For The Love Of Port

As for Port, I don't think price has much of an issue. As far as the world's great wines go, it's very well priced. The regular cuvée of VP makers is in the $40-$90 range on release, with an extra $10-$30 bucks a bit after release. Bordeaux's best can't compare, California's best can only sometimes...

Port: I think Port will be a niche interest with serious wine fans and perhaps people from families with "cellaring traditions". I see interest in Port continuing to decline in future, especially over in Europe. Top vintage port costs far too much for something that needs to be set aside f...

Daniel, Eric & Eric, thanks for the answers re. demijohns.

Anyone else able to chime in re:
"Do older bottles of Madeira (say 100+ years old) need to be consumed soon upon opening, or can they last months/years as well?"

Questions for some of the experienced brethren here: 1. Does Madeira develop/change at all when in demijohns? If it doesn't, then (as an example) a 1795 Madeira transferred to demijohns in 1895 and kept there to the present date is only really 100 years old in terms of development, is it not? I ask ...

When I was at Madeira, I heard Verdelho pronounced quite often as "ver-VEH-lyo", which I thought was quite odd. I think it's pronounced ver-DEH-lyo. Terrantez: Chris Blandy pronounces it as "tekr-en-tesh", there's a soft guttural "k" sound for the double R - youtube Ter...

Thanks all for your responses. Seems like a bit of a chicken and egg rule - how are the authorities to know what x years taste like if all the blends they taste are estimates of what x years are supposed to be?!

Good thing our jobs are not to think, but to drink.

Great news, and good to see that they're keen to increase Terrantez plantings. Fingers crossed for more vineyard acquisitions across the islands by the producers, the quality of Madeira and the planting of the rarer grapes can only improve.

In his Guest Corner thread on September 30 2009, Bartholomew Broadbent stated that he had " special plans for a never before done Madeira. Can't say anything else now ". http://www.fortheloveofport.com/ftlopforum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7574&start=40 Has this Madeira been released, or...

This probably looks like a very stupid question, but does age statement on tawny ports actually refer to the average age of the blend, or does it refer to "character"? I attended a wine tasting last year where the presenter (who works for Oddbins in London) claimed that the age statement o...

The 1976 Blandy seems to be expensive everywhere - cheapest in the USA is $208 excl sales tax. So the Danish price doesn't seem to be too bad, given the famously high Scandinavian taxes... Unfortunately D'Oliveiras isn't stocked in Copenhagen, otherwise I would have have made my friend pack-mule the...

I have a friend currently in Copenhagen who has spotted both the Blandy 1976 Terrantez, and the Blandy 20yo Terrantez. The 1976 is almost 2.5 times more expensive than the 20yo blend. Considering the 1976 was bottled in 1997 (ie. 21 years in cask), do you all think there's a sufficient difference in...

Miguel, I think I've gone the opposite direction from you - I tend to find 10 and 20yr tawnys too stodgy (I only have access to Taylors), and enjoy the acid cut that Madeira provides. But good to hear that you enjoy the Malmsey nonetheless! I've recently opened bottles from 3 different Madeira shipp...

I love the 1968 D'Oliveiras Bual. I also really like the 1982 and the 89 Malvasia. Also their 77 and 88 Terrantez. I pretty much enjoy any of the Barbieto Colheitas and they are a relative bargain as well. Thanks for that Eric. Will pencil down your recommendations for my next purchase. I skipped t...

Hi all, I've got a few queries along the same lines of the original poster. This is the foundation of my "normal drinking" Madeira collection: - H&H 20yr Terrantez - Blandy 20yr Terrantez - D'Oliveiras 1977 Terrantez - Barbeito 20yr Malvasia - Blandy 10yr Malmsey - Blandy 5yr Bual - D'...