I should start by noting the incredible opportunity this wine provides. Made from a mixture of unusual native varieties, cellared in perfect conditions at the domaine for 30+ yrs, released to the public for less than $50. What an opportunity for those hoping to get a taste of an interesting aged wine at a reasonable price!
That being said, the wine is good, but not great. The cork is in fantastic shape; it must have been recorked. Quite a bit of well-behaved sediment. To me, it smells like an old Bordeaux; dark fruits, pencil lead, damp earth, and a leatheriness that is unfortunately a bit too long in the tooth for my taste (and I’m someone who likes old wine). There’s some of that indefinable, too-old-wine smell that’s kind of like saddle soap, kind of like soy sauce, kind of like an old leather boot.
In the mouth, surprisingly, the initial impression is a wonderful core of sweet dark cherry fruit that is just lovely. The flavors are much more fruit forward than I would have expected. The tannins are completely gone. The acidity is medium. But the longer it’s in your mouth, the older it seems. Not in a good way. The finish has a distinct flavor of soy sauce unfortunately.
Interestingly, I poured half the bottle into a 375mL, popped it in the fridge, and it kept very nicely. If anything, a bit more fruit forward the following day. So although I think this wine is a bit on the downslope, the slope is a gentle one and it will persist in a nice drinking window for quite a few yrs longer. 5 at least. Overall, an okay drink, but a wonderful cost effective opportunity to drink something interesting, aged, and unique. I’d buy it again.
however, I do believe the typical Dão red blend back in those days was different, as vintages were seen as good depending on yields (the bigger, the better) and Touriga Nacional, being low on the productivity scale, was close to extinction in its native Dão.