1977 Dow

Tasting notes for individual Ports, with an index sorted by vintage and alphabetically.
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Tasting notes for individual Ports, with an index sorted by vintage and alphabetically.
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JAC
Cockburn’s Special Reserve
Posts: 30
Joined: 17:36 Fri 19 Mar 2010

1977 Dow

Post by JAC »

This is my third bottle of 77 Dow. The first was a great disappointment, the cork having failed long ago, and the wine was a transparent amber. The second looked like vintage port, dark red and opaque, and it did not disappoint at all. I don't know how to assign a percentage opacity, but this one was decidedly on the transparent side, but at least it was red. There were no unpleasant odors upon opening, and no unpleasant tastes, although there wasn't really much taste at all. It seemed thin.

I opened the bottle at 5:00 p.m., and sampled it every hour until midnight. It put on weight as time went on, and picked up a bit of a bitter aftertaste that peaked at about three hours and then faded away. The flavor seemed to get more pronounced, but didn't gain much complexity. At 11:00, I poured as much as would fit in a 375ml sauternes bottle and put it in the refrigerator for the night.

I continued to drink what was left in the decanter, and by midnight, one might have said that the mouthfeel was almost unctuous, but since I would never use those words, I won't. But I will say that it put on considerable weight; it seeemed thicker and richer, and even the color seemed darker.

I took the remainder out of the refrigerator at noon the next day, and after an hour transferred it back into the decanter. It got better overnight. I still would not call the flavor complex, but it was certainly pleasant. It continued to improve until 3:30, but by then it was gone.
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Alex Bridgeman
Graham’s 1948
Posts: 14880
Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
Location: Berkshire, UK

Re: 1977 Dow

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

Your descriptions make me wonder whether this bottle might have been mildlt corked. TCA taint, when mild, can have the effect of flattening the fruit flavours and richness of port, leaving a musty bitterness which is overpowering in a badly tainted bottle.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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