Decanting
Vintage Port forms a natural deposit in the bottle and should be decanted. Stand the bottle upright a few hours before decanting to allow the sediment to fall to the bottom of the bottle.
Select Year
1988
Storage
Continues to improve for decades after bottling. The bottle should be kept lain down in a cool place, ideally at a temperature below 16ºC.
Serving temperature
Serve at 16ºC to 18ºC. Vintage Port is best drunk one to two days after opening.
Pairing suggestions
Walnuts, blue veined and other richly flavoured cheeses are excellent accompaniments to Vintage Port; so too are dried fruits such as apricots or figs.
About the Wine
The 1988 vintage was preceded by a dry winter and an unusually wet spring. The heavy rainfall affected the berry-set in many areas of the Douro, producing a relatively limited yield.
However, the critical ripening months of July and August were warm and dry and the crop, although small, was in extremely good condition when picking started in mid-September.
Notes written at Terra Feita at the time of harvest report that the grapes were well ripened and rich in sugar, producing wine of excellent concentration and depth of colour.
Tasting Notes
Good deep core, ruby red rim. Attractive mature fruit, prune, date, plum jam, floral dimension. Complex. Rich spicy palate with lingering ripe cherry on the finish.
Wine Challenge 2003