1994 Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port

[Paul Fountain]

There was a distinct whiff of hazelnut on opening along with a range of spices - white pepper, cardamon, cinnamon as well as a sweet blueberry jam aroma. That was all there on the palate too, with some blackberry as well. More drinkable than expected at this stage.
8 hours on it had become a bit more simple - less complex spice and a more straightforward blueberry jam sweetness, combined with a bit of spirit heat that was definitely a distraction.
Left alone in an open decanter for another 24 hours not much had changed, maybe a little vanilla had crept into the aroma but it still tasted uncomplicated, hot and disjointed.
Day 3 saw some real improvements. A slightly savoury element could be tasted underneath the sweet spice and blueberry, adding more complexity, although the aroma had become more muted. Overall this felt much more harmonious and prettier that previous days although there was still a touch of peppery heat.
The forth and final day was pretty similar to day 3 - muted aroma and much the same flavour.

Its a sweet port and still quite spirity, maybe a few more years will iron that out. What it does lack is some of the complexity that the top tier ports have. Days 1 and 2 really weren't that pleasant, but days 3 and 4 provided a level of redemption. 91 points