Jose de Sousa 

José de Sousa Rosado Fernandes 1940 

14.6%. Staggeringly fresh and lively for a 75-year-old. Aromas are in a dried, black-fruit spectrum, complex and expansive, with base notes of licorice, caramel, and unsweetened cocoa, further highlighted with spice and floral characters. Well-rounded and velvety in the mouth, more than amply fruited for its age, its textures outlined by lovely polymerized tannins and relatively low acidity. It finished long, with just a touch of dryness. A wine for contemplation and respect, rather than scoring. But if one has to score it: 99/100 (Tasted 2014)

2nd tasting Aug 2021 at Fialho, Evora. For an 81-year-old wine, it is still holding well and offering a mix of savory characters above. It opened up, markedly improving, over the course of a two hour dinner. What was impressive was how a 14.6% wine didn’t show overt alcohol, especially in light of its age and more delicate condition. Acidity holding in balance with fruit. A remarkable testament to talha-made wine. (Tasted 2021) 96

[Franco told me the 1940s were uniquely bottled in transparent American whiskey bottles because they were the only bottles available during the war. All others used green glass.]