Description
Roy Hersh review:
By far the darkest of all the Tawnies and with a distinctive green meniscus to an otherwise golden brim. The nose elicits the sense that the “mother wine” (Vinho Mãe) is different than the 40, and I need to find out if it’s actually from the 19th century. There is a scent of old mahogany, maple, prune, and caramelized toffee, with a hint of milk chocolate a few days later. Slightly more body weight than the 40, call it medium+, there is great density to the mouthfeel, mercurial, and yet it retains a lighter sense of being and is remarkably smooth. Here, the aromatics transfer well to the flavor profile, except for the prune and chocolate. Dark, sweet, and intricately woven, and while the 40 is quite sweet too, the 50 takes it to another level by reaching 170 g/l of residual sugar; and Joana deserves credit for the natural acidity keeping this all in synch. It ends with a powerful and persistent finish; with tropical flavors and caramel following the swallow. A beauty in its category, but the 40 was an absolute showstopper, so they end up at the same score, this for its pure hedonism!
95 points ~ 3/14/24
