1977 Graham

[uncle tom]

Decanted this one hard on the heels of the Taylor '85, which rather highlighted the difference in colour - but the wine has since darkened a little.

Decanted 32 hours ago. First sip was quite harsh and after 10 hours it seemed a bit hot and lacking composure.

Past experiance suggests that this wine needs plenty of decanter time, so I've left it alone until now.

Nose fairly subdued, not very typical of Graham, colour in the glass is tending towards magenta with a clear meniscus.

On the palate there is still a little bit of heat, but nothing serious. Seems a tad dry for Graham; tasted blind it could be mistaken for a Dow. Finish is OK if unremarkable.

Overall this drinks well and has no serious faults, but doesn't excel either. For immediate gratification it just makes the top quartile, so an 8

Where's it going? I have my doubts about the 77's - some of the wines show evidence of decline in conjunction with immaturity. This one is just about mature, but the heat and premature loss of colour makes me doubt the keeping qualities.

I fear this wine will be in noticeable decline in another decade, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

Score 8-7

Tom