1995 Smith Woodhouse Late Bottled Vintage Port

This was a Christmas gift so I'm not sure the cost – a very brief internet search found this to come up for at least $25.

The nose here is powerful – rich, dark, dried cherries covered in dark chocolate with espresso. Solid.

A lot of alcohol on the palate – definitely some burn – a bit of oak, but overall fruity and burny. Raisins, prunes, dried cherries, coffee, caramel, and orange – quite impressive. After the bottle has opened for a few days, it morphs slightly – quite a bit of vanilla starts to come through, and an interesting almost raspberry infused brandy quality comes through.

The wood lingers with some caramel and earthy notes on the finish.

A fantastic bottle – strongly recommended.

N/V Founders Reserve Sandeman Porto

When Fran and I were looking to decorate our apartment with some posters, I stumbled across an array of (reproductions of) vintage posters of Sandeman Port. I liked the logo, but assumed the brand was long gone. As I was browsing a local shop, I saw a whole line of Sandeman Port and knew I had to grab a bottle. This was the priciest bottle at $16 for 750 ml.

Raisin and alcohol on the nose.

A bit of alcohol burn, rich tobacco, overripe plum (prune really), brown sugar....a solid Ruby style Port. After a few weeks of being open, the tobacco is beginning to take over – not terribly sweet, a nice bit of acid and some interesting earthy qualities – I'd enjoy this more if I had a cigar.

The finish brings some earthy notes and lingering burn from the alcohol.

Not bad. For an under $20 bottle of Port, you can do worse...but I still view Port as a splurge beverage since a bottle lasts so long you may as well drop some coin and stretch it out. If you're starting out with Port, buying for a dinner party, or simply not willing to pay a lot for a bottle but are desperate for “real” Port, then you can do worse....but I'd still save a few dollars and buy the Port-like Australian fortified wine made by Jonesy.

1977 Dow's SIlver Jubilee Vintage Port

Here it is....the crown jewel of the wine rack, the one I’ve had sitting around for a year, a gift from the missus–and not one of those “look at this great bottle of Champagne I bought ‘us’”....no, a Port...a wine she hates, bought for me. This is the first triple digit bottle of wine ever reviewed here, and probably the last for some time.

Since Port lasts weeks, even months, after opening, I’ve decided to hold off this review and give you a full review from the first pour to the last.

First impressions - (The first hour)

Not much of a nose.

The palate is honestly a bit harsh–lots of alcohol....some raisin, some walnut, a bit of space, some slightly dried plum, borderline prune. Fran gets the distinct taste of black walnut.

A slight burn starts off the finish and it fades to a nutty, musty taste....strange in a way. The finish I first thought didn’t seem to last long, until I took a sip, swallowed it, and moved away from the glass...quite literally five minutes later I still was getting some funky tastes....impressive. I look forward to giving this some more time to aerate.


A bit longer - (The second and third hour)

I decided to do some serious swirling and this astounded me....I swirled this standing up with the glass at a waist level counter and after just a few seconds of swirling I could smell the wine.....that is to say, not with my nose in the glass, but with the glass on the counter and me standing....easily three feet away.

The nose begins to develop....a bit of must, but definitely more on the nuttier side....walnuts mainly.

The palate has already smoothed out a bit...a big burst of raisin and dried pineapple and fig immediately, some prune,

The finish has more of that strange must...it’s not necessarily bad, it’s just weird. *Long* lingering walnut.


The next day - (24 hours later)

Thankfully, the must has faded.

The palate brings rich brown sugar, caramel, and dried cherry.

The finish is long lasting and nutty.


Day 3 -
The nose certainly isn’t going anywhere...powerful raisin, prune, and tobacco.

The palate seems to have grown more complex...caramel, raisin, black walnut, prune, oak, tobacco, even just the faintest bit of blueberry...all at once and then separate. Strong and rich.

The must is gone...excellent news. The finish still lasts for a long time and brings out some nice nutty flavors.

Day 5 -
Skipped a day....the nose is straight up prune and maple syrup.

The palate has the brown sugar, caramel, walnut, prune, raisin, fig—dried fruit...maybe even some dried pineapple.

There’s an earthiness that’s coming through that I haven’t noticed before, but the finish is certainly nutty.

Day 8 -
Dirty socks on the nose - yeah, I don’t know, but it’s what I get.

Brown sugar, maple syrup, walnut, prunes, fig, and some striking tobacco.

The finish really brings out the dried cherry, walnut, pecan, and brown sugar.

Day 16 (or so) -
I’ve done some research and it seems the mild musty essence I’m getting may very well be a flaw with the bottle. If it is, it is mild enough to not be a deal breaker. I had Fran smell the glass and she said “it smells like a basement.”

Firm alcohol on the nose.

Rich strawberry, prune, walnut, and cola.

The finish is tobacco and dried fruit - raisin, prunes, etc.

And that, sadly, ends the bottle. If you have the money, I’d suggest drinking some Ruby’s and Tawny’s first so you can really appreciate the quality in a bottle like this. If that sounds like too much work, I’ll gladly take a donation.

N.V. Warre’s Otima 20 Year Old Tawny Porto

I opened this bottle around two weeks back and have found that I prefer my Port after it’s had some time with air. Not long ago we reviewed a Warre’s 10 Year Tawny, so this should be interesting to compare.

The nose has some plums, or is it prunes? Somewhere in the middle. Dark, rich fruit.

The palate hits me with raisins and prunes, dried fruit–maybe dried cherry, maybe cranberry, and just a touch of orange peel.

The finish is all nuts....walnuts...and leaves sort of an oily mouthfeel, even after the bottle had been open for some time, I found this improved in the glass...at first pour, it had a pretty striking burn, but after sitting in the glass for 40 minutes or so, it disappeared.

The interesting thing with Port is how it changes over time...there’s still quite a bit left in this bottle so I may write more about this in coming weeks. For now, I think it’s okay, but the 10 year was around $15 cheaper and far smoother and easier on the palate.

N/V Dow's Fine Ruby Port

As the name of the wine says, it's "fine." Not much else. Ruby Port is the generally the cheapest and simplest Port out there and one shouldn't expect much more than that.

It's fruity, there's a bit of a burn on the finish, and has none of the nutty flavors you get in a Tawny. For $11, it's perfectly acceptable. It will probably sit on the shelf for a few weeks, perhaps I'll have a glass every so often but I really see this going into sauces.

This is the first time I've had a Ruby Port in a while and to be honest, I'm probably not going to be buying another bottle for a long time unless I get into poached Pears again come the fall. For what it is, it's good, I certainly won't be pouring this down the drain, but since a bottle of Port lasts so long (it can go three months after opening) and you really only need a couple ounces at a time, I'd rather spend a bit more money and get something truly excellent.