Pale lime green color. A bit restrained and tangy nose with aromas of ripe apple, some white pear character, a little bit of white flowers, light saline and slightly stony minerality, a hint of lemon zest and a touch of waxy character. The wine feels medium-bodied, stony and very slightly waxy on the palate with flavors of stony minerality, lemony citrus fruits, ripe yellow apple, a little bit of spice and a tangy hint of salinity. The wine is moderately high in acidity. The finish is fresh, lively and focused with long and vibrant flavors of citrus fruits, tart green apples, some lemon zest, a little bit of stony minerality and a slightest touch of saline tang. The aftertaste is juicy and succulent, yet sharp and precise at the same time.
A very poised and sophisticated white wine that reminds me of a Muscadet or perhaps a Picpoul de Pinet quite a bit - only with a bit more richness, body and ripeness along with some sense of waxy character. This is very lovely and youthful - considering that the wine is 7 years old and doesn’t show any developed notes whatsoever, you might call it even a bit backward - showing good potential for further cellaring. In a sense this is a rather neutral and stripped-down wine, but behind its seemingly simple facade it is in its own way a very characterful and even somewhat substantial wine. Not a big and “impressive” wine by any means, but a very lovely wine nevertheless. Good value at 15,90€ and definitely a wine you’ll want to stash away a caseful. (91 pts.)
Pretty translucent, youthful ruby color with almost colorless, pale pink rim. Youthful, vibrant nose with aromas of fresh raspberries, wild strawberries, some iron-like aromas of blood, a little bit of ink, a hint of tar and a touch of sappy greenness. The wine is light-to-medium-bodied and very crunchy on the palate with dry and savory flavors of sour cherries, tart lingonberries, some red currants, a little bit of gravelly earth and a hint of fuzzy, spicy character. The acidity feels high, whereas the wine initially feels rather modest with its tannins. However, these tannins just keep piling and it takes a moment to realize that this wine is actually more tannic that it appears at first. The finish is long, crunchy and savory with some inky notes, tart lingonberry-driven red fruits along with lighter hints of crowberries and redcurrants with a light iron touch of gamey blood.
A wonderful, crunchy and practically bone-dry red wine with tremendous focus, rather lithe body and incredibly youthful, crunchy fruit. Stylistically the wine feels very backward, as it doesn’t show any developed character at all and it is already 14 years old at the time of tasting! If one were to look for a similarly styled wine, I’d say cooler-climate Nebbiolo would be pretty close. This wine seemed very similar to the delicate, tart and focused Nebbiolos of Carema, not only because of its pale color and tannic, acid-driven structure, but also because of its aromas and flavors. Based on how slowly these wines seem to age, I’d wager this wine will drink beautifully at least for the next 50 years and it still feels too primary and tightly-knit to be opened now. Terrific value at 15,90€. (89 pts.)
Translucent, slightly developed dark cherry color with a mahogany hue. Somewhat developed nose with aromas of tar and some smoke, even some tar-flavored soft candies (this is a Finnish thing), a bit of aged Nebbiolo character (sour cherries, tar, dried roses and all that jazz), a hint of wizened dark cherries and a touch of syrupy sweetness. The wine is smooth, medium-bodied and somewhat developed on the palate with flavors of ripe and slightly dried sour cherries, some blood, a little bit of tar, a hint of developed, earthy spice character and a touch of savory beef jerky. Overall the wine feels high in acidity with tannins that feel rather mellow at first, but pile up slowly and turn out to be rather ample and grippy. There is some sense of ripeness and weight to the wine, even though it is practically bone-dry and rather tangy. The finish is long, grippy and complex with flavors of blood, meaty umami, some savory beef jerky character and even a developed touch of soy sauce along with tart fruit flavors of lingonberries, cranberries and a bit of sour cherry bitterness, hints of tar and a touch of dry, sandy soil. Although the wine feels somewhat developed, it still feels unresolved and tight like a violin string.
A very lovely, slightly aged Colares that is in a beautiful phase right now: the wine has started to exhibit some developed character already, but it still retains some remnants of the primary fruit, giving it a lovely interplay of sweeter fruit flavors and more tart and savory notes. True to the austere style of Colares reds, this wine is very acid-driven and pretty tannic, making me think of cool-climate Nebbiolos like Carema or Boca. The fruit flavors will probably keep for another 5-10 years or so, but the wine will still keep good for decades. A unique and thoroughly enjoyable experience, spectacular value at only 22,95€. (93 pts.)
