Smith Woodhouse 10 Yr. Tawny Porto

Enticing cherry, damson plum and raspberry coulis notes put this a step ahead of the pack. Rooibos tea, bergamot and dried rose petal notes add length and nuance to the finish. Distinctive and lovely.

91 PointsWine Spectator, June 2018

The grapes are harvested in fall and are fermented for a short period of time before the addition of 100% grape spirit alcohol. This step stops the fermentation, preserves the wine’s natural grape sugars, and gives it it’s unique richness. The wine is then moved into oak casks for aging, where it spends at least 10 years. “10 Years” indicates an average age: it is a blend of older lots, which offer complexity and depth, and younger wine, which lend fresh fruit flavors and vibrancy.

Excellent tawny color gained through ageing in small oak barrels. The nose shows layers of mature fruit aromas, beautifully integrated with nuances of nuts and crystallized dried fruits. On the palate very smooth and mellow, with a well-balanced and long finish.

Christopher Smith, Member of The British Parliament and Lord Mayor of London, founded a small company to ship Port from the Douro in 1784. The Woodhouse brothers joined in the early 19th century and the name Smith Woodhouse was established. By the end of the 19th century their Ports enjoyed a strong reputation. Like so many shippers, Smith Woodhouse fell on hard times in the aftermath of the Second World War, and the shipper was sold to a London based wine importer, whilst the wines were supplied by W & J Graham’s. In 1970, when the Symington family bought Graham’s, they acquired Smith Woodhouse as well.

As a niche name with limited production, Smith Woodhouse is not as well-known as most of its peers, but among Port connoisseurs it is eagerly sought. In major blind tastings of all the Ports declared in Vintage years, critics consistently pick out the Smith Woodhouse as extraordinarily good and extraordinarily good value. Winery Notes