port value?

[Drummond MACOMBER]

I just came in to possession of a bottle of 1945 Borgas & Irmao Alto Douro vintage port, it appears to be in good shape but not knowing the storage history. I still plan to open it and see how it is.
Never the Less I would still like to get an approximate value.
Thank you!

[Bradley Bogdan]

The value is tough to pin down with any certainty, as there are obviously very few bottles left of that vintage. Lack of storage history and possession depress value, condition could depress or increase value.

Assuming good condition, if you were to purchase that bottle from a retailer, I'd guess that it would be priced between $750 and $1000. Auctions could yield a lower price, as Borges isn't a particularly well known name in the US (as opposed to a Taylor or Fonseca, for example). Maybe down to $400 at the minimum.

If you were to sell/consign such a bottle, you personally would net much less than those numbers, even if they were spot on accurate. This is due to the fees and such that come from the auction houses and retailers that purchase/consign bottles.

Enjoy the bottle, and please stop back in to let us know how the experience of opening it was!


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[Glenn E.]

I see one 1945 Borges on winesearcher.com for $448, which is about what I expected. While a top-tier name like Taylor, Fonseca, or Graham might command $1200, lesser names are worth... well, less.

Let us know how it tastes, we'd love to have you write up a tasting note!

[Andy Velebil]

Can you post a clear picture of the bottle? Both front and back labels and overall bottle shot (top to bottom). That would really help in placing a value.

Also, please tell us where it has been stored all these years. and..What the fill level is.

[Drummond MACOMBER]

Thank you all for your input. I had a guestamate of $500.00 Us value......we are going to drink it!

[Moses Botbol]

For me, that bottle as you described is $200-350 USD.

[Eric Menchen]

I think of top name 1955s starting around $300. 1945 is worth more, but Borges is worth less. So I'm in the $300+ range.

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[Glenn E.]

I think of top name 1955s starting around $300. 1945 is worth more, but Borges is worth less. So I'm in the $300+ range.

According to winesearcher.com, Taylor, Fonseca, and Graham from 1955 are in the $600+ range in the US. Europe has a few instances of them in the $400-$450 range, but then you have to ship them across the pond. If you can actually find those in the US for $300, you should BUY NOW. Prices have gone up dramatically in the last year or so on 1955, 1948, and 1945. (I've been trying to find a reasonable G45 for a couple of years now... they just don't exist.)

Dow, Warre, Cockburn, Croft, et al are a little less expensive. You can sometimes find those in the $350-$400 range in the US. In the UK they're still occasionally at $300 or slightly lower. But it's not a sure thing.

1948 Fonseca, Taylor, and Graham are each over $1000 now. (Just last year they were averaging about $800.) 1945 they're closer to $1200.

But Borges is none of the above. Still, for a 1945 I think you're reaching to expect it for $300. Anything that old is starting to get pretty rare and the price goes up accordingly.

[Eric Menchen]

If you can actually find those in the US for $300, you should BUY NOW. Prices have gone up dramatically in the last year or so on 1955, 1948, and 1945.

I was going from my auction experience from 2-4 years ago. So auctions are less than wine-searcher, and I do agree that prices have gone up a lot in the last year or so. This is true for a good number of other vintages as well. The Taylor & Fonseca 1994s have gone up a fair bit, and the 1970s have gone up some too, but not quite as much in my experience. I recently did get a good deal on some Fonseca 1985s. 1977 Gould Campbell also has gone up a bunch. I think we talked about it too much here. 1977 Fonseca already was expensive. ...

1948 Fonseca, Taylor, and Graham are each over $1000 now. (Just last year they were averaging about $800.) 1945 they're closer to $1200.

Yes, these are different animals. I wasn't trying to suggest a price for these particular 1948s, which can outstanding BTW. But as you note:

But Borges is none of the above. Still, for a 1945 I think you're reaching to expect it for $300. Anything that old is starting to get pretty rare and the price goes up accordingly.

I have seen some even older bottles (1900-1930), in particular the more odd names, show up at lower prices. I think there is a peak age price point that the lesser labels pass. I observe this in other wines as well at younger ages. First growth Bordeaux for the non-stellar vintages come down in price after 30 or so years. For Port this happens much later, but I think it does happen for the lesser years and lesser labels.