Translucent red cherry color with a noticeable, developed bronze hue and a wide, clear rim. Very tired, dusty and somewhat savory nose with aromas of damp leaves, earth, some raisin and a hint of soy sauce. The wine feels old, tired and overdeveloped on the palate with flavors of salt-cured beed, some sous-bois and dull flavors of old sour cherries. True to the Colares style, the wine shows high acidity and firm, somewhat angular tannins that stick out quite noticeably due to the lack of fruit. The finish is dull and dead with austere flavors of tart cranberries, sour cherry bitterness, some earth and sherried, saline hints of acetaldehyde.
A wine long past its prime. Completely dead and oxidized with very little of interest left. Some people thought this was corked, but I didn’t notice any mouldy TCA aromas, only earthy, over-mature tones (although I was just recovering from a bout of cold and nose). Waste of money at 27,50€. NR (flawed)
Translucent, developed cherry red color with some mature mahogany hue and a quite ide, clear rim. The wine is very slightly cloudy, perhaps because it had been lying on its side only minutes before it decanted and was poured. The nose is somewhat restrained and a bit sweet with developed, nuanced aromas of rustic animal notes, some smoke, a little bit of earth and a hint of vague wizened red fruit. The wine is bone dry, light-bodied and tightly-knit on the palate with racy acidity and pretty firm and grippy tannins. There are developed but rather austere flavors of wizened sour plums and bitter sour cherries, some crunchy cranberries, a little bit of salt-cured beef, a hint of smoke and tar and a touch of tart lingonberry with an overarching streak of earthiness. Overall the wine feels quite developed, but still remarkably unresolved and miles away from being past its peak. The finish is pretty austere with its persistent, bone-dry and quite acid-driven flavors of sour cherries, cranberries, astringent chokeberries, some beef jerky, a little bit of salted lingonberries (that isn’t a thing, it just tasted like it!) and a hint of tar-flavored soy sauce (the same thing with this one). The angular tannins really don’t make the finish any more mellow, but instead give the aftertaste a mouthdrying and a bit bitter touch.
A good and perfectly alive old Colares, but unfortunately not among the greatest vintages. The wine is starting to feel pretty developed, but not still particularly “old” and although the wine has most likely been on its plateau of maturity for quite a while, I doubt it will start going down anytime soon. There is no real need to age this wine further, as I doubt that there will be any further development, but it will still keep at least a decade, if not two. Overall this is a perfectly drinkable and, in its own austere way, quite enjoyable red wine that feels like a combinationof cool-climate Nebbiolo and an aged Burgundy Pinot Noir from a cooler vintage. Priced according to its quality at 39,50€. (90 pts.)
Translucent and quite pale red cherry color with a developed bronze hue and a wide, colorless rim. Aged, complex nose with aromas of dried dark cherries, pruney dark fruits, some tar, a little bit of lifted VA notes, a sappy hint of currant leaf and a touch of sweet raisiny fruit. The wine is practically bone-dry, medium-bodied and rather tart on the palate with high acidity. The flavor department is pretty light and lithe with developed flavors of cranberries and lingonberries, stony minerality, some dried sour cherries and a hint of crunchy white fruit. Overall the wine feels pretty taut and linear, with moderately high tannic grip further emphasizing the rather austere nature of the wine. The finish is long, dry and very savory with developed, nuanced flavors of tart lingonberries and cranberries, some smoke, a little bit of gravelly earth and a meaty, savory hint of salt-cured beef.
For a wine over 40 years of age, this one was very much alive, although getting pretty mature. Most likely the wine had reached its plateau of maturity some time ago and it will stay there for a good bit more. Compared to may other old Colares wines, this one was a bit more linear and austere with a bit less depth and complexity to it, but still a very wonderful and tasty effort nevertheless. Overall, with its tart red fruit flavors and firm tannins, the wine reminded me quite a bit of Produttori di Carema’s Nebbiolo di Carema with as much age. Pretty good value at 37,50€ if you enjoy older and lighter red wines. (91 pts.)
