1977 Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port
Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 2:15 am
Opened at 11 a.m. and decanted through cheesecloth, in the funnel as per usual. Immediately I sensed an extremely low level of TCA and had a sip. It was far less evident on the palate, but I never doubt my nose. You've seen the size of it.
Anyway, I did not want to admit it to myself and become aggravated with a dinner party still to be shopped for, cooked and served. However, I knew best not to take a chance and in fact, decided to put a 1989 Ch. Rieussec in the refrigerator. At 3:30 when I next approached the decanter, I brought the decanter upstairs and poured it into a pot along with the rest of the accouterments that I utilize to produce a delicious Port reduction, this one to adorn Dorene's famous wild mushroom bread pudding. Yes, when you cook with a cork tainted wine, the TCA is "cooked out" of the wine and it can shine in the only way left. It pained me to use a 1977 Gould Campbell as the foil for a reduction. I had purchased a $9 Delaforce Tawny Port for that purpose. I used that instead, to sautee onions and mushrooms to put over the NY Strip Steaks for the entree and some to use to deglaze a pan that I seared the steaks in, before putting them on the grill.
Not rated.
Anyway, I did not want to admit it to myself and become aggravated with a dinner party still to be shopped for, cooked and served. However, I knew best not to take a chance and in fact, decided to put a 1989 Ch. Rieussec in the refrigerator. At 3:30 when I next approached the decanter, I brought the decanter upstairs and poured it into a pot along with the rest of the accouterments that I utilize to produce a delicious Port reduction, this one to adorn Dorene's famous wild mushroom bread pudding. Yes, when you cook with a cork tainted wine, the TCA is "cooked out" of the wine and it can shine in the only way left. It pained me to use a 1977 Gould Campbell as the foil for a reduction. I had purchased a $9 Delaforce Tawny Port for that purpose. I used that instead, to sautee onions and mushrooms to put over the NY Strip Steaks for the entree and some to use to deglaze a pan that I seared the steaks in, before putting them on the grill.
Not rated.
One of my blind tasting group friends served a d'Yquem 95 this past week and it was corked!