NV Quinta do Mourao S. Leonardo V Old White 50 Years

The NV Very Old White Port São Leonardo 50 Years is a field blend of grapes like Viosinho, Codega de Larinho, Cerceal and Malvasia. It was bottled in 2019 with a bar-top cork and 199 grams of residual sugar. This is the moment in this vertical where the wine seems rather fabulous, not just interesting. Beautifully textured, this is concentrated, surprisingly fresh, relatively speaking, and rather lush. The juicy finish is terrific and it just tastes great. Some may prefer a more complex and drier style as opposed to the sugary conclusion here, but this has more complexity than most of this lineup. In any event, it is what it is—this producer's style is just different—and just as many will adore it. The fruit and sugar are driven into the palate by the wine's power, so expect to be tasting this for a while. The finish is very long.