Smith Woodhouse 2000
Vintage Port
A wine of exceptional concentration, a fitting way by which to mark the year.
Description
Picking started at Quinta da Madalena only on the 2nd October, this was rather later than usual, but enabled maximum benefit from the good weather. The yields were extremely low, but the quality of the fruit was outstanding and the juice immensely concentrated. It was immediately apparent that the musts had great colour and had a most attractive and fresh aroma. Temperature control in the fermentation tanks was not difficult, as the nights were cool.
It is clear that the 2000 wines show great power; the colour is immense and the tannins are strong. The wine itself displays complex layers of ripe fruit that promise well for the future.
Our Expert's Recommendation
"This young wine should be allowed to age in its own bottle for at least 15 to 20 years from the time it is bottled to achieve its optimum maturity. For those who prefer to drink their Vintage Port young, 4 to 5 years are sufficient. Smith Woodhouse at its very best."
Press Comments
"Dark blackish purple. Rich, soft, black cherries. Very very sweet and powerful and alcoholic, so much so that it is quite difficult to even discern the tannins but they are there…It is extremely young but is does have all the ingredients there."
"Good deep colour, thin purple-crimson rim. Closed, showing very little on the nose. Firm, quite dry and dense in style. Big, bold and powerful, with tannic intensity. Impressive."
“Dark, though not saturated or opaque…Rich, tight-grained, dense, with generous though relatively open and accessible tannins, this is long, penetrating and has reverberant blackcurrant fruits. This will be a good 2000…”.
"Now we are talking. Wow. Aromas of licorice, flowers and crushed blackberries. Full-bodied and medium sweet, with lovely smooth, fine tannins and a long, sweet finish. Greatest young Vintage Port of Smith Woodhouse I have ever tasted."
"I have always had a soft spot for the Vintage Ports of Smith-Woodhouse. This is a secondary Port house for the Symington family, falling behind Graham, Warre and Dow among others, but it often makes better Vintage Ports than the big names marques of the family. It did just that in 2000. The young Port shows loads of licorice, flowers, and crushed blackberries on the nose and palate. It’s full-bodied and medium-sweet, with lovely smooth, fine tannins and a long, sweet fruit finish. Greatest young vintage of Smith Woodhouse I have ever tasted."
"An impressively powerful wine for the long term and one of the bargains of the vintage."
"A finely classic performance from Smith Woodhouse, a shipper whose vintage Ports are often underrated. This combines a strong, dry tannic structure with ripe, solid, chunky fruit. With its layers of dark fruits and concentrated flavours, it has considerable complexity."
“Closed, dense but with underlying depth and intensity. Big, rich sweet berry fruit backed by firm tannic grip and a powerful finish. Very impressive.”
"Very good colour. Firm, backward and concentrated on the nose. This has depth and quality without a doubt. Full body. Very good tannins. Very good grip too. Backward, profound and very promising."
“Blackstrap wine. Wow. Greatest young Vintage of SW I have ever tasted. Intense aromas of blackberries, minerals, black licorice and wet earth. Full-bodied, medium-sweet, with mouth puckering tannins, yet refined and very long. A beauty.”
Additional Information
For more information about Smith Woodhouse, please visit
http://www.smithwoodhouse.com/
Click here to download the wine specification sheet.