For The Love Of Port

I decanted half of the bottle on the first night, leaving the remainder in the bottle. Initially, a sample poured in a glass had a pronounced nose and full flavor. Bottle has a driven cork.

D+4: The wine was saturated red with purplish cast. Brilliant. The nose was pretty but shy. Black currant, strawberry, light spice, and light tannin in the taste. Very fruity and rich tasting. Moderate sweetness or perhaps a bit more than moderate sweetness, but pleasing to my taste. Medium short length.

On the second day (about the same legnth of decant time) my impressions were similar. I poured out the wine into my decanter hastily, and towards the end of the bottle there was some sediment that made its way into the decanter. This sediment caused the wine to be quite a bit less brilliant and to be a little more tannic and/or astringent: no surprise at that I suppose.

I was very pleased with this port. It seemed to me that this might improve for up to 8 years. I score it 85/100.

Drunk on two successive nights: 1/2/2010 and 1/3/2010.

Michael,

Bummer about the sediment on day 2, but I guess you got some extra fiber that day What would you say was the optimal decant time...the point where you thought it showed the best?

I would say the decant time of 4 hours was enough. Frankly, the initial sample I poured out and tasted when I decanted the first half of the bottle tasted just fine -- not hot with alcohol (in fact, I noted that the alcohol was better integrated than in some other ports I have drunk, but didn't remark on that in my tasting notes), good fruit present, no off flavors or off aromas.

I have not experimented much with decant times. I suppose I ought to. For LBVs I have been giving 4 hours decant time. I do tend to drink my bottles over two successive nights: maybe I should decant the whole bottle immediately and leave in the unstoppered decanter overnight for a day or two sometime to see what the results are? I do put a paper towel over the decanter opening and secure in place with a rubber band when I have done this (just once, with a 1983 Taylor's VP sampled around the New Year).

The sediment was just a minor distraction: I noted it and just ignored it going forwards. Yes, it did intrude a little bit on the taste, but not overwhelmingly. I noted this more for another who might read this thread and be forewarned.