Two 1970 Graham’s Vintage Ports

[Sigfred A.]

Which bottle would you open first; the slightly fuller one with paler coloured wine (on the left) or the slightly less full one with darker coloured wine (on the right)? Both bottles were bought together at auction.
NB: The leakage visible on the label to the right doesn’t appear to necessarily come from that bottle.

[Andy Velebil]

Open pale one first.

[Glenn E.]

Open pale one first.

Agreed. Open the pale one first.

[Eric Ifune]

I also agree.

[Sigfred A.]

Thank you all! This was my gut instinct too. Good to hear that you all agree


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[Monique Heinemans.]

Please let us know how everything turned out.
I love Graham, but never had this one.

[Moses Botbol]

I always drink the leakers or crappier looking bottles first.

I thought this post was going to be on different looking 1970 Grahams bottles.

[Phil W]

I always drink the leakers or crappier looking bottles first.

I thought this post was going to be on different looking 1970 Grahams bottles.

Dodgy label on the left alert!

[Monique Heinemans.]

There is no selo on top, isn't that strange?

[Phil W]

There is no selo on top, isn't that strange?

Not necessarily; selos are only present on bottles which are bottled in Portugal. 1970 was the last vintage before the rules were brought in that mandated bottling in Portugal, but before that bottles which were bottled outside Portugal (most commonly in the UK) do not have a selo.

The left-most bottle in Moses' picture might not have a selo because it was English-bottled, perhaps, with a replacement label made to look similar to an original - or it could be a fake.

[Moses Botbol]

There is no selo on top, isn't that strange?

Not necessarily; selos are only present on bottles which are bottled in Portugal. 1970 was the last vintage before the rules were brought in that mandated bottling in Portugal, but before that bottles which were bottled outside Portugal (most commonly in the UK) do not have a selo.

The left-most bottle in Moses' picture might not have a selo because it was English-bottled, perhaps, with a replacement label made to look similar to an original - or it could be a fake.

It's not a fake I can assure you (drank plenty of them) & have same example for other 1970 bottles from Croft, etc... I believe the left one was British bottled as many Portugal bottles have a crested vintage into the bottle. What I find interesting I could've sworn the Grahams lodge had British bottled style bottles in their own collection in the caves. Is that true? Does that mean they would've had to buy them back at some point? I don't recall seeing the crested bottles with "Finest Reserve" style labels. I could certainly be wrong on this too.

[Glenn E.]

I don't recall seeing the crested bottles with "Finest Reserve" style labels. I could certainly be wrong on this too.

I have multiple examples in my cellar similar to both Sigfred's bottles and Moses's right-side bottle. As I recall I have slight label variations on both of them as well - things like color or centering that seem to have changed slightly from label run to label run. Moses's right-side bottle is, I believe, a US-market bottle.

I don't have anything that varies as far as Moses's left-side bottle, but I agree with Phil that that could easily be a replacement label or even simply a British-produced label made to look like the right-side bottle, just not quite perfectly. It seems a little odd that a British-produced label would mimic a US-market label, though, assuming I'm correct about that.

What I find most odd about Moses's left-side bottle is its shape - I don't recall having seen Graham's Ports in bottles with a shoulder that high and square before. Note how Sigfred's bottles are more rounded, and of course Moses's right-side bottle is even more rounded than that.

[Moses Botbol]

The one on the left is from a Zachy's auction. The one on the right was imported to and bought locally in metro Boston a few years after release.

I believe the importer created the label as it's a part of the actual label. Same importer on '66 Graham has the import name as a separate sticker.

[Moses Botbol]

Is there any rhyme or reason to whether a US importer imported Portuguese or British bottled versions of the same port? I want to say I have bottles from the same importer the same vintage where one has the celo and the other doesn't. Were the importation contracts with the producer valid for British bottled versions of the port? I would think not. How would an importer have both versions of the vintage?

[Andy Velebil]

Is there any rhyme or reason to whether a US importer imported Portuguese or British bottled versions of the same port? I want to say I have bottles from the same importer the same vintage where one has the celo and the other doesn't. Were the importation contracts with the producer valid for British bottled versions of the port? I would think not. How would an importer have both versions of the vintage?

If the importer was not the authorized, or official, one then they imported them under what's called "Gray Market". A term for when the non-official importer imports bottles. There's a huge gray market trade, especially for older wines/Ports. These gray market importers buy wine from all over the world. That means you can have bottles with labels from different countries imported to the USA (or elsewhere) by the same company.

[Sigfred A.]

Please let us know how everything turned out.
I love Graham, but never had this one.

When I find an occasion to open it I will try to remember to post my impressions here. I had it 7 years ago (another bottling though). I noted then that it was rich, complex, well balanced, with a long aftertaste. It made for a great meditation wine.

[Sigfred A.]

What I find interesting I could've sworn the Grahams lodge had British bottled style bottles in their own collection in the caves. Is that true? Does that mean they would've had to buy them back at some point?

I don’t have my library at hand but seem to remember having read (was it in Wiseman’s book?) that Graham’s indeed bought back UK bottled 1970 VPs in the mid 1970s as back up stock due to uncertainties following the 1974 revolution. If this in fact was the case, it could explain how and why the Graham lodge may have had (both Portuguese and) UK bottled 1970s for sale.

[Sigfred A.]

There is no selo on top, isn't that strange?

Mine are Norwegian bottlings, bottled by Vinmonopolet, the state alcohol monopoly. It’s easily recognisable by the capsules (see photo) with Vinmonopolet’s logo embossed.

[Andy Velebil]

What I find interesting I could've sworn the Grahams lodge had British bottled style bottles in their own collection in the caves. Is that true? Does that mean they would've had to buy them back at some point?

I don’t have my library at hand but seem to remember having read (was it in Wiseman’s book?) that Graham’s indeed bought back UK bottled 1970 VPs in the mid 1970s as back up stock due to uncertainties following the 1974 revolution. If this in fact was the case, it could explain how and why the Graham lodge may have had (both Portuguese and) UK bottled 1970s for sale.

Buying back older well stored vintages is not uncommon in the wine/port trade. Happens in every wine region. Usually they aren’t then re-released for sale, as they typically are bought back to bolster a dwindling in-house stock that is used for tasting and overall long term storage. Of course some may eventually make it way back into the market one way or the other.

[Moses Botbol]

Here's two different Croft's, bought in the 70's at the same liquor store. Different importers, both from Boston.