Quinta da Devesa Vintage Port 2018

The 2018 Vintage Port is a 50/30 blend of Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca, with the rest Sousão, all aged in old balseiros (large upright barrels) for one year. It was bottled May 21, 2020, with 115 grams of residual sugar. Sweet and light on opening, not showing much concentration, this does better with structure. It has some serious pop on the finish, eventually overwhelming the sweet fruit. There’s a real backbone. The next day, it had fleshed out a bit too. That’s just what it needed in order to shine. It had notably improved and was downright impressive, the mid-palate now coming closer to balancing the pure power. This has a lot to offer – and a lot more than I thought on my first tastes – but it needs some time to make its case better and demonstrate that all its parts are in balance. Drink date: 2028-2065. Score – 92+. (Mark Squires, robertparker.com, July 9, 2020)