What a vivid and fascinating wood port with delicate caramel, honey, dried fruit and cedar character. Medium body, yet dense and silky. Bright. Hints of tannins. This is a wonderful colheita that will improve with age as well. Bottled in 2016. Drink or hold.

The 1997 Colheita Tawny Port was bottled in 2016 with a long cork. Delectable, but wonderfully refined and elegant, this is--roughly--a 20 year tawny that doesn't hit you over the head with power and depth, but has complexity and length to spare. The molasses on the finish, with just a hint of treacle, gives this layers and intensity of flavor, but it always seems youthful, too--sometimes, more so than the 2005 bottling reviewed this issue. Going less for the "big bang" and more for silky sensuality, this is one to linger with and contemplate. It's lovely as well as lively. Pricing was not available as of this writing. - MS