1851 Ferreira Vintage Port

SEAN C. · Post by **SEAN C.** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 9:45 pm

I split a bottle of 1851 Ferreira the other day with my business partner and one other friend (who posts here) at my work Christmas party. The bottle was one of several Ferreira's from the 1800's that showed up at a Christie's auction some years ago... eventually making it's way into my possesion. It was the oldest bottle of Vintage Port I have thus far had the opportunity to drink. I would say that it was slightly past it's prime and a little on the "thin" side. The color was a pale, almost pinkish red with a touch of purple. It was very smooth tasting with slight hints of cherries and caramel yet still lacking somewhat in the complexity department. Overall similar in color to the few Ports I have had from the late 1800's but certainly not the best taste wise!
I'm sure Moses Botbol who was the third man enjoying this 155 year old "nectar of the gods" can chime in with his additional thoughts.

Richard Henderson · Post by **Richard Henderson** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 10:00 pm

I will chime in as Ferreira was my first mystical port experience with the 1977. It was my very first vintage port experience. I have found that this house is very underappreciated in modern times and I have no idea how it was viewed for an 1851. But thanks for the notes.

Al B. · Post by **Al B.** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 1:44 am

Just out of curiosity, how did you open the bottle? Did a normal corkscrew work? Did the cork come out intact? Was it branded?

I have a couple of older bottles of port but have never opened anything older that a 60 year old cork and I'm curious to know how to go about it, if ever I should get round to opening one of these bottles.

Thanks,

Alex

SEAN C. · Post by **SEAN C.** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:37 am

bridgema wrote:Just out of curiosity, how did you open the bottle? Did a normal corkscrew work? Did the cork come out intact? Was it branded?

I have a couple of older bottles of port but have never opened anything older that a 60 year old cork and I'm curious to know how to go about it, if ever I should get round to opening one of these bottles.

Thanks,

Alex

Hi Alex,
I did get about 2/3 of the cork out, I used the new "rabbit" type as an experiment because it has such a long worm ...I thought it might work..but no dice! Getting the rest of the cork out was impossible..most of it showed up in the filter.

The cork was branded and the date was legible.
Check my other post about removing corks ..I'm trying to get opinions because I usually have a hard time with anything earlier than 1970..I have had the most luck with a screwpull though.

Moses Botbol · Post by **Moses Botbol** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:01 am

Ya, that bottle was a real treat. Very sherry like in taste, a little dry actually with a light claret color. We've opened other 19th century port that was darker in color. The port was a little past its prime, maybe by 60 years? No alochol to nose, and still fun to drink. We also had a 1966 La Tache that was honor to drink. Wow, that was a bang up bottle! Perhaps that best Burgundy I have ever had.

Sean knows how to throw a party

simon Lisle · Post by **simon Lisle** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 11:00 am

I spent twenty minutes with the AH-So trying to get the cork out of an old 1928 Anjou.I was going up and down with the cork in the neck and then resorted to using a darning needle as well.I got it but the end crumbled and I grumbled.

John Danza · Post by **John Danza** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 7:25 am

I collect old English wine books because they are great references for old wines like this. Andre Simon, in his 1945 book "Vintage-wise", notes that 1851 was a very fine vintage, but the wines tended to be a bit on the dry side. By the 1930s many of them were very tired, although the Kopke was doing well. The same dry tendency was noted by George Saintsbury in his 1920 book "Notes on a Cellar Book".

Thanks for the post Sean.

All the best,
John Danza

SEAN C. · Post by **SEAN C.** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 9:03 pm

Wow ..THANK YOU very much for the excellent information! I think that the 1851 was definitely on the dry side and had seen better days. Still fun to drink. Good idea on collecting the old wine books!

John Danza · Post by **John Danza** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:42 am

One of the greatest stories I've picked up in some of these old wine books was about the 1869 Croft Port. According to Andre Simon in the 1945 "Vintagewise" book, the wine is actually 1868. Here's the story.

The summer of 1868 was extremely hot and dry in the Alto Douro, and the grapes were completely shrivelled on the vines. The head of Croft saw this when he visited the vineyards and upon his return to Oporto declared publicly that there would be no Vintage, and almost no wine. However, right after that a gentle rain started and the grapes swelled almost to bursting with sugar. The result was that the 1868 vintage turned out to be one of the best in the 19th Century. All the houses declared the vintage. All of them except for Croft that is. They would not go back on the public statement made and did not declare. However, the story doesn't end there.

The 1969 growing season was a total disaster. No one was even considering declaring the vintage. However, Croft did declare! When the 1869 Croft was shipped, the people who tried it knew immediately from the taste and quality that it was actually wine from the 1868 vintage.

I continue to keep an eye out for the 1869 Croft for sale, as I'm hoping that it will sell for much less than it would have if it were 1868. There are few people who know this story because it's only in old books, although now you all know as well. Hey, don't compete against me if one of these 1869s comes up for auction!

All the best,
John Danza