Smith Woodhouse, Smith Woodhouse - Symington Family Estates 2016

This is extremely floral with dark fruit and plum character. Full-bodied, very tight and focused. It's a complete young vintage Port that is great from start to finish. Rio Torto fruit makes this great! Better in 2022.

The nose has rich fruit the palate chunky the mid richness supported by polished tannins. The mid palate is compact with savoury spices at the start some bitter chocolate then herbal freshness. The back palate is lighter and leaner, peppery and spicy the finish is firm and tight at the moment. 2032-54

A deep ruby-purple in the glass, this is classic in style with raw fruits and plenty of Christmas pudding on the nose. The palate is structured and firm, with chalky tannins envoloping the compact fruit. This is a traditional, firm style, that should offer a nice balance of sweet fruit, succulent tannins and savoury spices in maturity.

That super-deep Sym crimson again. Very luscious, appealing nose. Smooth and sweet, a sort of cadet to the big guns initially but then freshness and polished tannins (masses of them) kick in. Rather inky, almost bitter on the end. Leathery.
Drink 2033-2055

Chunky, juicy and a touch more rustic and spicy than others, this is good fun and it shows the strides forward at this jolly House. Trying to keep up with the big names, and almost making it this is a great effort from this workhorse estate.

Entirely from Quinta da Madelena in the Torto Valley, primarily a field blend of old vines, picked late from 28th September onwards: open, fragrant, ripe cherry and floral fruit aromas; lovely firm, well defined berry fruit on the palate, some bitter chocolate intensity mid-palate, fine grained, peppery tannins leading to a long sinewy finish. Very good middle-weight, middle-distance wine, leaner in style than other wines from the Symington Estates. Just 1,500 cases in total. 16.5/20