A Pipe of 1963 Fonseca

[Jasper A.]

Anyone saw this already? http://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2015/12/ ... r-strongly

There is going to be an auction in february for a Pipe of 1963 fonseca port (about 400 bottles). Interesting to see what the taste will be, like an old colheita?

[Glenn E.]

Anyone saw this already? http://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2015/12/ ... r-strongly

There is going to be an auction in february for a Pipe of 1963 fonseca port (about 400 bottles). Interesting to see what the taste will be, like an old colheita?

At this point, that's likely a fantastic 50+ year old colheita. It isn't a VP anymore, that's for sure!

I would love to be part of a group purchase of that pipe!

[Edward J]

Wow what a find, if you do put a group together and need some participation, I certainly would be interested.
Imagine have a FTLOP bottling of a 1963 Fonseca. However the question begs, will this wine, blended for VP have what it takes to be an awesome Colheita?

[Andy Velebil]

My reading it was bottled in 1966, so it's still a VP and not a Colheita.

[Glenn E.]

My reading it was bottled in 1966, so it's still a VP and not a Colheita.

Most of the auction houses will take a break until the new year, but Port lovers should keep an eye out for Bonham's sale in February. The London auction will feature a pipe of the 1963 Fonseca Vintage Port – or about 400 bottles.

The pipe was shipped to the UK in 1966, bottled and laid down in a private cellar. The 1963 vintage was classed as one of the best of the century, so interest is expected to be strong.

Ah, yes, you are correct. I missed the last line. Bottled in '66 makes it extra interesting.

[Edward J]

That needs a bit of clarification...so I found this.

The pipe, a cask containing almost 60 cases or 700 bottles, was shipped to the UK in 1966 – costing only £252, or the equivalent of just over seven shillings (36p) for each bottle. The Port was then bottled and cellared at a family home.

Bonhams is to sell 468 bottles from the pipe in 12-bottle lots at its fine wine sale in London on 18 February 2016, with each dozen estimated to fetch £1,400-1,600. The family owners are keeping 200 bottles back.

‘The Fonseca 1963 is my reference vintage Port, made by my father Bruce,’ said David Guimaraens, technical director and head winemaker of Fonseca owner The Fladgate Partnership – and the sixth generation of the Guimaraens family to be involved in Port.

‘If any of the vintage Ports that I make during my career are as spectacular as this 1963 after 50 years, then I will feel satisfied with what I have achieved.’

Richard Harvey MW, Bonhams director of wine, added: ‘It’s very unusual to find a pipe of Port almost untouched. The fact that it is Fonseca 1963, one of the truly great Ports of the 20th century, is even more astonishing and will excite the interest of Port lovers everywhere.’

Exporting Port in pipes to the UK, where importers would then bottle the wine for their clients, was commonplace until 1974, with well-to-do families ‘laying down’ a pipe of Port for new-born children or godchildren.

The rules governing the production of Port now forbid any exports in bulk, however.

Read more at http://www.decanter.com/wine-news/bonha ... hFKgM04.99

[Andy Velebil]

The family is only keeping roughly 3 case (before counting any that may have been already consumed).

[Eric Ifune]

Do we know who bottled it?

[Andy Velebil]

Do we know who bottled it?

Not that I know of.

And without getting a TN from a trusted source (and some other info, like who bottled it) I wouldn't be too keen on placing a high bid

[Edward J]

The auction has not been published yet, however I found a picture...

[Christian Gollnick]

468 bottles = 39 lots of 12 bottles each.
39 x GBP 1,500 = GBP 58,500.

Not a bad return for a GBP 252 investment in 1966... especially as they still keep bottles back and have consumed some over the years...

Why couldn't my grand parents buy a few of those pipes back then?

[Roy Hersh]

The follow up mentioned the family is holding back 200 bottles. Andy then wrote: The family is only keeping roughly 3 case (before counting any that may have been already consumed).

So is the latter info coming from, "Frank"?



Also, those mentioning early in the thread, COLHEITA ... I was shaking my head thinking, did you guys even bother to read the offering? Thanks Andy for setting the record straight, although quite obvious if one actually reads the offering and mention of the 1966 bottling. It would be interesting to note what month it was bottled and then taste one of those vs. an ex-cellars bottling to see if there is a difference in the profile, albeit at this point, bottle variation could account for that.

[Andy Velebil]

The follow up mentioned the family is holding back 200 bottles. Andy then wrote: The family is only keeping roughly 3 case (before counting any that may have been already consumed).

So is the latter info coming from, "Frank"?



Also, those mentioning early in the thread, COLHEITA ... I was shaking my head thinking, did you guys even bother to read the offering? Thanks Andy for setting the record straight, although quite obvious if one actually reads the offering and mention of the 1966 bottling. It would be interesting to note what month it was bottled and then taste one of those vs. an ex-cellars bottling to see if there is a difference in the profile, albeit at this point, bottle variation could account for that.

My bad (good catch) meant to say 2.5 are gone (I also typo'd). Here's the math...

About 700 bottles bottled in 1966. That's 58.33333 cases (lets round down to 58)

468 bottles being sold. That's 39 cases

58-39= 19 cases left

200 bottles are being kept by the family. That's 16.666 cases (lets just say 16.5)

16.5-19= 2.5 cases which are unaccounted for (drunk by family??)

[John M.]

My bad (good catch) meant to say 2.5 are gone (I also typo'd). Here's the math...

About 700 bottles bottled in 1966. That's 58.33333 cases (lets round down to 58)

468 bottles being sold. That's 39 cases

58-39= 19 cases left

200 bottles are being kept by the family. That's 16.666 cases (lets just say 16.5)

16.5-19= 2.5 cases which are unaccounted for (drunk by family??)

I cannot fathom having 700 bottles of 1963 Fonseca VP...now 53 years old...and only having consumed 30 bottles, or about 1 every 2 years. What else do they have that they were drinking instead? ...and What are they waiting for??

[Roy Hersh]

Andy wrote:

drunk by family?

Yes they would be. Very!

[Edward J]

Guilty as charged, but I blame Glenn. . I think what led me on is that in fact they are not auctioning off a Pipe. They actioning off bottles from the same Pipe. Big difference and besides in all the excitement of finding so much 1963 Fonseca up for sale, who has time to read?

[Jasper A.]

The follow up mentioned the family is holding back 200 bottles. Andy then wrote: The family is only keeping roughly 3 case (before counting any that may have been already consumed).

So is the latter info coming from, "Frank"?



Also, those mentioning early in the thread, COLHEITA ... I was shaking my head thinking, did you guys even bother to read the offering? Thanks Andy for setting the record straight, although quite obvious if one actually reads the offering and mention of the 1966 bottling. It would be interesting to note what month it was bottled and then taste one of those vs. an ex-cellars bottling to see if there is a difference in the profile, albeit at this point, bottle variation could account for that.

I did not read carefull enough, anyway still coole auction.

[Moses Botbol]

That '63 Fonseca is more marketing than anything different than any other '63 Fonseca IMO.

[Edward J]

That '63 Fonseca is more marketing than anything different than any other '63 Fonseca IMO.

I would agree with the whole "Pipe" angle, great marketing. However what makes this a bit different is all these bottles have been in the same place all those years.

[Andy Velebil]

That '63 Fonseca is more marketing than anything different than any other '63 Fonseca IMO.

I would agree with the whole "Pipe" angle, great marketing. However what makes this a bit different is all these bottles have been in the same place all those years.

And a 3 year bottling. Which I don't think I've ever seen before.


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