MAy 2008 VT : Open something from Smith Woodhouse

[Frederick Blais]

Alright guys, for this month VT, anything from the Smith Woodhouse port house is accepted. Share with us your impressions.

[Derek T.]

Smith Woodhouse Madalena 1988
This is one of my favourite QPR ports at £16 per bottle retail in the UK. I have had it many times in the past couple of years and it never disappoints.

The first thing I always notice about this wine is it's beautiful colour. A bright glowing red that gets the mouth watering just by looking at it.

The nose is dark chocolate cherry truffle. A medium to heavy weight in the mouth with lots of red fruit and a good tannic backbone that will keep it going for a decade or more. The finish is long and sweet, perhaps a little too sweet to separate it from a classic VP.

If you see this, buy it. You will not be disappointed.

Derek

[Lamont Huxley]

SMITH-WOODHOUSE COLHEITA 1986

I spotted this bottle in one of my local Brooklyn shops a couple of months ago and had been considering trying it out. I don’t believe I’ve ever had a tawny from Smith-Woodhouse, and since they are this month’s virtual tasting topic, well… looked like another perfect excuse for buying port (not that I’m ever really at a loss for a perfect excuse to buy port!). Here were my notes from last night:

Mostly tawny, but not completely, still showing a little bit of red in its burnt orange hue with a honey colored rim. The nose is generous and complex, the dominant character being something like cherry-vanilla and kola nuts with secondary notes of orange marmalade, sandalwood, apple pie, and spices. Quite rich and sweet on the palate, though not cloying at all, with a mildly viscous texture. I found the flavors redolent of caramelized walnuts, candied apples, a touch of raspberry fruit still way in the background, and a compliment of spicy cinnamon. A fresh acidity kicks in on the back end of the palate, cutting the sweetness and balancing everything out. The finish is smooth and very persistent with the wine still coating the mouth and the flavors still lingering long after swallowing. Delicious colheita – rich but well balanced - I would certainly recommend it if you can find it.

[JacobH]

Smith Woodhouse VP 1997

I don’t really know the Smith Woodhouse Ports, so was going to get something a bit older, but this was the only one I found locally. As should be expected, the cork came out easily in one piece, and there was only a little sediment.

8+ Hours. Surprisingly large on the nose, but aromatic rather than powerful. Very fruity, with, if it is not too clichéd, lots of plums and a bit of cherry. In the mouth, there is a nice peppery heat (though this does obscure some of the other flavours), followed by more fruit, which eventually produce a little cherry in the finish. The sugar is not particularly obvious and feels very well dissolved.

I think, at the moment, it is probably a bit too young to be drinking…a few more years might be needed to resolve some of the flavour, but I’m interested to see what it’s like tomorrow.

[JacobH]

+24 Hours. Not much change, though it has mellowed somewhat. Now an extremely easy drinker.

I think, overall, this is an entirely pleasant VP, though not quite interesting or exciting enough to warrant drinking again in the next few years. I’d be interested to hear what people think about the surrounding Vintages (1994 and 2000, I believe), if anyone is tempted to open one for this!

[Frederick Blais]

I got a bad experience from a 94 6 months ago, it was from a 2nd release in Quebec. I'll probably open one from the 1st release to see if there is any difference over the week-end to celebrate my new house move

[Lamont Huxley]

+24 Hours. Not much change, though it has mellowed somewhat. Now an extremely easy drinker.

I think, overall, this is an entirely pleasant VP, though not quite interesting or exciting enough to warrant drinking again in the next few years. I’d be interested to hear what people think about the surrounding Vintages (1994 and 2000, I believe), if anyone is tempted to open one for this!

Jacob,

I would definitely agree with you on this one. I had the 97 a couple of months ago and had a very similar impression - lighter-bodied, spicy, and with fairly straightforward cherry/plum fruit. A solid port but not particularly exciting.

I drank the 2000 Smith-Woodhouse last month and would say it's definitely a few notches up from the 97. Here were my notes:

Royal purple color with a raspberry red rim. The nose is deep and inviting and opened up nicely after about three hours of decanting: boysenberry, strawberry, violets, licorice, and a touch of leather. Full bodied palate offering lots of sweet, plummy dark cherry fruit, big, chocolately tannins, and Christmas spices that linger through the long and rich finish. A well built, delicious, cellar-worthy vintage port that should become a beauty as it ages. I'd probably give it until 2020 before it's at its best, but I certainly enjoyed it now. Tasted 4/08

[JacobH]

I would definitely agree with you on this one. I had the 97 a couple of months ago and had a very similar impression - lighter-bodied, spicy, and with fairly straightforward cherry/plum fruit. A solid port but not particularly exciting.

That’s quite reassuring…I was worried that my palate was playing up! I’ll keep my eyes open for the 2000.

[Frederick Blais]

I did opened SW Vintage 1994 Today. Gratfully the 94 I tasted back in November was probably and early evolving bottle. Though the one I had today was fresh and young on the nose, it was overipe and short on the palate. The wine is clear ruby showing little tawny edges. The nose is really atractive with scents of flowers, ripe cherries and field berries. On the palate though, it is totally different with low acidity, melted tannins, high sugar sensation with over ripe plums flavors. The palate is balanced though leading to a ripe fruits and cinamon finish. Enjoyable port that should be at its peak in 5 years. 16/20

[Andy Velebil]

After a long hot day at work I decided to throw caution to the wind and open this bottle. Since this week is very busy with lots of oevertime at work, and I won't be up all night seeing how this evolves, I thought it would be fun to chart how this does over the next few days. I'll leave it in the decanter for the duration.

