Smith Woodhouse Late Bottled Vintage Port 2009
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Gorgeous, captivating aromas of black fruits, cassis and licorice, interlaced with delicate notes of mint and succulent, black olives. On the palate, the wine is pure seduction with its concentrated essence of intense, bright, blackberry and black cherry flavors with some kirsch, licorice and black chocolate also present in the background. The formidable, compact structure is lithe and taut, the fine-grained peppery tannins complemented by incredible freshness that give the wine remarkable balance and poise
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Mature, with baker's chocolate, mulled plum, singed alder and cinnamon stick notes backed by licorice root and espresso crema on the finish. Just a touch rustic in the end. For fans of the old-school style.
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2008-
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Robert
Port is a sweet, fortified wine with numerous styles: Ruby, Tawny, Vintage, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV), White, Colheita, and a few unusual others. It is blended from from the most important red grapes of the Douro Valley, based primarily on Touriga Nacional with over 80 other varieties approved for use. Most Ports are best served slightly chilled at around 55-65°F.
The home of Port—perhaps the most internationally acclaimed beverage—the Douro region of Portugal is one of the world’s oldest delimited wine regions, established in 1756. The vineyards of the Douro, set on the slopes surrounding the Douro River (known as the Duero in Spain), are incredibly steep, necessitating the use of terracing and thus, manual vineyard management as well as harvesting. The Douro's best sites, rare outcroppings of Cambrian schist, are reserved for vineyards that yield high quality Port.
While more than 100 indigenous varieties are approved for wine production in the Douro, there are five primary grapes that make up most Port and the region's excellent, though less known, red table wines. Touriga Nacional is the finest of these, prized for its deep color, tannins and floral aromatics. Tinta Roriz (Spain's Tempranillo) adds bright acidity and red fruit flavors. Touriga Franca shows great persistence of fruit and Tinta Barroca helps round out the blend with its supple texture. Tinta Cão, a fine but low-yielding variety, is now rarely planted but still highly valued for its ability to produce excellent, complex wines.
White wines, generally crisp, mineral-driven blends of Arinto, Viosinho, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina and an assortment of other rare but local varieties, are produced in small quantities but worth noting.
With hot summers and cool, wet winters, the Duoro has a maritime climate.