Somewhat translucent, but still quite dark-toned color with a slightly mahogany-hued dark cherry color. Wide and rather clear rim with the color of dried blood. Odd, sweet and somewhat wild nose with slightly funky aromas of pungent dark fruit, lifted sweet VA character, struck match smoke, some freshly picked crowberry, a little bit of rowanberry and a sappy hint of leafy greenness. There seems to be happening a lot of weird stuff in the nose. The wine is equally odd, wild and evocative on the palate with quite ripe and sweet flavors of licorice, dark cherry, fruity and slightly chemical volatility, some sweet cassis character, lighter crunchy notes of tart red berries like lingonberries and cranberries, a hint of sappy greenness and a touch of leather. The wine is medium-bodied and very firm on the palate with pretty high acidity and quite grippy and textural tannins. The finish is quite ripe and sweet, yet still somewhat austere and very tightly-knit with slowly piling up tannic astringency and developed, layered flavors of fresh and crunchy blackcurrants, some sour cherry bitterness, light leathery notes, a little bit of earthiness, a hint of soy sauce and a tangy touch of salty beef jerky. The high acidity makes you mouth water and the tannins dry your mouth up at the same time.
Now this was an oddball. For example the cassis notes - the only time I’ve noticed those in a Colares - were really atypical and some people in the tasting wondered if the wine had gotten a little boost for a Cabernet Sauvignon addition. Also, the wine was surprisingly ripe and even somewhat sweet compared to the usual Colares style; it made the wine come across much younger than it was, and even though the wine was pretty taut and austere - true to the Colares style - it was still surprisingly fruity for a wine 50 years old, thus also a bit more approachable as your average old Colares. All in all, this was a very complex, interesting and tasty wine and definitely worth the 52,80€. (93 pts.)
Translucent and somewhat developed cherry red color with a slightly bronze hue. The nose is developed and a bit pungent with somewhat tired notes of earth, some sour cherries, a little bit of syrupy sweetness and hints of beef jerky and salinity. The wine is medium-bodied, somewhat coarse, gritty and rather taut on the palate with developed flavors of sour cherries, dark syrup without any sweetness, some dry-cured beef, a little bit of crunchy, tart crowberry and a hint of briny salinity and soy sauce. The wine is very high acidity with still moderately grippy, grainy tannins. The dry finish is pretty austere with long, complex and savory flavors of chokeberries, tart cranberry-driven red fruits, some dry pipe tobacco and a hint of sour cherry bitterness.
A stylish and still perfectly alive Colares, but one that seems to be at the end of its plateau of maturity - perhaps already taking its first steps downhill. Still, the wine is remarkably alive and vibrant, taking into account its 62 years of age - truth be told, the wine doesn’t feel any much older than the Paulo da Silva Colares 1974 that was tasted alongside. The wine isn’t particularly pleasant with its austere character, bone-dry flavors, high acidity and rather grippy tannins, but it is still very delicious and evocative - especially if you like older red wines. Probably might be better with food that could tone down a bit its acidity and tannins. No need to cellar any further. Quite expensive at 73,75€, but then again, this is a piece of history, so I guess the wine is priced according to its quality. (90 pts.)
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1949 Adega Regional de Colares Burjacas - Portugal, Lisboa, Colares (16.9.2017)
Translucent and a bit pale cherry red color with a dried blood hue, a little bit of haze and a wide, clear, pale bronze rim. Meaty, developed and still surprisingly aromatic nose with aromas of baking spices, some sweet red fruit, dried flowers, a little bit of kirsch, a hint of something wild and slightly funky and a touch of dusty earth. On the palate the wine is medium-bodied with mature, characterful and surprisingly (taking the age of the wine into account) concentrated flavors of ripe dark cherries, some wizened dark berries, light gamey tones, a little bit of blood and a hint of umami. The wine is still pretty high in acidity with quite plentiful, firm and grippy tannins. The dry finish is very developed, even a bit old and very complex with some pungent acetaldehyde and soy sauce character, sour cherry bitterness, some sugared lingonberries, sweet cranberry sauce, a little bit of blood and iron, a hint of beef jerky and a touch of smoky earth. The high acidity and still rather astringent tannins make the aftertaste feel surprisingly austere, focused and somewhat tightly-knit.
