1988 Smith Woodhouse Madalena
Posted: 00:12 Fri 19 Oct 2007
Decanted cleanly off very little sediment for is age at 00:00 Friday 19 Oct 07.
On Decanting
Lovely spicy fruit smell during decanting. Bright reddish brown colour. Small amount of spirit is mixed with spice and stewed fruit on the nose. Nice thick mouthfeel, chewy, dates and black fruits and a long finish.
Note from AHB 15 hours later at the Crusting Pipe...
Mid-red colour, slightly darker than the Dow 1983 tasted at the same time; colour showing a little development in the bottle. Nose dominated at first by mint and alcohol, some tones of reductibe aging - some toffee and strawberry ice cream. Lovely thick texture in the mouth; subdued impact, quite dry with cherry stones and ripe vistoria plums. The tannins are still present although masked behind layers of fruit. The aftertaste is enormous, it starts immediately and grows massively with lots of coffee, cherry balck chocolate and complexity. This is a huge wine that is not yet ready for drinking and needs at least another 5 years in the bottle. Very good today but will be much, much better in 10 years. 7/8 or 92/100.
Admin Note: Remainder of thread moved here
On Decanting
Lovely spicy fruit smell during decanting. Bright reddish brown colour. Small amount of spirit is mixed with spice and stewed fruit on the nose. Nice thick mouthfeel, chewy, dates and black fruits and a long finish.
Note from AHB 15 hours later at the Crusting Pipe...
Mid-red colour, slightly darker than the Dow 1983 tasted at the same time; colour showing a little development in the bottle. Nose dominated at first by mint and alcohol, some tones of reductibe aging - some toffee and strawberry ice cream. Lovely thick texture in the mouth; subdued impact, quite dry with cherry stones and ripe vistoria plums. The tannins are still present although masked behind layers of fruit. The aftertaste is enormous, it starts immediately and grows massively with lots of coffee, cherry balck chocolate and complexity. This is a huge wine that is not yet ready for drinking and needs at least another 5 years in the bottle. Very good today but will be much, much better in 10 years. 7/8 or 92/100.
Admin Note: Remainder of thread moved here