CRITIC REVIEWS
Stephen Tanzer
Fresh nose combines black and red fruits. Intensely flavored and moderately sweet; the color of ruby but shows a tawny port-like smoothness and pliancy in the mouth. Wears its alcohol gracefully. Finishes slightly dry, with hints of almond and hazelnut. Showed a dill note with aeration.
Mark Squires
The NV Special Reserve Port is a blend of typical regional grapes bottled in October 2018 after up to three years in used wood. It comes in with 105 grams per liter of residual sugar and a bar-top cork. This comes in with fine solidity in the mid-palate, but not a feeling of precision or focus. That may be because this is smooth and round, although it is supported by underlying tannins. More importantly, it delivers the complexity that Charles Symington mentioned. The overall impression here is of a serious Reserve, clearly lacking the power of Vintage Port but having some useful echoes in other areas. It is very well priced too.
JancisRobinson.com
Full bottle 1,223 g. Plum-pudding and pum-jam fruity and freshly, fragrantly peppery. Liquorice. Sweet but exuberantly fresh. Easy and full of friendly warmth. Food friendly. Gorgeous with Christmas mince pies drenched in brandy cream! But also rather good with a cherry cheesecake and given a firm chill in the fresh, surprisingly good with slices of cold smoked duck and cranberry jelly. GV (TC)