A wonderful, complex and beautifully aged Colares that is still very much alive and kicking, even at 68 years of age! Stylistically the wine is very different from the other older Colares wines I’ve tasted, showing much more concentrated and darker-toned character than what seems to be typical of these wines. Overall the wine doesn’t seem to be much older than those vintages 30 years younger, so I guess these Colares wines develop for some 30-40 years and then they enter some kind of indefinite hibernation. Seeing how the wine is starting to show some characteristics that are not just developed or mature, but “old”, I’d wager this won’t be a wine that’ll keep intact for its 100th birthday. The wine probably will see its 75th or 80th birthday, but keeping it longer might be pushing it. Beautiful now and doesn’t need any further cellaring - and hasn’t needed for decades! Pricey at 90€, but seeing how rare it is to drink wines from the 40’s that are still in great condition, the wine shows great value. Wow. (95 pts.)
Translucent and strikingly youthful dark cherry color - considering the 86 years of age of the wine - with a tawny hue and a pale, rusty rim. The nose is equally striking in its still surprisingly fruity and expressive aromas of ripe sour cherries, some wizened, pruney fruits, a little bit of smoked beef jerky, a hint of tobacco and a touch of dried black cherry. Although you can easily notice that the wine is old, the wine is still so fresh and alive you’d guess it was less than half of its real age! The wine is medium-bodied and ridiculously tightly-knit and textural on the palate with high, almost racy acidity and still very plentiful and grippy tannins. There is still sense of ripeness of fruit, so even at 86 years of age the wine is not just about tertiary flavors, but instead retains some of its original fruity character in its flavors of sour cherries, wizened and tart dark berries, some black cherry, tobacco, a little bit of salt-cured beef, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of leather. Great structure and terrific focus. The savory finish is long, complex and lively with intense flavors of sour cherries, tobacco, some salted beef, a little bit of tart cranberry and a hint of smoke with an overarching streak of developed earthy tones.
A stunning, still very structured and beautifully intact old Colares that feels ridiculously youthful for a wine at 86 years of age. Although the wine seems old, it doesn’t feel much older than a Colares 45 years younger, that was tasted alongside it. Based on our tasting of old Colares wines, it seems that these wines age for something like 30-40 years and then they enter a phase of indefinite hibernation, because after a certain point they don’t seem to develop any further. They just stay the same until they fall apart and oxidize. What’s most remarkable here is how this wine hasn’t been overwhelmed completely by the tertiary flavors - unlike some younger (but still old) Colares wines - but it still retains some fruit and sense of ripeness, after almost a century. The result is something that reminds me of aged cooler-climate Nebbiolo wine, like Boca, Carema or Gattinara. Based on how youthful this wine still is, it can be easily kept until the 100th birthday of the wine and even longer. Although not a big and “impressive” wine, this is still easily one of the most extraordinary aged red wines I’ve ever tasted. A baffling experience. Priced according to its quality at 125€. (96 pts.)
These wines I’ve had somewhere else than in this tasting:
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2006 Casal Sta. Maria Colares - Portugal, Lisboa, Colares (12.12.2015)
Luminous cranberry red color. Expressive, pure nose with a bucketloads of fresh red berries: cranberries, lingonberries, redcurrants, raspberries. Underneath, aromas of licorice powder, florals and some saline minerality. Slight touch of sweet volatility, giving the nose a charming edge of violets and red berry preserves. The palate follows nose, but it gives more prominence to the salinity and stony minerality. Pure flavers of cranberries, sweet cherries, some sour cherries and fresh dark fruits. Very pronounced acidity, but quite low in tannins. No VA in the taste department. Very fresh, tart and moreish palate. Long, fresh and crisp finish with pronounced salinity, some coarse tannic bite, flavors of cranberries, red currants, violet florals, sous-bois and a slightest touch of wildhoney.
