1995 Smith Woodhouse LBV Port

[Glenn E.]

Opened for a dinner with friends and given about 5 hours in the decanter before serving. The bottle claims to be made in the traditional style without filtering, but there was almost no sediment in the bottle. Only the very last ounce or two had some thicker sludge-like sediment, and even that was quite thin compared to some I have seen.

1995 Smith Woodhouse LBV

Color: Very deep red/garnet with strong purple overtones. Quite clear and almost no sediment.
Nose: Black cherry, blackberry, black raspberry, and black currant. Have you noticed the theme yet? A faint whiff of alcohol and an afterthought of dust. Very fruity.
Palate: Smooth and rich, with dark black fruits that echo the nose. Also some faint blueberry that I didn't notice on the nose. Decent tannins and acidity, though neither is particularly strong. Sweet, but medium body. All-in-all superb for my taste for drinking right now. Could use some red fruits to provide depth - as is it tastes excellent, but seems to be missing a little bit of something.
Finish: Starts out fruity and sweet, but then slowly develops a slight acrid bite that persists for the length. Eventually that bite turns into grape stem. Good length - easily 45+ seconds - but not notably enjoyable beyond the first 10-15 seconds.

Score: 92 points. Excellent overall, but just a little on the simple side to be called outstanding. I'd also like to see a smoother finish in a Port that I'm going to give a higher score. I like this LBV a lot, and it's a superb value at the $22-$24 that I've been able to find it for recently.