For The Love Of Port

I picked this up a couple of months ago for a virtual tasting, but then someone else beat me to it so I stashed it and picked up something else. I felt like opening something tonight but didn't have anything in particular in mind, so this cellar defender took one for the team. No decanting as of the moment, but I'll come back and post updates if/when appropriate.

2000 Kopke LBV
bottled 2006
filtering status unlabeled, so probably filtered

Color: Very dark, deep red. Opaque in the center, but translucent for a good inch from the rim. Very clear.
Nose: Lightly minty, some rather medicinal alcohol, and some crushed fermenting raspberries & strawberries. Also something meaty that makes me think of unsmoked bacon.
Palate: Subdued, but not in a corked way - it's just not bold and in your face. Lots of warmth, but the sharp edge I associate with "hot" isn't there. Fruit flavors are vaguely red with some blackberry to provide foundation; it's neither simple nor complex. Just a couple of layers. Good tannins and acidity. The alcohol adds a firey edge to the acidity that heats up the tongue and cheeks. Overall it's quite pleasant.
Finish: Fairly abrupt, starting with heat and tannins and then quickly dropping off to grape stem. The heat remains for 15-20 seconds and the vague fruit only barely out-lasts it. Oddly, long after it seems to be gone (about a minute), it comes back and leaves a parting gift of Granny Smith apples.

87 points. Lose some of the alcohol on the nose and in the palate, give me a more pleasant finish, and this could easily be a 90+ point Port. But ultimately the alcohol/heat is a little bit distracting and the finish is too clipped for it to reach that plateau.

I may change my mind later, though, as the alcohol is likely to integrate some as it gets some air.

Day 2

No change to the color. The medicinal alcohol has blown off a bit leaving behind a bit of a dusty smell. Unfortunately the fruits have also receded a bit, leaving the nose rather nondescript. At this point I'd label it simply "smells like Port."

The palate has taken a step toward hot - the sharp edge has appeared, but oddly the warmth has receded a bit. So I still wouldn't call the overall effect hot, but now it is somehow less pleasant than yesterday. The fruits no longer feel subdued and instead are fairly bold though still indistinct. It has picked up a bit of a chocolate sensation, too.

The finish has changed the most. It's much longer than before, but unfortunately that only draws out and highlights the harshness of the grape stem effect. The Granny Smith apples do still show up very late, but even those have taken on a bit of apple core flavor.

No change to the score. It's different today, but I think no better and no worse. Still a solid LBV, though one that I think might actually benefit from being consumed with food. Since we're having a wonderful evening here in Seattle, I believe I'll put that to the test by grilling some brats.