TASTING NOTES:
The NV RP 30 Year Old Tawny Port comes in with 119 grams per liter of residual sugar and was bottled in 2015. This is the new release. This mingles complexity of flavor with a fresh and surprisingly elegant feel (relative to the category, of course). The finish is very long, complex and persistent, adding new flavors as it lingers. Beautifully constructed and balanced, this is a 30 that starts with a bit of understatement and keeps getting more impressive. It's fun to just smell, but you expect that with long-aged Tawnies. The lift to the fruit and the sunny demeanor aren't always as guaranteed. It has a surprisingly supple and fresh style that I rather appreciated, delivering those old Tawny flavors while also seeming remarkably elegant. Then, it finishes with that big acidity. It was notably better a few days later, no longer seeming quite so understated, particularly in regards to its concentrated flavors and intense aromatics. Note that this comes with a bar top cork. If you're wondering, this is their oldest NV Tawny; Ramos Pinto does not make a 40.
Ramos Pintos' tawnies are very reliable, showing good concentration and balance all the time. They are typically among my favorites in their categories. You can't go wrong with them. All of the tawnies come with bar top corks here. That is usually the producer's way of saying that they aren't expected to be aged. They are ready to drink on release. Tawnies, of course, are very resistant. Barring cork failures, they will hold well for decades, if you must hold them.
- Mark Squires of eRobertParker, 94 pts
