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
1996
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 viticulutural season began with a very wet winter. January and February were colder than normal resulting in a late bud burst. Cool, wet conditions continued until just prior to flowering on 25th May.
Flowering took place in hot weather and, when combined with the large number of inflorescences at bud burst, resulted in the largest potential yields since 1900.
There was a considerable amount of rainfall in September which caused many people to start picking. However, strong winds and hot weather followed (between the 27-30th September), which dried out the bunches and allowed the grapes to ripen fully.
This was reflected in a marked improvement in all ports produced from 29th September onwards.
Tasting Notes
Deep ruby, fading to brick on the rim. Rich clean nose, with dense dark cherry and Victoria plum aromas. A round, velvety textured wine with fine plump fruit, power and grip. Surprisingly youthful and fresh still.
Jancis Robinson, Financial Times