Port observations and questions

[Doug Zdanivsky]

I opened a '94 Smith Woodhouse LBV tonight..

I don't know what I was expecting, and while I'll keep posted on how things progress..

But after only 10 minutes I tried it, and was surprized how similar the experience is to when I tried a Dow '83..

The smell and taste upon opening was exactly like that of the Dow after it had been opened for 5-6 hours (Taste: Sweet, Fiji or Golden apple, with a bit of bitterness.. Medium body.. Pleasantly hot, especially on finish. Nose: Apples and alcohal, spicy)..

I was especially surprized that:

A) It was pretty much ready to go right out of the bottle (I'm sure a couple hours will take the rough edges off)..

The Dow was not drinkable till at least 5 hours had passed..

B) That the taste/nose was so similar.. I was expecting, from the TN's, etc. that I'd read, that a different Port house to have a different signiture.. A different taste, less sweet, less dry, different colour.. Something..

This Port, while having a bit less body than the Dow (again, this may change in a few hours), is virtually identical..

Now, I'm aware my lack of Port experience and sophistication and unrefined pallet is telling here, but...

I'm tempted to go the LBV route, now, seeing as how they are less expensive than the VP's..

I won't of course..

But I won't be writing LBV's off, as I thought I would be (I'd assumed, again, from the TN's, etc. I'd read) that they were inferior to VP's, and had purchased one to see for myself and confirm and compare).

Also, this is the second time my rabbit ear corkscrew proved absolutely useless at extracting the cork.. Again it was pushed in, and I had to put a pen in there to keep it away from the neck while I poured to get anything out..

An Ah So is the way to go, I'm guessing?

Why are my rabbit ears not working for Ports, like they do for other wines?

More later!

[Andy Velebil]

Doug,

I just recently had a 1992 Smith Woodhouse LBV. Havn't had the '94 yet but thanks for the TN. To help with some of your questions:

A) SW LBV's are typically unfiltered and designed to bottle age for a bit. They do tend to get much better after being decanted for at least a few hours. Much the same as a traditional VP, although LBV's are designed to drink younger, while your VP's age.

The '92 I had was drunk after 5 hours of decanting and by that time it had integrated much better and the alcohol had blown off leaving a silky smooth port. That considering it seemed a bit unbalanced and overly hot when I opened it...to the point I almost didn't take it to the dinner, glad I did. And considering this was drunk with several friends who work at a wine store (and are very picky) they were quite pleased.

B) I 'm sure if you tried the SW and the Dow's together you would notice a difference. Don't worry though, when i first started drinking port they seemed to be very simillar to me too. give it time and try lots of things and you will start to notice differences.

C) LBV's are a great way to go. I enjoy LBV's too because my budget doesn't allow me to drink a 20+ year old VP on a weekly basis. LBV's allow me to drink stuff with a bit of age and IMO better flavors than most tawney's. Don't get me wrong, I still like tawney's, but prefer a LBV or VP. But I still love collecting, and more so, drinking all things port.

D) The AH-So is the way to go with older ports/corks. I recommend practicing a couple of times with an inexpensive bottle of wine until you get the hang of it...not hard to use, but don't try it on a 30 yr old cork for your first time.

Please keep us posted on how things go. :)

[Doug Zdanivsky]

Tried it again this morning (in the decanter for the duration)..

As I'd hoped the rough edges have been smoothed,out..

That slight bitterness on the attack and finish is gone, the nose is more apple, less alcohal, the sweetness is more pronounced.. Very mellow all around..

And again, not much different from the Dow '83 I tried..

So the question stands, why not spend less on an LBV that tastes pretty much the same, and can be enjoyed earlier?

Like I say, the question is rhetorical, and I'll definately be getting more of these Smith Woodhouse LBV's!

[Derek T.]

Doug,

A good LBV beats a bad VP any day - but, in my limited experience, a good LBV doesn't come close to a good VP.

My taste actually prefers a good quality aged tawny to an LBV and these also tend to cost less than a VP. Worth a try.

Derek

[Doug Zdanivsky]

Yup, haven't tried a tawny yet, either..

What's a good tawny to try?

[Derek T.]

Start with a 10 year old from 5 or 6 of the major houses and you won't go far wrong. Once you've got the taste for the 10 year old's move up to 20's and do the same again. If your pocket can stand it you can then move up to the 30 and 40 year old's but you're then well into the price bracket of very good Vintage ports.

I have been told that the difference in price between various bottles in each age bracket is an indication of the real average age of the wine inside the bottle. Here in the UK a 10 year old can range from £10 to £15 per bottle. The rules are that a 10 year old tawny must be a blend of wines which have an average age of between 10 and 20 years. The lowest priced will be closer to 10 years average and the higher priced bottles closer to 20 years average. The rules don't allow shippers to sell 18 year old tawny so, if they produce a blend which has an average age of 18 years they have to label it as "over 10 years".

Have fun!

Derek

[Doug Zdanivsky]

Hmm..

Thanks Derek!

I'll keep that in mind..