Good medium ruby. Slightly high-toned aromas of black cherry, blackberry and licorice; more medicinal today than the regular vintage bottling. Big, rich and sweet, but still dominated by baby fat and in a rather monolithic stage today. Very ripe but the medicinal menthol quality currently holds the upper hand over the wine's glossy dark fruits. It's hard to envision the wine's final form today. (Incidentally, I marginally preferred the basic 1997 vintage bottling next to this one, for its highly complex perfume of flowers and wild herbs; its seamless, lush texture; its outstanding intensity and purity of flavor; and its near-perfect balance. On this tasting, I rated this very long, aromatic vintage port 95 points.)

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Peppery, even a little floral but also a savoury, meaty note, very slight molasses aroma – dark rather than sweet. Dry and a little stern, upright, but also fresh and yet massive concentration. Mineral schist aftertaste. Spicy finish. Much too young. (JH)

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The 1997 Nacional is a legend from this pre-phylloxera vineyard. The color is a saturated black/purple. The nose reveals floral scents intermixed with coffee, blackberries, tar, cassis, licorice, and chocolate. Extremely full-bodied, but less massive and seamless, this spectacular Nacional will reach its plateau of maturity quickly, where it will remain for 2-3 decades.

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Concentrated aromas of crushed blackberry, dark chocolate and black licorice. Full-bodied and medium-sweet, but big and rich. Very velvety and long. Focused and beautiful. So much going on here. Fabulous. A fruit bomb. Yet fresh and seductive. Give it some time.

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This Nacional has pizzazz. The nose had me worried initially with a slightly reductive note that translated into sweet sun-dried tomatoes. Fortunately the palate made up for the perceived aromatic shortcomings and possessed bright and vibrant flavors of boysenberry and blueberry that were tasty and as youthful as a cask sample. The textural pleasure is hard to beat and the only place this has to go … is up! The backbone is finely meshed and the finish is berry laden and sweet, not to mention that it could give the Eveready bunny a run for its life. Drink 2015-2072 and then revaluate if it will make it to the century mark. It is clearly one of the great young Nacionals from the early days of Seely’s reign.

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