NV S. Leonardo 30 Year Old Tawny Port
Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 9:28 pm
I've had this bottle for a while, so I'm not sure where it came from. It's possible that it's one I received in trade from David Spriggs a while back. It's not from the group order - those are stored in a different place which is part of why I'm not entirely sure where this one came from. I've been drinking this over several days (today is day 6) and this is a combined note.
S. Leonardo 30-yr old Tawny Port
bottled 2009
Color: Medium dark tawny. Fades through orange to a yellow/tan at the rim.
Nose: Caramel, vanilla, something like cardamom but not that strong, processed sugar - like confectioner's sugar or a Lik-a-Stix. Some tangy dried fruits provide the backbone. Some sort of faint aromatic wood... it's not really sandalwood or cedar, but in that vein.
Palate: Full bodied with a very smooth and creamy texture. That texture is practically a signature of S. Leonardo tawnies. Rich and sugary with powerful acidity to keep it in balance. Faint coffee overtones over a tangy dried apricot and dried mandarin orange base. Very faint raisin and very faint sweet tangerine hide in the background. Some Christmas spices, but without the sweeter notes like cinnamon, clove, and allspice. The fullness and texture have improved gradually over time, making this one Tawny Port that I would recommend decanting for a day or three if you have time to do so.
Finish: Echoes of the palate fade slowly over ~20 seconds into a somewhat dry finish with a tropical fruit and apple skin tail. Total effect is very long - easily a minute or more.
Score: 94 points. It started out merely excellent, but has improved over time. I debated going a point higher as it's easily in that range now, but have to keep in mind that most people would never let a bottle like this last for a week so would not have gotten to this point.
S. Leonardo 30-yr old Tawny Port
bottled 2009
Color: Medium dark tawny. Fades through orange to a yellow/tan at the rim.
Nose: Caramel, vanilla, something like cardamom but not that strong, processed sugar - like confectioner's sugar or a Lik-a-Stix. Some tangy dried fruits provide the backbone. Some sort of faint aromatic wood... it's not really sandalwood or cedar, but in that vein.
Palate: Full bodied with a very smooth and creamy texture. That texture is practically a signature of S. Leonardo tawnies. Rich and sugary with powerful acidity to keep it in balance. Faint coffee overtones over a tangy dried apricot and dried mandarin orange base. Very faint raisin and very faint sweet tangerine hide in the background. Some Christmas spices, but without the sweeter notes like cinnamon, clove, and allspice. The fullness and texture have improved gradually over time, making this one Tawny Port that I would recommend decanting for a day or three if you have time to do so.
Finish: Echoes of the palate fade slowly over ~20 seconds into a somewhat dry finish with a tropical fruit and apple skin tail. Total effect is very long - easily a minute or more.
Score: 94 points. It started out merely excellent, but has improved over time. I debated going a point higher as it's easily in that range now, but have to keep in mind that most people would never let a bottle like this last for a week so would not have gotten to this point.