For The Love Of Port

I drank this over the weekend. Bottled in 2004, regular cork (unfiltered) and purchased for $21 recently

0 Hours: Opened as a pop & pour. Virtually no sediment. Typical dark purple tending towards red (magenta), especially on the rim. Faint nose, but what I got was dark fruits, No floral. The taste was more dark fruits, with a slight bite, almost pomegranate. The finish was a little clipped and moderate. Good acidity and tannins were not over-powering. Thinking this will improve by tomorrow with some air time.

24 Hours: Very similar to the day before but much smoother as the aeration has helped smooth it out. Seems one dimensional and direct, but enjoyable.

72 Hours: This really changed. Now the alcohol is very strong and the finish is more clipped. Feels like its going downhill. I still have a little left.

120 Hours: Had the last two glasses. It was a lot better than day 3 (makes me wonder if it was me and not the port); the alcohol has blown off to a good degree. Fruits are redder and there's a bit of acidity.

Rating: Just a solid, average LBV at a reasonable price.
89 Points

I've not seen the Ferriera LBV since I was served a 1996 some years ago. It was also a 4-year bottling though I can't recall if it was unfiltered. I thought it was pretty firm and backward at the time, linear and structured, quite dry and minerally considering it's a Portuguese house. At the time I thought time in the cellar might do it some good.

Your description isn't effusive but you score it pretty well. Do you think more time in bottle will give it more complexity?

Mahmoud.

89 for me is average and that's about where this is. Maybe I could have been a point or two lower. At this point it's 11 years old--not sure if more cellaring for a few years would improve it but its worth a try.