1995 Smith Woodhouse LBV Port
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 10:25 pm
I have now seen this Port in three different stores, all for around $30. Due to this sudden appearance I must assume that Smith Woodhouse kept it in their lodge when it was bottled in 1999 instead of releasing it, which works out well for me as it gives me the chance to try a bottle-aged LBV. I purchased this bottle at Esquin in Seattle after a recent tasting there.
1995 Smith Woodhouse LBV
unfiltered and bottled in 1999
decanted 12/4 with very little sediment and tasted without notes
the following notes taken at approximately D+28 hours.
Color: Very deep ruby red with the barest hint of garnet and purple. Fades cleanly through pink to clear at the rim.
Nose: Juicy and bold. Decanting fills the room with a delicious grapey smell. In glass, a dusty or mineral note along with significant black pepper. With hindsight after tasting, the black pepper is probably an expression of the alcohol. Ripe raspberry and plums round everything out.
Palate: Hot, but in a zippy/spicy way and not an overtly alcoholic way. Quite juicy in the mouth as well (which probably indicates very good acidity), with moderately grapey tones followed by blackberry and cassis. It tries for milk chocolate but doesn't quite get there. The flavors seem somewhat one dimensional, though... they're somehow lacking in depth while still being recognizable.
Finish: There's a bit of a green tone right at the start, but that disappears quickly and the rest of the finish is warm and pleasant rolling through blackberries, very ripe red raspberries, and finally some apples after a couple of minutes. Very long and smooth.
This is difficult for me to rate. My initial impression is something in the 93 range, but the slight lack of depth in the flavors bothers me. It's not that it's at all bad, but when I think back to other Ports in that range it feels lacking. However, if I compare it to Ports that I have rated in the 90 range I think I'd rather have this, so I guess that leaves me at 91-92. My recollection from last night is that this slight lack of depth was even more pronounced - as was the heat - so it has improved overnight in the decanter. That leads me to believe that it will continue to improve with age in the bottle, so...
92 points. A bargain at $30.
1995 Smith Woodhouse LBV
unfiltered and bottled in 1999
decanted 12/4 with very little sediment and tasted without notes
the following notes taken at approximately D+28 hours.
Color: Very deep ruby red with the barest hint of garnet and purple. Fades cleanly through pink to clear at the rim.
Nose: Juicy and bold. Decanting fills the room with a delicious grapey smell. In glass, a dusty or mineral note along with significant black pepper. With hindsight after tasting, the black pepper is probably an expression of the alcohol. Ripe raspberry and plums round everything out.
Palate: Hot, but in a zippy/spicy way and not an overtly alcoholic way. Quite juicy in the mouth as well (which probably indicates very good acidity), with moderately grapey tones followed by blackberry and cassis. It tries for milk chocolate but doesn't quite get there. The flavors seem somewhat one dimensional, though... they're somehow lacking in depth while still being recognizable.
Finish: There's a bit of a green tone right at the start, but that disappears quickly and the rest of the finish is warm and pleasant rolling through blackberries, very ripe red raspberries, and finally some apples after a couple of minutes. Very long and smooth.
This is difficult for me to rate. My initial impression is something in the 93 range, but the slight lack of depth in the flavors bothers me. It's not that it's at all bad, but when I think back to other Ports in that range it feels lacking. However, if I compare it to Ports that I have rated in the 90 range I think I'd rather have this, so I guess that leaves me at 91-92. My recollection from last night is that this slight lack of depth was even more pronounced - as was the heat - so it has improved overnight in the decanter. That leads me to believe that it will continue to improve with age in the bottle, so...
92 points. A bargain at $30.