1984 Smith Woodhouse Unfiltered LBV Port (bottled in 1988)

Upon opening:
OK, this cork looks like its only 4-5 years old. Just shows you what good storage does, as this bottle is a recent ex-cellars release. I should be getting a new camera tomorrow, so I'll post a pic of it later. Looks a bit like cherry cough medicine...ok, I'll stick to better comparisions, how about a basic tawny color. Bright red color that is fairly consistant throughout with only the slightest brinking at the very edge. The color looks like its holding up well, considering this was probably never super dark squid ink to begin with. The nose has a lot of perfume, pomegranate, some eucalyptis, and some unintegrate heat that just needs more decanter time to integrate. The palate is medium bodied, with lots of alcohol showing at this point. but again, it was just decanted so gotta give it time folks. There is also some menthol, cranberries, and pepper that precedes a moderately long finish. It tastes promising so far and it will be fun to see where this goes....or not goes.

DAY 2
Sometimes the best laid plans don't work. right after I posted the above note a friend of mine called and said he was in the area. He stopped by and, like anyone that comes to my house, Port was served...as this was just opened it was good timing. We polished off most of it, with only a couple small glasses left in the decanter.

Today it is only a fraction darker and there isn't really much noticable change...except it has smoothed out a bit on the palate. The tannins are fully resolved and there has to be the most acidity I've ever had in a LBV Port. The previous bottle I had was a little better than this one, but I guess a little bottle variation in a 24 year old LBV is to be expected. 87 points.
05/15/08

[Kris Henderson]

1986 Smith Woodhouse Colheita

This was my dessert at my favorite local restaurant in Seattle. Medium brownish-orange with a tinge of red. The nose beckons with aromas of caramel, wood, and baking spices. Full bodied, lush, sweet and spicy on the palate with a persistent warm finish of pecan and dried cherries.

[Lamont Huxley]

Smith-Woodhouse LBV 1995

My first note was written on the first night with about 3 hours of decanting:

Very dark burgundy color with a bright red rim. The nose shows black cherry, black currants, and flower petals. The fruit is dark and sweet up front with a tarry aspect and then transitions to black pepper with some noticable alcohol. The finish is of decent length for an LBV and the tannins are firm at this point but not mouth-drying.

I finished the last bit of this 4 days later - this is an anomaly for me as any even half-decent port is usually gone before the sun comes up, but I had gone away for a long weekend and didn't get around to the final glass before I left.

After 4 days the color remained much the same. There were chocolately notes present on the nose now, and the fruit remained full and dark on the palate with the tannins still holding up well. The alcohol I noticed on the first night was still present, if a little less pronounced, and was not enough to take away from the overall character of the port. Pretty tasty LBV, and one that would probably reward another 5 years or more in the cellar.

[Glenn E.]

Smith Woodhouse 1985 Vintage Port

The cork extracted perfectly, which is a first for me with any VP over 10 years old. It may be an optical illusion, but the cork looks longer and narrower than normal. It is stained nearly all the way up, but doesn't appear to be soaked through. Looking promising!

A drop tried to escape down the side of the bottle, which I snared with my finger. Cherries! That's a VERY good sign to me.

The color is mostly red with just a hint of purple to it, but it's a very dark red that is nearly opaque in the decanter.

Lots of raspberries with a hint of processed sugar on the nose. There's a darker overtone that I can't identify... maybe it will come out later.

First taste, it retains a lot of tannins. I'd say this isn't quite mature yet, but I don't really know how much more time it needs. Some raspberry, some grape, and some tart apple are all present. The finish is long and shows some grape skin initially followed by apple skin.

+5 hours

The darker overtone in the nose has disappeared, so I'm still not sure what it was. The color has darkened to a very rich brick red that holds true almost all the way to the rim. Just short of the rim it lightens and takes on a faint yellow tint.

The tannins have shifted from the initial impression to a bit later in the overall flavor profile. They're still very present, though not overpowering. The raspberries have faded into the background and are more subtle now. There's a bit of heat present now that wasn't there before, and there's also an initial hit of alcohol on the tongue that is quickly overwhelmed.

The finish just keeps getting longer and more entertaining. It is easily a minute now, starting slow with some green apples and then building to add green grapes before fading back to the original apple and grape skins. There's also a very faint whiff of lavender honey.

+8 hours

Not much change since the last taste, though the mouth feel is becoming almost silky. The alcohol that showed up at 5 hours is gone now, and all of the flavors are very well integrated. I'd say that somewhere between 5 and 8 hours is the perfect amount of decanting time for this one!

+28 hours

I think we're clearly past prime at this point. In general, everything has receded and what used to be silky and elegant now just seems mundane.

The color around the edge of the rim has changed a bit. The yellow is gone, replaced by an even fade from red to pink to clear. Most of the nose is gone... it just smells like Port now. I think I can still detect the raspberries, but I might be trying too hard. The flavor has now taken on a bit more of that characteristic bite I usually find, but it is fairly soft and late in the mouth. The finish is still very long, and still consists primarily of grape and apple skin.

There's nothing really wrong with it right now, but there's also nothing particularly right about it either. It's still very drinkable and very pleasant, but it's no longer something that would cause you to pause and take notes for any particular reason.

All-in-all a very good Port. As I recall I paid about $60 for this bottle, and that seems about right to me.

[JacobH]

Thanks for posting the note on the 85. That’s one of the others that I was thinking about buying so it’s interesting to see what you made of it.