1980 Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port

[Guest]

Decanted 11.30 am - came cleanly off a very small amount of lumpy sediment - dark for it's age.

First sip - slightly medicinal bouquet which will probably disappear, and on the palate, a few rough edges that will probably do likewise. Otherwise promising...

...but this is VERY youthful and tannic - if I was guessing blind I would put it's age at ten years or less.

First impression is of a fine wine that is still much too young, but at 26 years one does not expect that...

...more anon

Tom

[Tom Archer]

6pm and a glass proper.

A fine bouquet that can be so easily described as 'good port' yet is quite hard to liken to anything else. The medicinal note has gone, as I expected.

Colour is a dark ruby - very youthful looking.

On the palate, the tannins stand out, but are not really problematic. Now very smooth with just a hint of fire on the finish.

Compared to the V90 I drank a few weeks back, this is similar in colour but much more tannic - and the Vesuvio was no wimp in that regard!

But behind the dark tannic facade, this wine seems to have much less body than the Vesuvio, which makes me unsure as to how it will develop over time.

Will it mellow into a fine veteran, still up to packing a punch in 2080 - or will it follow the lead of some '77's and head towards a twilight world of graceless senility?

Time will tell, but I fear the latter. For now, I am minded to mark this as one to re-visit in 2010. My other nine bottles can rest easy (for now!)

Tom

[Tom Archer]

Coming to the end of the decanter now.

This bottle has been rather atypical in several ways - the very youthful nature despite 26years, the dark colour - yet light on the palate, and only very marginally better after 24hrs in decanter.

Three days on and it is now getting a little tired and jammy.

Really not sure where this wine is going - I must visit some of my other 80's before too long - however, this weekend I shall liberate a 10yr Tawny and put some life back into the virtual tasting room..

Tom

[Roy Hersh]

Tom,

Thanks for your note. I saw some of these today for $60 and was wondering if they were worthy of a punt. How do feel they will drink in a decade, (I am much less worried about 2080)?

[Tom Archer]

I'm really not sure Roy, there's a risk they'll become a bit hollow.

I'd suggest a few bottles, rather than a case.

Tom

[Roy Hersh]

Thanks Tom!