For The Love Of Port

Opened for Christmas day. The cork almost made it out in one piece, but not quite. 1977 Vintage was readable, but not much else.

1977 Warre VP

Color: medium red/garnet. Clear through and through. Fades through pink to clear at the rim.

Nose: spirity with strawberry and sugary notes. Faintly minty... very light.

Palate: soft and elegant. Very faint cinnamon, some strawberry, some bubblegum, possibly some faint and light vanilla. A bit hot, but only as a side note. Also a bit of green but in a nondescript way. Some light tannins and good acidity. Rich in a feminine way.

Finish: heat and some tannins. A slight edge similar to grape stem. Not terribly long.

Score: 90 pts. While not a blockbuster, it is a nice example of a classic Warre Vintage Port. It might show a bit of improvement over the next 5 years, but I suspect it is at its peak. No need to drink up, though, as it has the structure to hold at this level for 10-15 years.

Glenn,

Glad you got the op to try this. How long did you decant the bottle prior to consumption?

It was supposed to be 4-5 hours, but we couldn't wait and started drinking after about 2-3 hours. The bottle lasted the night, though, and I had glasses at about 6 hours and then again the next night at about 28 hours all with consistent results. It changed very little overnight, perhaps gaining just a smidge of body weight.