Boy oh boy, this is really good stuff! Despite being painfully young (the wine is extremely youthful despite its 10 years of age!) and made by a very modern Colares producer, this wine doesn’t actually seem to require decades of aging, thanks to its relatively easy tannins. However, the wine is definitely made to stay alive in the cellar, so I can really recommend aging this for a long time - it is definitely not in a hurry! Despite being only a 0,5 liter bottle, the wine is definitely worth the 30€. However, I must warn that this wine is probably not everyone’s cup of tea, thanks to its pronounced salinity and extremely zippy acidity - if you like your red sweet and supple, leave these battery acid reds to us acid junkies! (92 pts.)
Somewhat translucent black cherry red color. Somewhat funky, a little bit wild and slightly sappy nose with aromas of leather, phenolic smoke, tart red berries, some green-toned unripe dark fruit, a little bit of cedar, a hint of barnyard and a touch of crunchy redcurrant. The wine is quite ripe, focused and juicy on the palate with flavors of fresh dark berries, juicy red cherries, some astringent chokeberries, a little bit of saline tang, light funky rusticity, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of savory cedar. The wine is quite structured with its tangy, high acidity and relatively light, textural and somewhat grippy tannins. The finish is dry, extremely lengthy and moderately bitter with bright favors of sour cherries, some barnyard funk, a little bit of ripe dark berries, light redcurrant tones, a hint of fragrant exotic spices and a touch of phenolic smoke.
A wonderfully fresh, tangy and textural Ramisco that feels very youthful for a wine at 10 years of age. There’s a lovely combination of rustic funk, crunchy red fruits and somewhat unpolished, gritty texture here. Overall the wine reminded me quite a bit of Alto Piemonte Nebbiolos, but there wasn’t enough of those typical Nebbiolo characteristics for me to think that this was a Nebbiolo after all. Overall a terrific wine that is surprisingly approachable for a Colares at only 10 years of age, but most likely the wine will keep on developing for years - if not decades - more. Will keep for ages. Lovely. (94 pts.)
Translucent and strikingly youthful black cherry color - considering the almost 84 years of age of the wine - with a dark mahogany hue and a pale, rusty rim. The nose feels a bit restrained and surprisingly little developed, taking the age of the wine into account. There are bright and tangy aromas of crunchy dark fruits, sour cherries, some tart cranberries, a little bit of lifted VA character, an earthy hint of truffles and a touch of tobacco. The wine feels quite light-bodied, crisp and crunchy on the palate with intense, bone-dry flavors of tart lingonberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of dried dark berries and wizened red fruits, a hint of nuanced volatile character and a touch of saline minerality. The structure is very impressive with the very high acidity and still remarkably firm and rather grippy tannins. The finish is somewhat developed, still surprisingly youthful with quite noticeable tannic grip and intense flavors of sour cherries, leather, some tart cranberries and lingonberries, hints of beef jerky and a touch of pipe tobacco. The tart and crunchy aftertaste lingers on for minutes.
I would’ve loved to taste this Colares alongside Gomes da Silva’s Collares 1931 I tasted last September: superficially this wine seemed so similar - almost identical - to it so that my tasting note is quite identical to that 1931. And as that 1931 was a spectacular wine, so was this one as well. It is just mindblowing how this wine can be almost 84 years old, as it really doesn’t feel much older than a wine normally at 20, perhaps 30 years of age. I have no doubts that this wine will easily age to 100 years of age, if only one manges to keep their hands off the bottle. These older Colares wines always seem to be stunning experiences and this wine was no exception. Priced according to its quality at 120€. (96 pts.)
Translucent, luminous raspberry red color that retains still a hint of youthful hue. The color seems to fade away towards the rim, turning pale brick orange. The nose feels sweet-toned, somewhat developed and quite attractive with aromas of wizened dark forest fruits, some leathery tones, a little bit of sweet volatile lift, light raisiny character, a hint of tar and a touch of animal funk. The nose feels pleasantly unpolished and rustic, yet still very sophisticated and very nuanced. The wine is bone-dry, rather light-to-medium-bodied and pretty tough on the palate with tangy flavors of tart lingonberry juice, sour cherries, some leathery tones, slightly sweeter notes of dried dark fruits, a little bit of stny minerality, a hint of raisins and a touch of pipe tobacco. The wine is high to very high in acidity with medium tannins that pile up slowly on the gums. The finish is bone-dry, somewhat grippy and quite tangy with very long, complex and somewhat tough flavors of lingonberries, sour cherry bitterness, some crunchy cranberries, a little bit of astringent chokeberry character, subtly lifted notes of VA, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of sappy greenness. The high acidity makes the wine end on a mouthwatering note.
