1970 Smith Woodhouse

[Alex Bridgeman]

Another bottle sourced from Davy's Fine Wine; UK bottled but bottler unknown.

Mature ruby red, 40% opaque. On first opening this smelt and tasted very sweet, rather like cloying strawberry jam. However with a couple of days in the decanter this really pulled itself together and showed much improved balance and focus with the nose revealing sharp juniper and redcurrant - reminding me of game stew but not so meaty. On the palate this is well balanced and medium bodied with virtually no tannins but a beautiful amalgamation of ripe fruit, sour cranberry and generous dollops of lemon sherbets - fragrant and surprisingly powerful on the late palate. Big in the aftertaste with plenty of chewy fruit and the tannins adding a nice licorice root edge to the long finish. Much better 48 hours after decanting that when first opened! Really rather delicious. 90/100. Drunk 25-Nov-16. Decanted 48 hours.