Appearance: Deep garnet core with mature ruby highlights at the rim, showing gentle evolution while retaining impressive colour concentration for its age.
Nose: Rich, warming and beautifully mature, offering aromas of black cherry, fig paste and blackberry compote layered with notes of dark chocolate, walnut, cedar wood and sweet baking spice. Hints of dried plum, molasses and tobacco emerge with time in the glass.
Palate: Full-bodied, velvety and generous, displaying Graham’s hallmark richness and roundness. Flavours of ripe black fruits, dates and raisins are balanced by notes of cocoa, liquorice and roasted nuts. The texture is smooth and integrated, with softened tannins and a mature sweetness that remains lifted by fresh acidity. There is still admirable structure beneath the developed fruit, giving the wine depth and persistence.
Finish: Long, warming and satisfying, leaving lingering impressions of dark berries, chocolate, spice and gentle nutty complexity.
Conclusion: A mature and deeply comforting Late Bottled Vintage Port now drinking at an excellent stage of development. The 1996 vintage combines Graham’s characteristic opulence with softened maturity, producing a richly textured and rewarding Port with classic aged character.
