Even though Late-Bottled Vintage was first approved for release in 1955 – by Taylor’s – I still think of it as a relatively late entry into the Port portfolio and one still searching for its niche. This one from the 2018 vintage has a lot of savory notes – barrel wood, nuttiness, hickory nut shells – that adds extra texture as well as flavors to ripe but still maturing dark fruits and with a finish of modest tannins. The six years in mature oak – the max allowed – make it hauntingly like a tawny, more than a ruby Port.
92 Roger Morris
Dow’s, Late-Bottled Vintage Porto (Portugal) 2018 ($30, Premium Port Wines)
By Roger Morris