A fine, harmonious and thoroughly classic Colares that at almost 20 years of age still feels remarkably youthful, almost backward and in dire need of further aging. Due to its light nature, obviously low alcohol and lack of sweet fruit, I thought it was a Coteaux Champenois Rouge - perhaps 2006 or even 2008 - with some maceration that would explain the moderately grippy nature of the wine. The cool climate of Champagne could’ve explained the high acidity, sappy tart fruit and light body. Well, this was from a relatively cool region, yes, but from A LOT more southern latitudes (truth be told, I actually guessed Colares after a few hints). No-one ventured any guesses around 2000’s, which serves as a testament to the aging capability of these wines. Most likely this wine won’t be peaking until 15-20 years from now and - based on my experience with the Colares wines - this will keep for a century. I can imagine not a lot of people “get” this kind of low-alcohol, high-acidity, bone-dry, tannic and austere style of wine, but for me, drinking these is always a pleasure. Highly recommended. (91 pts.)
Somewhat translucent dark cherry red color with a developed mahogany hue and pale red rim. Quite weirdly sappy and green-toned nose with aromas of fresh mint and birch leaves, some chrysanthemum, a little bit of sour cherry, light balsamic hints of sweet VA and a touch of earth. Distinctive and rather atypical nose for the style. The wine is ripe yet light-to-medium-bodied, crisp and lively on the palate with rather lean and crunchy flavors of tart red berries like lingonberries and redcurrants, some meaty umami, a little bit of sweet balsamic VA, light hints of juicy cranberries and a salty touch of beef jerky. The wine is impressively structured for its rather lithe size, thanks to the very high acidity and still moderately grippy tannins. The finish is long, juicy and somewhat tannic with bright flavors of tart lingonberries, meaty umami, some ripe cranberries, a little bit of salty soy sauce, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of bloody iron.
A very beautiful, complex and attractive example of aged Colares that is drinking wonderfully at the ripe age of 49 years. The nose is somewhat weird and very atypical for a Ramisco, but on the palate the wine is as classic as one can imagine with rather ripe yet also very lean and tangy red-toned fruit, bright mouthwatering acidity, firm tannic backbone and a touch of balsamic VA. Although the wine is starting to show some signs of age, it is obvious that the wine is still a mere baby and capable of developing even further from here. Drink now or keep for decades more. Highly recommended, delivers great value at 48€. (94 pts.)
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2013 Adega Regional de Colares Colares Arenæ - Portugal, Lisboa, Colares (18.7.2020)
Cold-soaked with the skins for 6 hours, fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel, aged on the lees for a year, racked into 100-year old Brazilian mahogany foudres and aged for another 6 months. Total production 1600 liters / 3200 half-liter bottles. 12% alcohol. Tasted half blind.
Deep and quite concentrated yet still rather youthful yellow-green color. Sweet, complex and quite singular nose with aromas of salty ocean air, some waxy tones, light sweet herbal notes of thyme and peppermint, a little bit of overripe red apples, spicy hints of nutmeg and Asian spices and a touch of leesy creaminess. Lots of layers here. The wine is medium-bodied, broad and quite concentrated on the palate with intense flavors of tart lemony citrus fruits, some tangy salinity, light herbal notes of minty greenness, a little bit of sweet red-toned fruit, a hint of crunchy golden currants and a touch of smoke. The quite high acidity makes the wine feel fresh and structured. The finish is ripe and juicy with long flavors of sharp lemony citrus fruit, tangy salinity, some crisp Granny Smith apple tones, a little bit of smoke, light minty herbal notes and a hint of Play-Doh.
A wonderfully characterful, impressive and intensely flavored white Colares with very pronounced saline mineral overtones that are so typical of the region. Although clocking at 7 years of age, the wine is still a mere baby, not showing any signs of age. This is really built for the long haul. Delightful already now, but knowing this is going to continue to improve for at least a few decades, there’s really no point in popping any bottles now. Outstanding value at 13,60€ for a half-liter bottle. (92 pts.)
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