For The Love Of Port

I've had the '77 Warre about 6 times over the last 10 years, and the one thing that I can say about it almost universally is: unconvincing.

Had it again last night with about 6 hours of double decanting back to the bottle. Pale ruby color (perhaps a slight touch of pink & orange on the very edge). Nuts, raspberries and black licorice but really rather faint notes of all three. While it did not show heat on the palate, the intensity of flavor just was not there. This has been a consistent theme whenever I have had this wine. It's nice, but that's it...nice. Move along, nothing to see here.

While I would generally agree with you on this one, a few evenings ago I decided at the last minute to have some port. I chose a weepy bottle, decanted and strained it , and served it immediately. By a long way it was the best Warre's '77 I had had for some while - richer and more intense.
I am yet to be conviced that a fully mature port, particularly with a poor cork needs much decanting time.