1977 Gould Campbell Vintage Port
Posted: 22:50 Fri 22 Jun 2007
I decanted the bottle and then immediately poured 375ml into a half bottle and placed it in the fridge.
On Decanting
Very dark bright red colour with a pink rim fading to clear at the edge. Slightly spiritous nose with lots of cherry fruit evident below the initial heat. Hot entry which faded very quickly to reveal very tannic dry fruits.
+7 Hours
Colour seems even darker than before. Heat has now gone from the nose now but it now has a smell like an old peaty malt whisky - 10 yr old Lagavulin to be precise - Black cherry taste becomming very very dry on the cheeks and palate. Hard to believe this is 29 years old.
+30 Hours
Two samples to taste at this point. The first was the last glass that had been in the decanter at room temperature for 30 hours. The second was from the half bottle that spent 24 hours in the fridge and then 6 hours in a decanter. Both samples were tasted at the same temperature.
1st sample - wet cardboard smell. Taste is now light and weak with a bitter finish. Not good
2nd sample - nice fruity smell with no spirit. Thick velvety mouth feel with big blackcurrant fruit and long slightly dry and tannic finish leaving the cheeks watering. Best yet, so I finished it there and then 8)
From my experiment at 30 hours I reckon that at 7 hours this wasn't quite ready. Perhaps at 10 to 12 hours from initial decanting the wine would show as it did for the 30 hour sample that had been in the fridge.
It would be interesting to see what this wine would do after 48 or 72 hours but from what happened at 30 hours in the decanter I'm not convinced it would recover. As I have another 11 bottles I suppose I could try it one day providing I can stop myself necking it down as soon as it peaks
On Decanting
Very dark bright red colour with a pink rim fading to clear at the edge. Slightly spiritous nose with lots of cherry fruit evident below the initial heat. Hot entry which faded very quickly to reveal very tannic dry fruits.
+7 Hours
Colour seems even darker than before. Heat has now gone from the nose now but it now has a smell like an old peaty malt whisky - 10 yr old Lagavulin to be precise - Black cherry taste becomming very very dry on the cheeks and palate. Hard to believe this is 29 years old.
+30 Hours
Two samples to taste at this point. The first was the last glass that had been in the decanter at room temperature for 30 hours. The second was from the half bottle that spent 24 hours in the fridge and then 6 hours in a decanter. Both samples were tasted at the same temperature.
1st sample - wet cardboard smell. Taste is now light and weak with a bitter finish. Not good
2nd sample - nice fruity smell with no spirit. Thick velvety mouth feel with big blackcurrant fruit and long slightly dry and tannic finish leaving the cheeks watering. Best yet, so I finished it there and then 8)
From my experiment at 30 hours I reckon that at 7 hours this wasn't quite ready. Perhaps at 10 to 12 hours from initial decanting the wine would show as it did for the 30 hour sample that had been in the fridge.
It would be interesting to see what this wine would do after 48 or 72 hours but from what happened at 30 hours in the decanter I'm not convinced it would recover. As I have another 11 bottles I suppose I could try it one day providing I can stop myself necking it down as soon as it peaks