1977 Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port

[Al B.]

Decant: 2 hours - One of the magnums bought ex-cellars on the Symington offer.

Deep red in colour, opaque and solid right into the rim. Dusty cherries on the nose, tight and unyielding needing more time in glass or decanter; some red licorice. Medium bodied and with good texture on the palate; full of fruit but with a firm core of acidity that adds a sharp streak to the sweet fruit, tannins are noticeable but restrained. Heat on the aftertaste precedes a big, big aniseed finish of very long duration. A glass to put to one side for a couple of hours to see how it changes. Great port.

5½ hours after decanting this had softened and opened on the nose and - if anything - the finish had increased in duration. Score increased by a point to 94/100. 94 points