The 1980 Late Bottled Vintage Port was bottled in April of 1984. It is a blend of 70% Tinta Barroca, 10% Touriga Franca and a field blend for the rest. It comes in at 92 grams per liter of residual sugar. Elegant in the mid-palate and showing mature fruit, it is otherwise impressive for its youthful vibrancy. Head winemaker Jo?o Nicolau de Almeida said that "1980 was a Vintage year but not a 'Top Vintage.' Globally speaking, that year started very well, extremely fruity and aromatic despite a not so strong structure." It is hardly the most powerful LBV in this lineup, but it has more than adequate structure, particularly for its age, and it has held very well. However, the reason this is so fine is the decadent, mature flavors that often seem to be one step from a tawny. Bright, sweet on first attack and velvety in texture. it finishes with bursts of rich flavor, caramel and a hint of molasses. Complexity is often the dividend you are paid when wines are held until they have aged gracefully. The tannins were subdued on opening, but it became far more vibrant with aeration. Combining the aromatics with the intensity of flavor, complexity and good structure – well, this is pretty wonderful. With aeration, it fleshes out nicely, too. It actually seemed bigger on Day 3 than on Day 1 and it drank beautifully over several days. It certainly has plenty of life left. I like to be conservative in end-date drinking windows, but this delicious LBV seems more likely to exceed the limits than disappoint – assuming good storage and a good cork, of course.
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