The 2016 Vintage Port is a field blend originally seen about a week before bottling. It comes in with 104 grams of residual sugar. Not a lot has changed except that it seems even more approachable and much better balanced now. It also seems drier than its statistics would suggest. Tight and intense on first taste, this comes around relatively well with a couple of hours of air on the first day tasted, but it isn't expressive until a couple of days later. The initial firmness moderates to some extent, showcasing a relatively approachable young Port. (That doesn't mean it is ready or close to it.) The concentration seems good enough now, so that the hints of alcohol that I saw in June—and again this time around when this was in its first 90 minutes of aeration—seem under much better control. The balance is just more appealing. It shows beautifully with a couple of days of air. As with all Ports of any quality, this could use some time. This is gripping, but it won't sear your mouth with tannins. You are going to have to cellar it awhile to allow it to acquire more complexity and more harmony, though. This is showing more promise than ever.
by MS, Robert Parker , 2018
Rich and plummy, this wine's lingering fruit is saturated with scents of peonies and flavors of wild blueberries and dried cherries. It's tight and fragrant, with warm spice and bold black juiciness that lasts. Inky, yet still expressive, this has a sense of completeness. Easy to enjoy for its youthful exuberance, it has the stamina to age.
by WS, Wine Spirits , 2018
Juicy, luscious and with excellent ripe fruit, this is a balanced wine with a fine future. Its tannins are almost sweet to match the sweetness of the berry fruits. As it ages, this will be a lovely wine.
by RV, Wine Enthusiast , 2018
Very expressive, this unfurls with mouthwatering licorice snap, fruitcake, apple wood and violet notes, which are quickly followed by a wave of mouthfilling plum, blackberry and fig paste flavors. This is packed but well-defined, and the energy allows the fruit to ripple through the long finish. Built for the long haul, with distinctly dry cut at the end.
by JM, Wine Spectator , 2018