I shared a bottle of the 2001 last weekend: initially very promising and had aged pretty well but not much of a finish at all and I was left feeling disappointed. Maybe I'd left it too long.

Whilst the Duro port grape, this one is from Estremadura near Lisbon. I don't know the region and have no idea about the 2001 vintage there. The 2006 vintage is no where near tannic or acidic enough to be a medium keeper. That is not the style for this softer wine with a shorter length, but never-the-less, a lovely flavour

I think you were living on a wing and a prayer ! That wine is seven years since release and you paid, what, circa £4.99 or so in 2004. So the length for a 2001, would deteriorate further.

Well, I suppose you may have forgotten you had the wine ! Did you try the wine, before leaving it all this time ?

I don't mean to punish

_________________
Duncan

Well, I've opened several bottles of vinegar over the past few months but this one was nothing like that - it just seemed to promise more than it delivered. The Co-op does a very good Argentinian Cabernet Franc that I feel similarly about. Certainly an excellent fiver's worth though.