For The Love Of Port

Not a lot of notes, just thoroughly enjoyed. Soft, touch of mineral over a dark cherry layer. Very nice.

93 Points

"Very nice."

IMHO, that's an understatement ... at least for my palate. A top drawer, "stand out" LBV. But why quibble.

So . . . is this LBV fully mature or still improving? I'm asking because I've got 5 bottles stashed (would have been 6, but I broke one -- the only bottle of wine I have yet broken in my life).

I think it has l little more aging potential--but if I had 5 (nearly 6 ) I'd have one now--it is very good and worthwhile drinking now--just as a basis for subsequent openings.

I think it's still improving, or at least it was the last time I had it a year or so ago. I don't have a lot of experience with the aging curve for LBVs, but if it follows a pattern similar to VPs (but intentionally shorter) I'd say it has at least 5 years of improvement still to go and probably 10. If it were a VP I'd be saying at least 10-15 years and probably 20, FWIW.

Try it again in 2015 and see what you think then.

Last I had this it also showed room for improvement with more aging. So no harm in holding these longer IMO.

Michael Hann wrote:So . . . is this LBV fully mature or still improving? I'm asking because I've got 5 bottles stashed (would have been 6, but I broke one -- the only bottle of wine I have yet broken in my life).

I drank a bottle earlier this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. I would agree with the above opinions that it should continue to evolve nicely for another decade or longer, but it's in such a lovely spot for current drinking there's no reason not to enjoy it now. If you have 5 bottles on hand why not?

Here was my take on this from an ex-cellars bottle that I had at home last year:

1995 Smith Woodhouse Late Bottled Vintage Port - (Unfiltered; bottled 1999) An additional four years of aging took place after bottling and prior to release. Featuring an inky ruby core belying the age of this Port. The essence of grape and dark fruits provides a hint that this is a very youthful LBV. The palate offered intricate nuances of black cherry, tar, peppery spice and brambly blackberry, while the mid-palate was crammed with flavor. Dense, focused and primary with a silken texture that would have most believing it was a fine teenage Vintage Port. I revisited the 1995 over the course of two weeks and it never lost a step. A classy LBV that is sure to drink well through 2020, or beyond. Plenty of poise and palate presence -- one of the best of the 25 LBV’s I tasted for this report. 93+ points 10/25/10 (Premium Port Wines, LLC)

I bought a few bottles of the '94 and '95 Smith Woodhouse LBV a few years ago and somehow succumbed to opening a bottle of the '95.

It was an excellent LBV, as Roy said, also vintage-like, dark-coloured, deep, and intense. It is a very young LBV, certainly capable of aging for another 10-15 years. I will not be opening the next bottle for a few years yet.

Who knows what the '94 will be like, yet another one for cellaring?

Cheers..............................Mahmoud.