1969 Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port

[Glenn E.]

From the 2012 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament tasting in NYC.

Color: on the slightly darker end of the "looks like Port" spectrum provided by the also-rans in this lineup. Good color, but not terribly notable.

Nose: violets and sweet cherry. Possibly a hint of wintergreen, but that's also possibly just a carryover from the '67.

Palate: nicely balanced. Good mouth feel. Not as sweet as the earlier Ports from the 60s, but that is very much a good thing. Improved with air time, and by the end I could almost detect some Christmas spices. The tannins and acidity here were not as nicely balanced as in the T70, but I think that might actually improve with more time. Maybe another 5 years to peak?

Score: 93 points. The best of the rest for me. Clearly not on par with the '70 or '94, but at the top of the rest of the pile by a slim margin over the '68 so I voted it 3rd on the night.