“Less open on the nose than the Ramos Pinto 2017. More subtle and refined, more withheld and pure, darker fruited. Even though it is more restrained, it has greater intensity and concentration on the palate, with real finesse in the tannin texture and a little more obvious freshness for sophisticated harmony.”

The NV RP 20 Year Old Tawny Port Quinta do Bom Retiro is a single-quinta tawny coming in with 130 grams of residual sugar and a bar-top cork. It was bottled in May 2018. The sugar level is a little higher this year than on the last one I saw, and this is on the sweet side on opening. This finishes, predictably, with a sweet edge at that point, but it also has a somewhat sharp edge because the spirits are a bit noticeable early on, not completely covered up by the sugar. This and the last release that I saw both had some brandy-nuanced overtones on opening and release, but both improved over a couple of days.

“The NV RP 30 Year Old Tawny Port was bottled in February 2018 with a bar-top cork and 140 grams of residual sugar. The winery produces around 5,500 liters per annum of this 30 Year (typically, they do not make a 40). On opening, it's all about the sweetness, but this is remarkably fresh and elegant. Although the sweet finish obscures the complexity at first, this typically is where you are most likely to get it in the Ramos Pinto lineup of tawnies, and eventually you do (particularly the next day). Once it shakes off the bottle slumber, this 30 Year Tawny demonstrates that it is also the most tightly wound and most intense of the winery's submissions this issue. That means that it is pretty fine, and in a great place. This is lovely and exciting, more or less along the lines of the last couple of releases that I saw.”

“Very concentrated and with great richness, this is a real meditation wine . Its intensity and old-wood character are magnificent and pronounced while never losing sight of the rich wine behind it. It can be drunk now.”

“The NV Collector Porto Reserva is an unfiltered Port coming in with 99 grams per liter of residual sugar and a bar-top cork. It was aged about five years in large, well-used wooden vats (25+ years old). This Reserva takes Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca from Ramos Pinto's Quinta da Ervamoira and Tinta Barroca from its Quinta do Bom Retiro. (A field blend from Bom Retiro fills out the blend.) This particular bottle was from the August 30, 2018 bottling (lot number L-18242A). Winemaker Ana Rosas told me that this "doesn’t undergo any type of treatment, no fining, cold stabilized, nothing. It’s only a blend of different wines of several ages, some young, some quite mature. The wines can age in wood (balseiros) and in cement or in both....We release our first 'Collector' with a proper cork and the wine used to age [beautifully], something between LBV and Crusted, but the market...didn’t want a proper cork...The wine has the capacity to age but with this bar top no more than four to five years. After that, the wine will be good but will lose fruit." Dark and stern, leaning more to figs and dried plums than sweet red fruits, this very expressive and intense Reserva has unusual power for a Ruby Reserva and plenty of concentration for the category. One or two may have been its equal, but there was no wine in this report that showed better after being held for another two days. At that point, it still showed surprising power and coated the palate. As time went on, when a lot of the Reserves in this report fell off, this just got better. The gripping finish, even two days later, beautiful fruit and serious demeanor made it seem pretty fine. It has impressive color as well, reminiscent of Vintage Port. The complexity in the flavor profile added a key bit of distinction—it has a certain maturity to it that is appealing. The texture was velvety and sensual. Five days later, it was still intriguing and I couldn't say that about many of them this issue. Simply, it is wonderfully expressive—unusually so for a Ruby Reserve. The only downside—the norm for a Ruby Reserve—is that I wouldn't expect it to hold at this level for too many years (bar-top cork or not). That's a key distinction between this and a real Vintage Port or a top LBV (like Ramos Pinto's) that must constrain my scoring. While it is young and fresh, though, you may like it even more than the score suggests. It was probably my favorite of the tasting.

P.s. You'll also like the typically atmospheric Ramos Pinto label—a bonus.”