1997 Niepoort VP

[Eric Menchen]

From a 375ml bottle, decanted about four hours. No notes taken when first tasted--this is from memory two days later. I recall there being lots of spicy aromas, the frequent methol and eucalyptus, along with the less common cinnamon and some Christmas spices too (think mace and cardamon, but I didn't narrow it down). Very big and juicy in the mouth. This was really nice and could go many more years even in the small format. 92+ points.

Two days later, after storage with a Vacuvin at room temperature with just a small pour left in the bottle ... Color is inky dark; I can barely see through it to determine the hue. I think it darkened a little bit since the first pour. Also, there is At the edge there is a hint of brown in the deep ruby color. Aroma is still big and jammy, with some alcohol warmth. I didn't detect any obvious VA on the first night, but there might be some there now. It is slightly little medicinal with strong swirling. Definitely warm in the mouth, but then the fruit asserts itself, with cherry and raspberry, and an orange citrus acid tang. This is still nice, but nearly as good as the first evening. It probably could use more than a four hour decant, but a small bit in the bottle after two days is not an improvement.

[Roy Hersh]

Spot on. Few bottles are perfect ... but there are some, not many. When you find one, they are great. Most I've had were identical to this. Excellent note, Eric!