1950 Niepoort Garrafeira Port

[Glenn E.]

From the FTLOP 5th Anniversary Party at the Holiday Inn Issaquah, July 31, 2010.

I was having an off palate night, possibly caused by dinner at Cucina Cucina, so my ratings were significantly lower than everyone else's. In some cases I have reverted back to my initial impressions because, in retrospect, those seem more appropriate given how others were scoring.

1950 Niepoort Garrafeira
bottled 1955, decanted 1979

Color: Dark brown with a tan/clear rim.
Nose: Soft strawberry, light smoke, thick dust. Some unidentifiable spices. Possibly cedar?
Palate: Smooth, softly sharp. Surprising tannins. A little hot and edgy.
Finish: Good length, more of that edge, more tannins, and a bit of a green impression.

Score: 88 points. I really wanted to love my first Garrafeira, but it just wasn't to be. Very good, but not what I'd hoped for.