1977 Dow

[JAC]

This one's getting off to an inauspicious start. Obvious signs of seepage, and half of the cork ended up in the bottle.

Decanted 14:00. Thin and medicinal. No noticeably unpleasant smells, but a noticeably unpleasant, bitter aftertaste. The color is more amber than red and surprisingly transparent.

D+4: Somewhat better. The bitter aftertaste is giving way to heat.

D+6: The heat's gone, leaving little complexity and a taste of overripe fruit.

Drunk 26 March 2010.

[JAC]

Here's the label:


The cork did not cooperate:


Seepage?


Yeah.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Note to self - minimum of a six hour decant required.

[JAC]

I wouldn't argue with the 6 hour decant time, but keep in mind that this bottle showed signs of oxidation (it looked more like Madeira than vintage Port) and probably isn't a good guide on what to expect from a bottle in good condition.

[KillerB]

Patently a bad bottle caused by the seepage, the colour of this is indicative of the cork having failed a long time. You did the right thing to open up, it would have been a crying shame to wait another ten years to find it in an even more deteriorated state. Good to see the next one was in good shape.