Kopke Porto 2004 Late Bottled Vintage, $13.50/375 ml, 20 pabv; The Wine Merchant, Norwood, Ohio. Produced, bottled, and shipped by Sogevinus, Fine Wine; Vila Nova de Gaia. Bottled 2009; 'subject to throw a deposit while aging.'
T-cork. Wine deep purple but with 5-7 ml of semi-bricking lightening at edge. Produces a thick coating on the glass when swirled, but there is a single 'hand' of tears flowing down from a single point, a thing I have never seen before.
Cherry, raspberry, and smoky caramel, with a blackberry or cassis note following that.Then, with some 24 hours plus decanting, the cherry becomes a persistent tangy consommé with a somewhat faded A persistent hint of vanillin shows itself. The caramel is a mid-palate note due to microoxidation, I think, and that from barrel aging.
Very energetic, sappy entry, perhaps a little low on acidity and a little soft, in spite of the energetic presentation. Bitter liquorice on a softly tannic finish promotes itself.
A fine late bottled vintage, but expensive due to the Ohio tax (14 percent plus 6.5 percent sales tax).
Enough structure to allow perhaps 5 plus more years of evolution. This is more of a 'traditional' LBV. (Drink now-2017)
Double decanting recommended. (88 pts.)
