For The Love Of Port

...not forgetting Mayson The experts of course do not always agree - compare Broadbent's views on Fonseca '83 with those of Mayson. I've just broached a case of Fons 83 and delivered it into the rack. One of the bottles has a slightly frosty capsule and a vts level, so I've stood it up and will deca...

Alec - I've had no problems with mould - maybe you didn't rinse the decanter first?

Although the water looks perfectly clear in the decanter, the bouquet lingers and is pleasantly liberated when you empty the water out prior to refilling.

Tom

I used to wash, rinse and dry my decanters diligently. Recently I have been experimenting with a different approach that is proving very satisfactory: Now when I come to the end of a decanter I put it under the tap and quarter fill it with tap water. I give it a quick shake and pour out the contents...

I have bought from Berry, and have no issue with their integrity as a wine merchant.

But why do I hate these "own brands" so..

hmm...

What verbal tripe!

I loved the bit about Warre - "ceiling wax"...

Sealing wax has very little smell until it's lit, when it is positively foul!

This is the rant of pretentious idiot.

Stuart,

EHD is a climate controlled warehouse about 200yards from the stadium (off Rugby road) It's practical - not very romantic!

I thought they had a web site, but I can't find it.

Tom

Roy, If you dispute my estimates, you might do me the courtesy of offering some of your own. You rightly state that if the port trade felt it was their interest to market 500ml bottles they would do so. My point is that the market is too small to support both 375ml and 500ml VP bottlings. I also bel...

In principle, I have no objection to buying mature port on the UK market and shipping to the US at cost plus an agreed (modest) fee - but I would need to be confident that the person at the receiving end was financially sound, and up to speed on regulatory matters with regard to importation.

Most respondents to this poll have said they would like to see both 375ml and 500ml. But place yourself in the shoes of a shipper... VP accounts for only about 2% of total port sales, and I would estimate that around 80-90% of VP is sold in 750ml bottles - so we are talking about a product that repr...

Alec,

Sophisticated bit of kit you have there!

I don't dispute that the technology exists to achieve a high degree of temperature stability. The problem is that most proprietary cooling systems do not have that refinement.

Tom

The warmer the cellar, the faster the maturation. Some maintain that slow, low temperature maturation is better, but the evidence to support this notion is notable for its absence. There is better evidence to support the case for avoiding thermal shocks. Coolers, by their design, cut in at a certain...

If the level in a bottle of that age has descended out of the neck, I would regard a good drinking experience to be a bonus. I regard b/n to be just about acceptable from a '55 - anything younger should be i/n. A very old bottle could reasonably be t/s, but I wouldn't pay serious money for anything ...

I agree with Alec. While in theory the only difference is a slightly greater exposure to the cork, small bottles are certainly more vulnerable to adverse conditions. I would suggest ageing half bottles in their cases - snug, dark and out of draughts. In a rack I'd be inclined to give them a sleeve o...

Alec - it's not impossible, but I'll need to do my homework on shipping to the US, and US customs rules on the import of alcohol. Loads of mature wine from the 70's and 80's - maybe 50-100 cases at a time - looks potentially profitable. Obviously I'd need a competant partner to handle the sale, stor...

PS..

But I bet we don't get a book!

Err - it looks like the Americans are paying more. I have no idea what the tax regime on alcohol is in the USA, but I assume that the futures price is tax exclusive. £175 for six bottles translates to about $51.50 a bottle here, against $60 in the USA. I also bought early on this one (mid July) and ...

... interesting comment.

There is a large parcel coming to auction in two weeks time with a very low guide price (it's being sold in lots of 24 bottles too, which is unusual for VP)

Maybe one to miss!

Your description is not unlike my recent experience of Malvedos from the same year (except that we finished the bottle within three hours of opening it..)

Probably a year that's now at it's peak.

Warre's Cavadinha '86 is also available at a very reasonable price - anyone tried it recently?

You might need to explain the acronyms to get a sensible reply...

A good question, if only because I keep changing my mind..

At the moment, big name mature wine from the eighties is excellent value. Everything made after 1994 seems overpriced.