2006 Kopke Late Bottled Vintage

[Gary Richardson]

Bottle purchased in Roseland, NJ while on a business trip. Came in a gift box with Arcadia chocolate.

Initial opening: The bottle was sealed with a t-cork, but it was not clear if the bottle was filtered or not. I suspect that it was unfiltered. There was a medium amount of fine sediment at the end of the pour into the decanter. Color was a deep ruby red. Aromas of red currant, raspberry, some heat. Flavors the same with some cherry thrown in. Strong tannins, but not overpowering. Overall, not pefectly balanced initially with a little too much heat. Will see if it comes together over the next couple of days.

Opening + 3 hours: Fruits have receded somewhat, though the heat has mellowed as well. Tannins still making a strong showing, though still not overpowering. It now has more of a dry profile than I have experienced with other young LBVs. The pairing with the chocolate accentuates the dryness of this Port even more. The dark chocolate is very good, though.

Opening + 1 day: The alcohol is now more-or-less fully integrated. The fruit is a little more forward, now, and the tannins are still pretty powerful. It is still showing fairly dry. Given the tannins, I drank it with a steak, tonight, and the fruit comes through with that pairing. Quite enjoyable with the steak. My wife doesn't like it. She referred to it as "furry."

Opening + 2 days: Tannins have softened a bit, but still dominant. My wife liked it a little better, today, and said it is less "furry". While the fruit is coming through a little more (cherries, plums), the heat is more prominent, again.

Opening + 3 days and beyond: This peaked on day 2. What is left is thin and disjointed.

I think I will let my second bottle of this sit for a few more years and see how it evolves. The chocolate was quite good, though.

Overall score at its day 2 peak: 86

-- Gary