Decant: 5 hours - I opened another bottle of my GC 1977 - Smith Woodhouse bottling for the Wine Society in the UK. This bottle was clearly corked. So far I am 0/2 on this wine, but I took a tasting note anyway after 5 hours decanter time. Deep red, slightly brown tone, the colour of Victoria plums. Nose is musty, mushroomy. Clearly tainted. Alcohol comes through on the nose with plums and prunes. Stuffy, not fresh. Dry entry, some sweet fruit on the mid-palate but dominated by taint. Work brings out walnuts and raisins and a surprising amount of tannin. Good length of bitter chocolate and Christmas cake - a real shame to have had the wine spoiled. On the Tom scale, this is certainly one of the 5% worst wines I expect to taste this year and is not going to get any better so 0/0.
I would also caution anyone who has the opportunity to buy Smith Woodhouse Oporto bottlings of this wine that were shipped to the UK for the Wine Society. Given my experience and Derek's, we are currently 0/3 - don't take the risk! 82 points
TN: 1977 Gould Campbell Vintage Port
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