, and has a much more tightly wound, heavyweight kind of structure. This is definitely a wine built to age for the long haul and one that I probably wouldn't venture to open again for at least another decade, if not longer. Excellent. 95pts, Tasted 3/08